GoTenna Mesh

[Bryanboss429]

https://gotennamesh.com/products/me...Vhp6fCh270AqNEAAYASAAEgJNpvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Was wondering if anyone has any experience with these? Seems like an interesting concept. One of the other dads on my daughters soccer team, back country bow hunts, and swears by them. Says he can communicate with his wife while he is up in the back country and his wife is in town. And before anyone asks if I used the search function on here, I did. Nothing came up. I may have to give it a try and do a review for this coming season to let other Roksliders know how it works.

 

[btplass]

I was interested in trying these last year, but due to the lack of reviews I could find on them went with renting an inreach instead.

Seems like a neat device for communicating with others in your group (almost like walkie talkies) but it didn't look like communication to the outside of the mountains was realistic when I was researching them. But if your soccer dad friend has had good luck, that's awesome.

I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say about them as far as real life experience goes.

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[reaperukon]

I’ve got a handful of these and use them when we go skiing. They work great especially the more folks you have using them. We’ve been able to text easily on different sides of the mountain as long as someone was up top. I think a 5W radio outdoes these any day and I take the inreach when I go back country. I’d only really use these locally within a few mile radius.


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[TheCougar]

The bubble pack radios you buy at Walmart max out at 5W, depending on frequency. These goTennas are 1W, and they don’t have long antennas, so they will have les range than your standard radio. My buddies had the first generation of the goTenna (or a very similar product, but I think it was goTenna), and he returned them for poor performance. I really want these to work well, but I don’t see how they will beat a Garmin Rino or even my Midland Radio... it’s a math problem.

 

[The Ri Guy]

They work great if you're within a mile and have a clear line of sight. When in timber or steep terrain, you won't be able to text your buddy even if he's only 200 yards over a hill. That was our experience the last two years at least.

We switched to Garmin inReach with the Garmin Earthmate app to text. If you can afford that set up, it'll blow the GoTenna's out of the water.

 

[Car7x]

I've got 4 and only set up 2 so far, but we will use for for our group of (2) 2-man teams. Comms lay out as follows:
We have the Inreach for the Hand of God factor, on whoever will carry it or at camp;
smartphones w/ OnX;
1 Rino/team, and a GoTenna per phone.
Thinking is that the GoTennas can keep at least a pair in touch (bear country and 3 of 4 first time in the mountains) and the Rinos keep teams in touch. Of course, compass, laminated maps, and prior desktop orientation.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

"communicating with other users at point-to-point ranges of typically up to 4 miles without cell service or wifi. "

Meh. I have a 8w radio if needed close up communication and a satellite communicator for long distances. I can 3-4 radios for that price and can listen in on FSR activity as well...more useful imo.

not sure what this product does over a Walmart Motorola radio other than allowing text through a smartphone, seems gimmicky to me.

Give it a few more years and smartphones will have built in satellite capabilities...or a plug in dongle and satellite plans with your providers.

 

[rm06]

My buddy and I are going to try these this season. We both have 10+ year old Rino's, while seemingly indestructible, eat batteries like it's their job - I often don't make it an entire day without needing to replace them. We are both running OnX on smartphones plus the GoTenna.

We'll see how they work out, I'm excited to try them and eliminate the Rino and 15+ AA batteries I have to schlep around.