ACR ResQLink 410 RLS (Model 2931 / PLB-410)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: Current — the ResQLink 400's direct successor-upmarket sibling, adding Return Link Service (RLS): a flashing blue light confirming your distress signal was received and your location detected, via Galileo's return-link. Correction (open): earlier catalog notes listed the 410 RLS at "$450 US list" — September 2026 retailer pages (flecksmarine, boatbandit, datamarinesupply) show $514.95 as list/"original price" with street at $464.95. The $450 figure is stale; $514.95 is the working list. Siblings: ResQLink View (PLB-425) with digital display ($549.95 list) and View RLS. The 410 is the sweet spot: acknowledgment without the View's price.

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• ~2019 — ResQLink 400 (PLB-400, model 2921): the base — 406 MHz, GPS + Galileo, 24+ h, 5-yr battery, no acknowledgment.
• 2023 — ResQLink 410 RLS (PLB-410, model 2931) launches: same rescue platform + Galileo Return Link Service confirmation (blue flashing light). US list $514.95 per 2026 retailer pages.
• 2023–2024: ResQLink View (PLB-425, model 2922) joins with digital status display and 28 h operation ($549.95 list); View RLS follows.
• 2025–2026: 410 RLS streets at $464.95; no hardware changes announced. The 400 remains the budget entry at $404.95.
• Smart buy: the 410 over the 400 if the ~$60 premium fits — acknowledgment is the single most-requested PLB feature, and it's the entire reason the 410 exists. The View only if you want a display and 28 h operation.

Overview

A subscription-free personal locator beacon with Return Link Service: deploy the antenna, press the button, and the 410 transmits your 406 MHz distress + GPS position through Cospas-Sarsat like the 400 — then tells you it worked, flashing blue when Galileo's return link confirms receipt and location detection. Same 5 W 406 MHz signal, same 121.5 MHz homing, same 24+ h operation, same 5-year sealed battery, same buoyant 5 m-waterproof body with strobe + IR strobe. Registration with NOAA (US) required. Best for: solo hikers, hunters, paddlers, and pilots who want the strongest distress signal and the psychological relief of knowing it got out.

Key Specs

Sources: retailer spec blocks (flecksmarine.com, boatbandit.com, datamarinesupply.com, finchaser.co.nz — crawled Sept 2026); marinerknowhow.shop comparison table.

Pricing

• MSRP / list: $514.95 — shown as "original price" across flecksmarine, boatbandit, datamarinesupply (crawled Sept 2026). Open correction: earlier catalog notes said $450 — that figure is stale.
• Street: $464.95 — flecksmarine (11 in stock), boatbandit, datamarinesupply (all Sept 2026). The 410 runs ~$60 over the 400's $404.95.
• Ongoing costs: none (no subscription). Battery replacement at ~5 years is factory/authorized service only — ~$150–192 at authorized centers (documented for the ResQLink line, Sept 2026); ACR factory-direct price UNVERIFIED.
• Observation date: 2026-09-20. Prices from retailer crawls, not live checkouts.

In the Box

• ResQLink 410 RLS beacon, multifunction clip system, documentation/registration instructions.
• Not included / needed: nothing — no subscription, no phone, no app. Registration is free.

Warranty

5 years — consistent with ACR's ResQLink-line warranty (retailer spec tables for the 400, e.g. mmarineonline 2026-09-20; ACR's beacon warranty applies across the line). Confirm the 5-year term on ACR's warranty page for the 2931 specifically before a claim — carried over from the 400, not separately captured for the 410.

Support & Parts

ACR Electronics (Fort Lauderdale, FL); support covers registration help, self-test interpretation, and factory battery service. Battery replacement must go to ACR or an authorized service center — do not open the unit (voids certification). No user-serviceable parts; accessories limited to clips/pouches. Genuine emergency activations earn a free replacement unit (documented across the ResQLink line).

Community Verdict

The 410 inherits the 400's reputation and answers its one big criticism. The PLB-vs-messenger debate (2026 forums: rokslide, scubaboard, advrider) lands the same way: strongest pure distress signal (5 W, Cospas-Sarsat, 121.5 MHz homing, no subscription to lapse) vs. the messenger's two-way communication. What the 410 changes: "no acknowledgment your signal was heard" — the 400's most-cited weakness — is gone, replaced by the blue RLS confirmation light. Retailer aggregate ratings run 4.6–4.7/5 across hundreds of reviews (marinerknowhow.shop table). The honest caveats owners raise: RLS confirmation depends on Galileo return-link visibility (not instant, not guaranteed in deep canyons), and the 410 costs ~$60 more than the 400 for a feature you will hopefully never see blink.

Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality

• Same proven platform as the 400 — buoyant, 5 m waterproof, strobe-equipped, near-indestructible in owner reports; the RLS addition is electronics, not moving parts.
• Battery math identical to the 400: 5-year sealed cell, ~$150–192 authorized service, free unit replacement after genuine emergency use. The blue RLS LED draws trivial power.
• Antenna and button caveats carry over: the antenna's tendency to pop from its holder and the lookalike test/activate buttons (documented on the 400 by catskillmountaineer) apply to the 410's shared chassis — check the antenna is seated before trips.
• RLS reliability: the confirmation light is only as good as the return link — owners should understand it's an acknowledgment aid, not a guaranteed handshake. Test sparingly; every test draws the sealed battery.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals

• vs. ACR ResQLink 400 ($404.95, in this catalog): identical rescue chain, identical weight and battery — the 410 adds only the blue RLS confirmation light for ~$60. If $60 doesn't matter to you, the 410 is strictly better; if it does, the 400 saves exactly the same life.
• vs. ResQLink View / PLB-425 ($549.95 list): the View adds a digital status display and 28 h operation. Display + longer transmit vs. the 410's lower price — the View is for users who want to read beacon status, not just get a blue blink.
• vs. Garmin inReach Mini 2 ($349.99, sibling gadgets track): lighter, two-way, cheaper up front — but subscription-forever and a weaker commercial-network distress path. The 410 is the "rescue me, no subscription, and tell me it worked" answer; the Mini 2 is the communication tool.

Care & maintenance

• Self-test sparingly — every test draws the sealed battery; annual test per the manual is plenty.
• Keep the antenna seated; store dry with the multifunction clip attached.
• Renew NOAA registration every 2 years (free) — unregistered beacons slow rescues.
• Note the battery replacement date on the back; budget the ~$150–192 service at year 5.
• After any emergency activation, send the unit in — ACR replaces it free.

Buying traps

• Model-number soup: 400 = base; 410 RLS = base + acknowledgment (this file); 425 = View with display. Match the model number (2931) to the feature you want.
• The stale $450 list price: older pages and notes quote $450 — Sept 2026 retailer pages show $514.95 list / $464.95 street. Don't anchor negotiations or "discount" claims to the old figure.
• Near-expiry batteries sold as new: check the replacement date on the back on arrival — a 4-year-old unit on a 5-year battery is a known complaint on the 400 and applies here.
• Used units: factor battery date + service cost; confirm the previous owner released the NOAA registration.
• Gray-market / wrong-country coding: beacons are country-coded; reprogramming costs extra. Buy US-coded from US sellers.

Images

• images/acr-resqlink-410-1.jpg — primary: Life Raft Store front view with "ResQLink 410 RLS" branding legible, 1420×1756. Source: liferaftstore.com. Downloaded 2026-09-20.
• images/acr-resqlink-410-2.jpg — ACR Pilot Shop/Shopify front view, 1000×1000. Source: cdn.shopify.com retailer listing. Downloaded 2026-09-20.
• images/acr-resqlink-410-3.jpg — Anchor Express front view, 675×675. Source: anchorexpress.com. Downloaded 2026-09-20.
• Note: all three visually confirmed showing "410 RLS" on the beacon face (not the 400 or View/425).

Research date: 2026-09-20. UNVERIFIED: ACR factory-direct battery-service cost; 5-year warranty term captured for the 400 line and carried over — confirm for model 2931. Prices from retailer crawls, not live checkouts.

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