Topic: EMERGENCY INFORMATION

[Avolunteer]

Humminbird's phone lines are none responsve. My concern is if Humminbird wants more users, especially SAR types, like me, they need to have a helpline or someone available to contact 24/7. The systems Humminbird is manufacturing may have greater use and higher sales with better service, including, even if seldom used, a 24/7 hotline. Some users are in far away places and some need help outside of banker's hours.

[Jolly Roger]

Hi Avolunteer,
that would make a good point in the wish list  .

Regards / Harry

[Humminbird_Greg]

The expense of hiring the 4+ people needed for this would be very hard to justify.  Than we would actually have to find the people who would work those hours... 

[Avolunteer]

Full time employee coverage is not the answer, but a way to leave a message with a policy to return calls would be. Or even a message on the company answering system or a 24/7 answering service would be part of a plan to support SAR and use of Humminbird equipment by search groups. The need would be rare, but real.

[RGecy]

Avolunteer,

What type of information would you need during a SAR that tech support would be able to help with? Are you looking for a SAR specialist who may be able to provide consulting or recommendations, or a you just looking for 24/7 tech support if your unit fails in the middle of the night?

This may be a great idea to have independent 24/7 consulting/tech support for hire.  Hmmm. 

Robert

[Avolunteer]

Marine Sonic Technology and Edgetech and others have support available for their customers. Typically well run SAR marine surveys run 24 hours/day and start/called out at unusual times of day (2AM for instance). There also is usually a lack of able bodied knowledgable talent around the worksite. Therefore it would make good marketing sense to have a thought out support system by manufacturers, such as Johnson/Humminbird. If these inexpensve units are to be taken seriously by qualified teams, it would make sense to have some expertise available in some fashion 24/7. Most global based or manufacturers thinking globally understand that the world doesn't run only the work-week daylight hours in Chicago. Usually the issue is a simple one, such as a software question, or where similar equipment might be located.

[George]

Avolunteer

I could be wrong but I doubt that HB has sold enough SAR units to warrant the expense of having 24/7 support.  The bulk of the units are sold to the general public who can wait until normal working hours and use forums like this to answer their questions. 

George 

[IRC Kevin]

Our unit is most likely to be deployed in a search for a missing body (thankfully there has been no call for it yet). Because of the environment, a large lake, we would be recording our sweeps, as well as viewing the screen as we go along. At the end of each search section, the recording would be downloaded onto a laptop and reviewed by one of the team as the next sector was being swept and so on. The Police Diving Unit on the Lake also has one and before an event such as the Great Northern Swim, they will record a run along the route prior to the swim, so they have a something to compare a post emergency recording to.

The most crucial thing we have found, is for anyone using the unit to have total familiarity with it. I can't actually think of any problem that may occur, which could be sortable by a helpline, unless it was due to a lack of familiarity with the unit, which is really a training issue. (Others may contradict me here)

[Jolly Roger]

You hit the nail dead center with your statement Kevin!
Getting familiar is the key factor to operate the unit.
A service hot line is mostly in need when people don't know how to fix a problem. I don't see this need, if you know the possibilities and limits of your unit. If things are getting screwed up, I guess a spare part express service would be more help.

Regards / Harry

[sonar2000]

the issues with the unit are not often trechnical but operator usage. The unit performa quite well considering the construction. Most issues I have dealt with are simply not understanding how to run the unit. once you get this figured out then there are some technical issues but not ones that create problems in the physical operation. Most sonar users regardelss of mfg type are not very good at operation as they dont take the time to train and learn the unit. This is why roberts site is great. We have a vast knowledge here and available to share.
If you have SAR recorded runs that you are not sure of the display or meaning send them to me and I will analyze.  (wurinc@aol.com)