From the AEGIS e-Journal, Volume 12 Number 1, January 2009
406 MHz MicroPLB™ Type GXL Personal Locator Beacon Microwave Monolithics Incorporated $698 http://www.wireless-concepts.com/ 1-805-582-9000 As readers know, we are big believers in personal locator beacons (see the October 2003, December 2005, January 2007, and April 2008 issues of ÆGIS). We carry one when we are traveling in remote locations abroad, and find it comforting to know that if something goes wrong while traveling in ÆGIS, January 2009 6 remote areas someone will know about it within seconds of our deploying the beacon, and that search and rescue will be located. We also carry it with us when we go camping, and even when we know we will be sufficiently far from a road (and a mobile phone signal) as to cause problems if we have an accident. As an example, if we were visiting a friend in the country, went for a walk in the countryside and broke an ankle, even a quarter of a mile from his house, it is not beyond conception that we wouldn’t be found. And if we are going on a long road trip we take it, on the off chance that we go off the road and nobody comes along to rescue us. Our formerly-favorite PLB, the GX from Microwave Monolithics (see the April 2008 issue of ÆGIS), has gotten smaller and lighter and less expensive with their new GXL model. The GXL is 1.1” X 2.35” X 4.75” where the GX was 1.1” x 2.4” x 5.9”. The GXL weighs less than eight ounces where the GX was about 10 ounces. This is small enough and light enough to comfortably put in your pocket, as was the GX, and the price is now competitive with other 48 hour PLBs. All of the features we liked in the GX have been retained in the GXL. These include the fact that each unit is burned in and tested throughout its temperature range, the DOT approved batteries, and the ability to update the internal almanac to compensate for satellite drift, and the fact that there is no warm-up, so that the initial burst goes out quickly and accurately. Who should have a PLB? Anyone who travels abroad outside of major cities, or hikes, or camps, or skis, or climbs mountains, or drives in remote areas, or spends time out of urban areas. And if you are looking for a PLB, we recommend the GXL. 7. Subscription/Unsubscription/Copyright Information •• ÆGIS is supported and maintained by voluntary efforts. This publication is owned, published, and copyright © 2009 by The LUBRINCO Group Ltd, Inc. and Financial Examinations and Evaluations, Inc. It is edited jointly by Richard Isaacs (RBIsaacs@lubrinco.com), L. Burke Files (LBFiles@feeinc.com), and Terry Philips (TPhillips@aegisjournal.com). LUBRINCO provides services in three high-threat areas, too specialized to be dealt-with in-house, that can adversely affect domestic and international bottom lines. ÆGIS, January 2009 7 • Identification, valuation, and protection of intellectual assets and critical information. • American businesses lose $300 billion in revenues annually to competitive intelligence, economic espionage, inappropriate disclosure, and information theft. • LUBRINCO provides private sector consulting access to OPSEC, the government-standard process for identification, valuation, and protection of intellectual property and critical information. • Implementing an OPSEC program is likely to increase revenues for an at-risk operating group by $75 million. • International asset location and due diligence. o Location of concealed assets in fraud, theft, and divorce. o Due diligence to prevent fraud and loss in China, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the offshore financial centers, Latin America, and the Caribbean. o Financial fraud, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption program development and training. • Protection of management, staff, and families. o In the high-threat environments of Latin America, Africa, the Mid- East, and Southeast Asia. o When traveling and living overseas. o When transporting items of substantial value. LUBRINCO identifies and quantifies threats and vulnerabilities, and their associated risk, then manages the vulnerabilities so you can transfer or live with the residual risk. We prevent disastrous financial loss to your company, and physical harm to you, your family, and your staff. For information on LUBRINCO and its services, or for the archive of all past issues of ÆGIS in PDF format, please go to http://www.aegisjournal.com/. Subscription to ÆGIS is available for $15 per year in North America and $20 per year outside of North America. To sign up for a complimentary subscription to ÆGIS or the ÆGIS PDF notification list, send an email to subscribe@aegisjournal.com. To subscribe to our AvantGo channel, go to http://avantgo.com/channels/_add_channel.pl?cha_id=1773 ÆGIS, January 2009 8 To be removed from the subscription list, send an e-mail to unsubscribe@aegisjournal.com. If you know of anyone else who should be receiving ÆGIS, please send their e-mail address to subscribe@aegisjournal.com. If there is a topic that you would like to know more about, send it to editor@aegisjournal.com and the editors will consider it as the topic for an article in an upcoming issue. If you would like to submit an article for publication in ÆGIS, send it as an attachment to an e-mail to editor@aegisjournal.com. Submission of an article certifies that (a) all information in the article is in the public record, or (b) that you are authorized to release any personal or corporate proprietary information contained in the article, and (c) that none of the article has previously been copyrighted. 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Article Title, from the January 2009 ÆGIS (© 2009 LUBRINCO and FE&E), to be found at http://www.aegisjournal.com/. ÆGIS is a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, operating styles, theories, and related topics for corporate managers who make decisions about threats typically outside the expertise available in-house, yet which have the potential to affect their company’s domestic and international bottom lines. Nothing appearing in ÆGIS should be construed as legal advice. The information provided is “general information,” not “specific advice.” The solution to any problem is highly dependent upon the precise facts involved. Thus, before making any reliance upon anything said here, you should consult with an appropriately skilled professional. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher, and may be presented to encourage a dialogue among subscribers. The publisher and any re-publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss incurred as a result of the application of any information published in ÆGIS. Please be safe, and be smart. ÆGIS, January 2009 9