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Emergency communication devices

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
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In my travels I find myself many times off road and out of cell service sometimes
70 miles from the road does anybody have any experience with these
Sattelite communicators ? Don't really need a sattelite phone just a way to check in sometimes it in mountains and others it maybe wooded lowlands

http://www.inreachdelorme.com

Or a different one ?
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
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When I was still grooming, we had a "spot" communicator. It came in handy. With the push of a button we could send a message to someone back in town that we were either ok or needed help. The person back in town could track our movement. When you're 50 miles out of cell range and any roads its good to know that you have the ability to communicate with someone back home.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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Those are commonly used by hike/backpackers/climbers who go into very remote areas. I looked into them because I was curious about them, but I never hike/backpack that far from help so I was not seriously considering buying one. They seem to get good reviews by the backpackers/climbers who have used them.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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Thanks, as stated I commonly get up to 70 miles out although more commonly
30-40 miles. And more so to communicate to someone that everything is as planned. I normally have survival gear and have trained for many years. You cannot always predict a accident or a mechanical break down traveling by quad
Or cat.

I have seen the SPOT units but was looking for two way communication I didn't think they had that.
 

loboloco

Well-known member
Boggie, I have used the military versions, but never a civilian model. That said, the things saved my butt a couple of times even if the ones we used were as big as a briefcase. Hey, it's been a long time.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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Lobo loco, Thanks, only once so far have I had the need and after a 17 mile walk
Out and then back in to get a part. If I had the communicator I could have texted someone to grab the part and head in. With coordinates

I have been in the mountains a fair bit lately in extreme areas of rough terrain
Exploring very remote areas. Pounding a quad for days on end all it takes is one mistake or break down to require the need for one.
 

akmountaineer

New member
I have a Spot II which I have used for the last four years with fairly good success. It has an optional "Track" feature which uploads your position every 10 minutes to the server where friends. family, etc. can track your position. I set it to run before heading out to remote areas so my travel track can be seen and followed if necessary. There is a password protected topo map page that displays positions and history so anyone you give the URL and password to can track you. The device also has a "911" feature that immediately notifies rescue services if you have an emergency. The final feature is a button that allows you to send a message that has been programmed in advance. For example, I programmed mine to notify several family members in the case that I have a mechanical breakdown and need non emergency assistance. Each message can go to certain people you choose via email and text along with your location. The downside of the device is that you can't send spontaneous messages - only ones that you have programmed in advance on the computer. Spot does make another model that can send text messages from your smart phone.
 

mtntopper

Back On Track
SUPER Site Supporter
This one may not work too well in cold temperatures as this is the temp range listed:
Operating usage temp.: 32-104 F (0-40 C)

It seems many of the new phones and electronic devices lack in battery life at cold temps. If I leave my smart android phone in my truck while on the mountain for a couple days even if it has been turned off it does not want to work at cold temps when I turn it back on.

I have the "Spot" for emergency tracking and also have a combo portable/base GPS phone that has about 19 hours of battery life that I carry if needed. The other problem with the "In Reach" is you must be able to text as it does not allow voice. If you are hurt are you going to be able to punch a key board and send texts as needed?

The GPS Global Star phone is the best bet if you ever get in the emergency situation of needing to communicate while in the back country. The Global Star phones have improved drastically over the past couple years with almost 24 hour satellite coverage in my area. The cost for unlimited communication jumped to about $150.00 a month this past year as more satellites were put in the air to provide coverage for most areas. I was paying only about $30.00 a month for many years but only had coverage for part of an hour at best. Global Star GPS phones also cost more but they have many options such as the base marine portable combo system that I have that can be used portable for up to 19 hours. It is not cell phone size but is the size of the first cell phones offered years ago with a real battery.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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Thanks, Topper,

Most of time it would be used in warmer rather than cooler areas but I did not see the operating temperature.... Would require it to be carried under jacket.

If injured most likely would use the SOS button which looks like it would be just one button?

It would be nice to have the two way texting, yes a satellite phone could possibly
Be better for certain things. But in my case only used several months per year
Not wanting it all year

Delorme is offering the ability to go by month to month no contract so when not needed could be disabled for like around 35.00 a month

I use a rollable 21watt solar panel which is waterproof and can charge phone, iPad, etc. so battery life is not too much of concern

So how long have you been the mudslinging old fart :flowers:
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
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with my ham license I can easily call 30 miles with my handheld radio. It is going through a repeater .
I don't have a cell phone and never have had one. I carry my amateur radio for emergencies . I been in places that has no cell coverage and have got out excellent .
One of The local repeaters I use has a phone patch so I can get on the landline. I never have used that part yet.
the cost to take your amateur license test is $10 and is easy. No morce code needed anymore. A china $40 radio will work . If your lonely just tune it to your local am/fm and listen to some tunes. Some of the handhelds can TEX and send it over the internet to a ham .
I have one in both my "cats" and my truck. The radio I carry now doesn't have a GPS like my last but it makes up for it in its cigarette pack size.
worth checking into or just taping one under you seat cushon. Your not going to get jailed for getting on it in a real emergency.
jim
I just recalled Lyndon saying they had repeaters and had the same type of setup while building the pipeline.
 
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Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
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with my ham license I can easily call 30 miles with my handheld radio. It is going through a repeater .
I don't have a cell phone and never have had one. I carry my amateur radio for emergencies . I been in places that has no cell coverage and have got out excellent .
One of The local repeaters I use has a phone patch so I can get on the landline. I never have used that part yet.
the cost to take your amateur license test is $10 and is easy. No morce code needed anymore. A china $40 radio will work . If your lonely just tune it to your local am/fm and listen to some tunes. Some of the handhelds can TEX and send it over the internet to a ham .
I have one in both my "cats" and my truck. The radio I carry now doesn't have a GPS like my last but it makes up for it in its cigarette pack size.
worth checking into or just taping one under you seat cushon. Your not going to get jailed for getting on it in a real emergency.
jim
jim
for Brad the only real hold up is Ham can't be used commercially. on the other hand weather he is working or not he can always call home and request his honey to send out the Calvary. that how ever would be un necessary as he doesn't own or drive a krusty. I believe he is looking for a way to get word back to the shop he forgot some widgette in which case he could not do on a ham radio.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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Not for work, but safety, there are times when I'm in locations not even remotely close to getting a cell signal. Like I stated could be 70 miles from a highway
In the bush or desert. Things do happen, machines do and will break down unfortunately they do not care what brand they are. I sometimes take some paths of travel I shouldn't, To steep in the mountains, or mud to deep. I have walked out before. not that I can't but if hurt may not be able to.so I am going to try the Delorme SE 2. It can send and receive text and has a SOS signal button when activated will send for help on to be used in a emergency.
Then you can text and receive from the search and rescue crew

So if I'm out for several days I can send a text at the end of the day saying I'm OK, to someone either to email or phone. And if I send a tracking password to someone they can follow my movements on a map. So of I do not check in they can look up where I am.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
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it makes sense here on the seward peninsula we have an extensive repeater network. I can hit any repeater from a hill top with an ht and any repeater from about any place with a high power mobile. one year I was moose hunting and my back went out I was layed up 3 days before I could move. and was in a dead zone. the one contingency I never thought of was what if my back went out.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
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Boggie, I don't have any recent experience with emergency communication devices but if I were in your position, and being the good Boy Scout that I am, I would definitely have something along in case of emergency.

My knowledge dates back to the time when I occasionally had to carry a satellite phone the size of a small suitcase and used INMARSAT on rigs when we were in remote locations. I know that's not much help but I'd be interested in the final decision that you make and how it works out.

Us preppers (not really) always say that our answer to the SHTF scenario is to head out out into the wilderness and wait it out but we still need some form of communication and if you're in the middle of nowhere, your options are limited. I sometimes drive the "road less traveled" and dry camp for a couple of days away from all other living souls and having a breakdown miles from any help is worrisome.
 

Lyndon

Bronze Member
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Police, Fire and Rescue services use naboring frequencies to HAM. They often have even more powerful repeaters than the HAM clubs, and if you are in a real pinch they ususally don't get too upset about using their repeaters.

Satellite phones do work almost anywhere. I inspected a little over a dozen installations that were added to the Alaska Pipeline just before Y2K. Of course nothing happened, and we didn't need them. It was just for back-up.

There are some emergency locators that send out a signal that one is not paying a high fee for all the time. I don't think they are very expensive. I think Jim Vt has responded to a rescue call from some stuck 'jeepers' this winter that had one of these.
 

JimVT

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sometimes something made for the application is the best choice. AND knowing how to use it. I was told one person got dropped a FRS radio on a search and didn't know how to turn it on.
my last call was from a spot. his dad towed his stuck 4x out prior to us getting to him.
 
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Lyndon

Bronze Member
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Do a search on HAM.
Read this article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio‎
Wikipedia
Big companies lease Private Channels,.. and don't need HAM. But numerous histories of HAM Radio specifically emphisize Amateur Radio's role in Emergency Services. Some even define Ham / Amateur Radio operators primary role as being a second line of defense, or communications in this case, for War, National Defense, and Natural Disasters. As far as 'ET' calling home because his flying saucer needs a spark plug..... this type of traffic is about all you hear on HAM.
some Pilots I knew, who were Ham operators, actually preffered it to the regularly assigned air traffic channels, 1) because it was clearer, and 2) because some repeaters have features that allow one to dial into the land line phone system.
In the late 60's the japanese came out with some amazing "hand-held" transceivers. they would transmit and reveive on quite a range of frequencies in AM or FM. They worked for the entire Ham bands, as well as military channels. The FCC and the Military didn't "LIKE" them, but there wasn't much they could do about it. As long as you used it on the assigned Aviation or Ham bands you were not breaking the law. Listening into Military communications,... not so much.
Buy a cheap hand held, take it with you to a bunch of remote spots and see if you can hear other operators. If that works Then think about getting a license and getting what Jim has, a built-in tranceiver. The additional Ground Plane created by big flat surfaces, like the hood and roof of a vehicle, along with a good antenna, and there won't be many places that you can't "Get-Out"(slang for sen/receive).
There is a subset club of the Ham operators called the 2 Meter club. These are guy's (and gals!), that use really low power, like 2 watts of RF Power, and massive antenna arrays, bounce their signals off the Ionosphere, and communicate long distances. A real "HAM" from the 40's, 50's,60's, and into the 70's, had a "Shack". That was his personal radio station, or "HAM Shack", it's where Radio Shack got it's name, for real. The walls would be covered in QSL Cards. When you managed to make contact with some operator in say Australia, or Hawaii, you exchanged QSL cards with the Date, Time, Name, Location, and of course your Call Sign. One Ham operator I met took a 50 foot piece of wire, tied one end on his hand held 2 watt tranceiver, the other on to a coral reef and was quite proud of connecting with some operator clear around on the other side of the world. As I recall his wife was a bit put-off by his taking his hobby with him on their sea side beach vacation in the bahamas.
'Five By Five' is what your Signal Strenth Meter read, means "Loud and Clear".
End Trans
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Of course if you owned a kristy KT3 you would have no use for a communication devise . :whistling:
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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Of course if you owned a kristy KT3 you would have no use for a communication devise . :whistling:

Yes you would but not till you got back. You'd be so shocked that it made it somewhere and back you might have a heart attack :flowers:

Al, just so you know I joined the snot trac club took it out again yesterday for about a 7 mile cruise had to bungie the rear door open got to warm inside
It was about 35 head temps running about 350 oil temp about 180-200
Only complaint is its the noise in the cab
 

DAVENET

Bronze Member
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I know this is old, but did you end up getting the Delorme InReach SE?

I thought I remembered a thread on this. My wife & friend went hiking this past weekend to 'peak bag' the three Bonds (Bond Mt., West Bond & Bondcliff) in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, essentially the most remote location in NH. At least communication wise. Her friend got the Delorme for her birthday and brought it with them. It drops a breadcrumb every ten minutes that give all of the important info and was able to send short text as needed. And I could reply at will from my end. It just limits you to 160 characters per text, but you can do multiple. Really cool piece of equipment.
 

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MNoutdoors RIP

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Yes, that's the one I bought the Delorme Inreach. Right now it is deactivated but
With a phone call I can reactivate it. The bread crumb trail feature is adjustable I believe. 10 minutes is the shortest duration and if traveling very slowly like a walk you don't get to far but at jeep or atv speeds it can be a much greater distance. The texting feature is why I bought it because when on remote trips I can text at the end of the day. Hopefully to say I'm safe. And also if plans have changed because of weather or something.there is a monthly fee but it's just like any convenience like a cell phone it's a service. And one that could save your life! Or at least a long walk out.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

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One other thing that I've added when traveling with a vehicle, and I guess for what little It weighs could be packed as was a roll up solar panel the one I got has both a USB port and a ciggerette plug and on one trip I was on with ATV
It came in handy because my ciggerette plug decided to not work and the solar panel kept my traveling map going on my iPad.
 

Track Addict

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I used be spot satellite tracker for a few years when fishing offshore. Only had one way message and tracking via breadcrumb at that time. The ability to send a message back sounds like a great function .
 
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