Wife wants me to get a Sat Phone

[CrzyTrekker]

Ozz, thanks, that's actually one of the same points my wife made and a very good one.

I am more concerned about the extra risk inherent in the backcountry, as my uncle once cut himself to the bone while helping skin my elk (duct taped it), and other assorted near-tragedies. But you illustrate the usefulness of two-way comms. I have a couple boys too and would drop everything but my E&E bag to get home if something happened.

Sat phone will allow her to brief me on family happenings and we can make important decisions too.

Yeah, I'm sold. Just trying to find someone in Denver with an Iridium Extreme in a showroom so I can touch and feel before buying. May have to order though. Another overnight scouting trip in two weeks so I'm pulling the trigger.

 

[jmez]

ACR Res q Link here as well.

These run off of different satellite systems than the phones, spot, etc. They will always be in view/range of a satellite. Cloud cover, tree canopies and deep drainages do not affect them. About the only situation they may not work is if you are deep within a cave.

They guarantee a one hour response time if you push the button. You register the product and you can go to your registration page and tell them when and where you are going. These are gvmt satellites and the same ones used by the military. Very reliable system. If you push the button the nearest search and rescue is coming to find you.

They are not a communication device. You can send a "test" message on them if you pay a $40/year fee. The test will come through on your wife's cell phone so that can be a way of saying I'm ok. The number of tests is limited by the battery life and the batteries need to be changed every 5 years. They have to be sent back in to have batteries changed. Because of this you can't do the tests real often. Once per trip would be all.

 

[flyinsquirel]

I saw on another thread where Aaron saidhe had a sat phone, but he didnt say whether it was Iridium or Globalstar. He sounded happy with it. Wonder which he has?

 

[Bushcraft]

He's rolling with an Iridium phone.

 

[swat8888]

Luke or any other AK guys on here...any of you ever used the Globalstar phones up there recently...as in after 2007 or whenever they put up a tower in Wasilla? Curious how far they work up in the Brooks specifically and if you had any issues elsewhere in the state. According to their current satellite coverage map if I were in the Brooks I have coverage for about 10 mins at a time on average then lose a satellite for 3 to 4 minutes on average. This is reasonable to me if thier maps are actually ground truth.

 

[2rocky]

Used a rental service and never touched the phone.

http://www.mobal.com/satellite-phone-rental/

It was insurance.

 

[luke moffat]

Swatt, I tried one in 2006 I believe pre-tower I guess. The coverage was less than impressive. The way I see it is if you are going to get a sat phone its to save your life. So I went with the best one on the market. Split it with my buddy so $750 down each and then $200 a year per person for 400 minutes total that roll over with Iridium. Thus far its saved two lives for sure. The little annual savings over knowing I'll get a call out with Iridium is enough to steer me away from Globostar. Just the piece of mind of a for sure it'll work over well I hope it doesn't drop on me while I'm in this hole is reason enough. Chances are if you need it in a bad way you won't have pristine line of sight to the south, thats when Iridium is worth its money IMO.

 

[Yellowknife]

Going to agree with Luke here. If you are going to mess around with Globalstar, just get a SPOT. They work off a (Globalstar) data channel and need minimal connection to a satellite to get the job done. If you want voice (and I do) just get an Iridium for Alaska. They own the market here for a reason.

Even Iridiums will drop calls FREQUENTLY in the mountains. I fact couldn't get a call out from our sheep base camp this year for anything. We were down in a hole, and just couldn't hang on to a satellite long enough to make it work. I've had the same problem when up against the base of a steep mountain. With the terrain working against you, take all the help you can get.

Yk

 

[jmez]

3 of 4 in our group took Iridiums to central Co this year. They did not work well at all. If there was any cloud cover no signal. The majority of the time on an open hillside with clear skies they would not hold a signal long enough to make a call or send a text. We were split in groups of two spike camping and they tried to use them to keep in touch once a day to keep track of each other. They were rarely able to get through in nine days of hunting.

They rented them for the trip. Think it cost them about $200 per phone. They aren't going to get them again next year.

 

[Mike P]

Could try one of these:

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/

Cheaper and lighter than a Sat phone

 

[swat8888]

Jmez that's my biggest gripe with Iridium, although I've never had quite the problem getting reception as you did. Yes they work and yes you can always get a signal I've rarely...if ever had a call last longer than 5 mins. Usually even less because I try to keep my conversations to a minimum since I've always rented my Iridium and don't enjoy paying $1.75/min. With the Globalstar it seems like...based on their website and me placing GPS coordinates in the middle of an east/west drainage to account for difficulty hitting satellites on the southern skies...that I would have better luck with a full 10 mins of talk time. Even in life or death situations I think I could wait a couple mins to get a call out. However, if the globalstar really isn't as reliable as advertised then I'll stick with what I know which is Iridium's short call times and spotty reception in the mountains.

I just feel like Globalstar's current plan, $40/month unlimited minutes is too good to be true and was hoping someone has used one recently. Understand that SPOT works off their constellation but I want the wife to be able to get in touch with me if something happened at home. I probably worry more about my boys and her when I'm gone than she worries about me.

 

[swat8888]

Luke or Yellowknife you know anyone selling a used Iridium 9555?

 

[Yellowknife]

There are a couple of Iridiums on alaskaslist.com. Not exactly great prices, but they might be talked down. Don't be afraid of the older 9505A either, it's a fine phone.

I've held calls for longer than 20 minutes on a high ridge or clear area, but 5 minutes is more like it in rough country or trees. I would be extremely skeptical that you could beat that with a Globalstar, but everybody I know gave up on them years ago, so I don't have any recent experience.

Yk

Yk

 

[swat8888]

Thanks I wasn't aware of that website...will have to keep an eye out as I'm not really about paying $1k for a phone and still have to buy a plan.

Do you guys know how they deduct any text messages you send from your minutes? 1 outbound text = 1 min of talk time off your plan?

 

[2rocky]

I stop talking to the wife a week before I leave to go hunting to make her more comfortable with not having me to talk to. ;-P

 

[luke moffat]

Swatt,

At $40 per month thats $480 per year. Iridium Alaska plan is 400 minutes for $400 annually and the minutes roll over. We were well over 1K minutes now so battery life will run out over minutes at this point. So the savings isn't really there from that stand point IMO. I have had iridiums drop or fail to get a signal from time to time everywhere from Southeast Alaska to the Brooks. However, I had globostar fail to lock on in clear spring days with not a mountain on the southern horizion. Like Yellowknife said if going Globostar just rock the SPOT. If you want voice run the Iridium.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I use the 9555 Iridium

I'm editing some video at the moment, but feel free to call me if you have questions on this stuff.

I have used just about everything when it comes to communication/locator beacons and can probably save you some wasted$

720-937-1418

 

[jmez]

Luke or Yellowknife you know anyone selling a used Iridium 9555?

Ebay. If you watch them you can probably pick one up for $400-$500.

 

[Sawfish]

Going to agree with Luke here. If you are going to mess around with Globalstar, just get a SPOT. They work off a (Globalstar) data channel and need minimal connection to a satellite to get the job done. If you want voice (and I do) just get an Iridium for Alaska. They own the market here for a reason.

Even Iridiums will drop calls FREQUENTLY in the mountains. I fact couldn't get a call out from our sheep base camp this year for anything. We were down in a hole, and just couldn't hang on to a satellite long enough to make it work. I've had the same problem when up against the base of a steep mountain. With the terrain working against you, take all the help you can get.

Yk

Another vote for the SPOT. You have the option of a pre-programmed message to say "I am okay", etc.,; a "need help" message which is for use in a non-life threatening situation (vehicle breakdown, etc.; or the full on 911 message for emergency rescue. All three message options give your GPS location. Mine is the first generation (old model). The newer models are lighter and more compact, and can even be used to bootstrap a message from your cell phone. Damn good and damn cheap.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

UPDATE: A forum member asked if I got the Iridium sat phone as discussed in this thread. I did purchase an Iridium and here is my response:

I purchased an Iridium Extreme 9575 with a prepaid 500-minute global SIM card. The phone is one of my favorite pieces of gear.

The phone is very versatile. I have a couple phone numbers (wife, oldest son, Division of Wildlife regional office, etc.) pre-programed in the Iridium. You can make voice calls or send text messages and you can attach your current latitude/longitude to text messages. You can also pre-program the phone to send an emergency message with your current coordinates. The emergency message is sent if you press the red "SOS" button and the phone will keep sending the message over and over. I have my phone programmed to send emergency coordinates to my wife. We tested the function and it works.

I've used the phone on several backpacking trips including 2 during archery season and 1 during rifle season. I turn the phone on a couple times each day to download any text messages from my wife and update her and provide my location. My wife sends free text messages using the Iridium text message portal online. I occasionally call out with the phone - like the minute after I shot my bull elk during rifle season - and talk for 5 or 10 minutes. You WILL lose call signal in the Colorado mountains after 5-15 minutes guaranteed unless you are on a peak or ridge. However, the next satellite is usually over the hill in a couple minutes so it's no big deal if you need to continue a voice call. I have always been able to get a call out within 3 or 4 minutes even down in the canyons.

The phone wasn't cheap, but I feel like it has already paid for itself. I leave my cell phone at home and let my wife monitor calls/texts/emails while away. With the sat phone I can catch up with my wife, find out if anything urgent is going on, and let her know if I have a change of plans. I woke up to 10 inches of snow the first day of my rifle hunt and did not see any fresh elk sign so I relocated from 11,500 feet down to 9,000 feet and sent a text message with my new camp coordinates.

I know the phone has spoiled me a little but I honestly consider it an essential piece of gear now. I had considered the Inmarsat phone but am happy I got the more expensive Iridium for the better coverage.

Let me know if I can answer any of your questions.