Satellite Phone?

[Heather]

My husband and I have been paying out the nose for Verizon for way too long...and are thinking of changing to T-Mobile for less than half price. We realize that we're going to take a significant hit on coverage. To make up for that, I wanted to look into buying a satellite phone, for when we're wheeling (not that we ever wheel alone, but still) and for when I hike. Does anyone have any experience/recommendations they're willing to share??

[newracer]

Before getting a Sat Phone consider getting a HAM license and radio.

[FINOCJ]

How small of a HAM radio can you get? There are some very small sat phones these days - although I would still hesitate to carry one when backpacking or hiking (jeeping would be different), due to size and weight (of course, what we chose the carry and the trade-off of weight and safety is a personal decision).

[newracer]

There are some pretty small handhelds but they also have a small battery.

[78bj40]

Sat phones are expensive, $400 to $1K + but the service is the killer. They are handy if you go off the map like frequently to remote areas but for Jeeping not worth it. Most of the trails we have around here are well traveled and in worst situation you can always hike back. For emergencies I recommend a sat beacon like resQlink or similar, these are strictly for emergencies! I hike a lot by my self and I carry one of these beacon with all the time, luckily I have not used it and I like to keep it that way. Here are some plans and cost on the Iridium sat service.

https://satellitephonestore.com/iridium-services

[Bob]

My $0.02 -

If the purpose is for getting text messages to family and friends back home (like "we'll be home late", or "come help with a broken drive shaft"), letting them track you, or to send a distress call, consider an InReach, or a Spot. They are reasonably small, easy to operate and work via satellite but are far more economical to buy and to subscribe to the satellite service than a sat phone. Both companies have staffing 24/7 to relay a distress call to the proper authorities, and the communication capabilities allow the nature of the emergency to be communicated.

A personal locator beacon also works by satellite but doesn't allow messaging other than a standardized distress call. The distress call goes to an international 24/7 center and is then relayed to the proper authorities. I think they are more suited for marine situations than wheeling.

If you have a technical bent, want to talk with other hams on the trail (or random hams) and also have some communications for emergencies, then ham radio (officially Amateur Radio) may be a reasonable choice. It requires studying for and passing at least one test for a license, and one needs to understand what frequencies and modes to use for a given situation. The equipment is more complex, and depending on your desires can range from $200 for local-ish range, and much more for world-wide range. A distress call still relies on the signal being received somewhere and another ham being available at that end which may or may not be the case. However it is far superior to CB radio.

[newracer]

My $0.02 -

If the purpose is for getting text messages to family and friends back home (like "we'll be home late", or "come help with a broken drive shaft"), letting them track you, or to send a distress call, consider an InReach, or a Spot. They are reasonably small, easy to operate and work via satellite but are far more economical to buy and to subscribe to the satellite service than a sat phone. Both companies have staffing 24/7 to relay a distress call to the proper authorities, and the communication capabilities allow the nature of the emergency to be communicated.

A personal locator beacon also works by satellite but doesn't allow messaging other than a standardized distress call. The distress call goes to an international 24/7 center and is then relayed to the proper authorities. I think they are more suited for marine situations than wheeling.

If you have a technical bent, want to talk with other hams on the trail (or random hams) and also have some communications for emergencies, then ham radio (officially Amateur Radio) may be a reasonable choice. It requires studying for and passing at least one test for a license, and one needs to understand what frequencies and modes to use for a given situation. The equipment is more complex, and depending on your desires can range from $200 for local-ish range, and much more for world-wide range. A distress call still relies on the signal being received somewhere and another ham being available at that end which may or may not be the case. However it is far superior to CB radio.

Just to add, HAM can send text messages to any cell phone and even tracking info with the right radio (APRS). They are of course a little expensive.

[Heather]

Thanks, all, VERY much for all the incredible info. This is way more than expected, and some great stuff to check out. It's mainly for my hiking (since we never wheel alone - but I totally hike alone, since my family are couch potatoes), but if we had it, we would of course take it wheeling. Thank you again. I had no idea there were so many options.

[Eagle6]

Word of warning about sat phones. They are not as near as reliable for a connection as they make it look like in the movies and on television. They do not work inside buildings like they do in TV/movies. They need a direct line of site, mostly unobstructed and good signal strength. So if in a canyon or under good tree cover, it may be spotty. Plus the weight. For hiking, I would really look at one of the small, light weight, emergency location transmitters. Some don't even have monthly service charges unless you use it.

[78bj40]

Thanks, all, VERY much for all the incredible info. This is way more than expected, and some great stuff to check out. It's mainly for my hiking (since we never wheel alone - but I totally hike alone, since my family are couch potatoes), but if we had it, we would of course take it wheeling. Thank you again. I had no idea there were so many options.

This might worth checking out :

https://www.indiegogo.com/esi/en/projects/gotele-off-grid-tracking-device-for-any-adventure

[Eagle6]

This might worth checking out :

https://www.indiegogo.com/esi/en/projects/gotele-off-grid-tracking-device-for-any-adventure

I'll pass. Guess you missed this little line down at the bottom.

With an Outdoor Open Space range of over 3.1 miles, goTele's transmit range is unparalleled. As long as you're within 3.1 miles, you're connected.