Satellite Texting in the Mountains

[tdhanses]

And these are getting good enough now that you guys are depending on it for your SOS situations in the backcountry. No matter where you might be?

Not much different then depending on Garmin is it?

 

[Decker9]

Iv used it a bit now, last week I left the inreach behind and only the satellite messaging for 4 days while goat hunting. A couple times I got the “2 minutes until next available satellite”, but other then that it was flawless. I just kept my phone connected to the satellite and in my pocket and got my messages as they come. If I had to send one I was connected to a satellite in under 30 seconds usually. I did find hills and timber to cause blockage from satellites a couple of times. I have had the same with inreach as well.

I haven’t heard if the sos works.

 

[Holeintheheadgang]

I will keep my satellite phone.

 

[Desert_Muley]

Can you get weather updates with the iPhone? Does the iPhone offer rescue insurance?

 

[robertpaulsen]

Can you get weather updates with the iPhone? Does the iPhone offer rescue insurance?

My weather updates are super accurate. They are from my wife.

I don’t believe iPhone offers rescue insurance currently since the service is “free” for now.

I’ve had satellite phones then an Inreach. This is the next transition. And for it being new it works very well. It’s only going to get better too….

 

[jags]

Not much different then depending on Garmin is it?

Probably not but I've not used one. I was planning to get a Zoleo this spring and might still just do that for the next year or so vs all the phone upgrades. I'm on an older android now. Appreciate all the information though.

 

[Desert_Muley]

My weather updates are super accurate. They are from my wife.

I don’t believe iPhone offers rescue insurance currently since the service is “free” for now.

I’ve had satellite phones then an Inreach. This is the next transition. And for it being new it works very well. It’s only going to get better too….

Thanks for the info and remember to buy your wife flowers on the way home from your hunts.

 

[eamyrick]

Iv used it a bit now, last week I left the inreach behind and only the satellite messaging for 4 days while goat hunting. A couple times I got the “2 minutes until next available satellite”, but other then that it was flawless. I just kept my phone connected to the satellite and in my pocket and got my messages as they come. If I had to send one I was connected to a satellite in under 30 seconds usually. I did find hills and timber to cause blockage from satellites a couple of times. I have had the same with inreach as well.

I haven’t heard if the sos works.

Alaska?

 

[eamyrick]

I’m headed back to the Alaska Range in the spring. Any Alaska feedback?

 

[FAAFO]

I’m headed back to the Alaska Range in the spring. Any Alaska feedback?

My use has been 100% in the AK.

For all you guys saying it doesn’t work as well if something is blocking your view ITS A SATELLITE you’re trying to connect to. Your Inreach or Zoleo would have the same problem FFS.

 

[Decker9]

Alaska?

I’m in BC

 

[nobody]

Used it last year for a multi day mule deer hunt and a couple weeks later for an elk hunt on the same mountains. Texted my wife and stayed in touch with her throughout the hunt without much issue. Couldn’t send pics when I killed a buck or my cousin killed an elk, but the messages went through fine.

It did affect battery charge levels though. Typically in the mountains I just stay on airplane mode and save battery for my maps and camera. But to get satellite texting to work you have to stay off airplane mode and allow your phone to “search” for satellites, which means it’s also hunting for a cell signal, which drains battery. It also became problematic in a couple of spots where I had like a half bar of service randomly. It would always default to cell service if ANYTHING was available in lieu of satellites, which meant that I couldn’t send a text via satellite because cell service was theoretically available, but cell service wasn’t good enough to actually send anything through. So basically it only worked if I actually had ZERO chance of cell service.

 

[FAAFO]

Used it last year for a multi day mule deer hunt and a couple weeks later for an elk hunt on the same mountains. Texted my wife and stayed in touch with her throughout the hunt without much issue. Couldn’t send pics when I killed a buck or my cousin killed an elk, but the messages went through fine.

It did affect battery charge levels though. Typically in the mountains I just stay on airplane mode and save battery for my maps and camera. But to get satellite texting to work you have to stay off airplane mode and allow your phone to “search” for satellites, which means it’s also hunting for a cell signal, which drains battery. It also became problematic in a couple of spots where I had like a half bar of service randomly. It would always default to cell service if ANYTHING was available in lieu of satellites, which meant that I couldn’t send a text via satellite because cell service was theoretically available, but cell service wasn’t good enough to actually send anything through. So basically it only worked if I actually had ZERO chance of cell service.

All valid points. I could see it being problematic in the crappy 48 where you get that random 1 bar you can’t do anything with.

 

[steelheadmike]

Used it last year for a multi day mule deer hunt and a couple weeks later for an elk hunt on the same mountains. Texted my wife and stayed in touch with her throughout the hunt without much issue. Couldn’t send pics when I killed a buck or my cousin killed an elk, but the messages went through fine.

It did affect battery charge levels though. Typically in the mountains I just stay on airplane mode and save battery for my maps and camera. But to get satellite texting to work you have to stay off airplane mode and allow your phone to “search” for satellites, which means it’s also hunting for a cell signal, which drains battery. It also became problematic in a couple of spots where I had like a half bar of service randomly. It would always default to cell service if ANYTHING was available in lieu of satellites, which meant that I couldn’t send a text via satellite because cell service was theoretically available, but cell service wasn’t good enough to actually send anything through. So basically it only worked if I actually had ZERO chance of cell service.

This is the biggest issue for me. I'm usually in a place where I can get a get just a whisper of cell service, but not enough to send a message. If they could provide a setting to force a satellite message in these situations, I would go get a new phone today to be able to use the satellite messaging.