Sat Phones

[Delta L Varmint]

Ok, so I've got it in my head that a sat phone is something I must have for a bug out bag. What is the cheapest way to have one that's ready to go in case of an emergency, but without a huge monthly bill? So school me on sat phones.

 

[coachjpg]

We use this: http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/inreach-explorer.php

It's not a phone. It allows you to send short sms and/or email messages via satellite, and those messages are tagged with your lat/lon. It has no maps, but it will tell you your lat/lon. You can build up a list of locations and waypoints, and it will give you distance and direction to your next waypoint. Paired with paper maps, it's a useful navigation tool. Or you can bluetooth link it to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with maps. We have the minimal plan, $12/mo for 10 messages/mo plus 5 test messages/mo. $0.50/message after your 10. Paired with this for solar power: https://us.waka-waka.com/store/catalogue/wakawaka-power_17.

If you buy a more expensive plan, you can set it up to publish your location every 10 minutes. Useful to let your family track you if you take your dirt bike out into the wilderness, or if you're off hunting solo. Then if something really bad happens and you can't signal, they know where you were.

For us, a text message every 3 days is plenty for checking in on those occasions where no other options are available. If we ever need more, we can easily bump up to a higher level plan.

We tied ours into our Global Rescue account, so when my daughter is mountain climbing in Africa, I know if she needs help she has sat comms and access to an extraction team. She's an EMT, with good first aid gear and the training to use it. As her Dad watching her head off into the African hinterland, I like the fact that if SHTF, she can push some buttons, and a helicopter (or whatever) will come.

 

[wacky_doug]

Here's a really helpful article

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcwebertobias/2013/03/18/how-and-when-to-buy-a-satellite-phone/

 

[Tracer1951]

Ok, so I've got it in my head that a sat phone is something I must have for a bug out bag. What is the cheapest way to have one that's ready to go in case of an emergency, but without a huge monthly bill? So school me on sat phones.

I can see having one for a power outage, hiking, long distance travel, etc, but for use for a bug out?

Guess it depend what you mean by a bug out.

When the electric grid goes down, all normal communication is over.

No one on the other end to receive your call , cell phones and land lines dead!

Generated fed base station short wave radio will be about the only form of communication.. providing there was no EMP to fry the electronics.

 

[fshalor]

Get a ham license instead. Or at least a marine radio if you're near the coast.

Sent from my LT30p

 

[Cabinetman]

If the grid goes down but you and the person you're wanting to contact both have sat phones, won't they be able to communicate even with no other conventional service being available?

Rome

 

[Nick Fury]

Here's a really helpful article

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcwebertobias/2013/03/18/how-and-when-to-buy-a-satellite-phone/

This is the article that schooled me when I had the very same question.

I walked away from the idea realizing it's still a bit too soon.

 

[Prepper]

Get a ham license instead. Or at least a marine radio if you're near the coast.

Sent from my LT30p

I realize it is a terrible evil illegal thing to use a marine phone on land, but if someone were to do this, how effective could it be? FRS is nearly useless so I am wondering what additional range one could realistically expect.

 

[Madball13]

I realize it is a terrible evil illegal thing to use a marine phone on land, but if someone were to do this, how effective could it be? FRS is nearly useless so I am wondering what additional range one could realistically expect.

It's as good/bad as FRS.

Another question to ponder. If a sat phone is in your BOB and you actually need it, who are you going to call? It's safe to assume the same issue you are facing is a problem for the person you are trying to contact.

 

[Admin]

My issue with Sat phones is if you buy minutes and activate them, you have a window of time to use up those minutes.

The longest term I have seen is 12 months.

 

[Nick Fury]

The sat phone is a specialized piece of equipment that like the plate carrier is only handy for certain circumstances. Unless you operate in your field of expertise the use vs. cost ratio is quite high.

When a localized catastrophic event occurs they are quite handy. I experienced a hurricane on a small island once and those with sat phones were gods. It was 3 days before I could get word out of our condition and the outside world had no idea what was going on.

Another good use that a tinfoiler would appreciate is a Watertown/Bundy ranch type event where existing communications become compromised. With cell towers being overloaded or even jammed the satphone would reign supreme...

 

[Delta L Varmint]

My issue with Sat phones is if you buy minutes and activate them, you have a window of time to use up those minutes.

The longest term I have seen is 12 months.

Agreed. If there was a way to buy a phone and have an easy to activate pre-pay option (via the phone) I'd be ok with that. I am certainly no mountain climber or adventurer so I wouldn't need it often. I really have no where to "bug out" to, but remember the recent past when cell service was not what it is now (I'm a Cape Codder: the Orleans rotary all the way to the tallest of dunes in Truro/Ptown were dead until a few years ago) and I remember the cell networks being completely overloaded in the last big winter storm we had and during 911 and would like to have an option. Although I really have no idea who I'd be calling, I'd still like the option.

 

[Billsail]

I realize it is a terrible evil illegal thing to use a marine phone on land, but if someone were to do this, how effective could it be? FRS is nearly useless so I am wondering what additional range one could realistically expect.

Marine radios can reach out 25+ miles and more depending on antenna height on high power (25 watts) On land, terrain would be a factor. They could be useful to reach help in an emergency. I wouldn't bother with one if I was more than 5 miles from the coast. However, I once reached the Boston Marine telephone operator with a hand held, 5 watt unit from Salem, probably only 6 feet above sea level. Boston Marine (if they still operate) has an antenna in Quincy, but it's very high, and the "as the crow flies" distance is not that far.

The Hams on here probably know better than me about the theoretical range of these radios. I do know, I would sometimes hear skip (at least I think it was skip) from up around Camden ME.

There are many used units out there. Try craigslist, or something similar.

It is, as you know, illegal, but to save a life, well I'm sure you would do what I would.

 

[jasons]

I realize it is a terrible evil illegal thing to use a marine phone on land, but if someone were to do this, how effective could it be? FRS is nearly useless so I am wondering what additional range one could realistically expect.

There are VHF frequencies that are legal to use on land and not nearly as over-crowded as the FRS bands:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service

One of the nice things about MURS is that you can (legally) run an external antenna.

 

[drgrant]

I realize it is a terrible evil illegal thing to use a marine phone on land, but if someone were to do this, how effective could it be? FRS is nearly useless so I am wondering what additional range one could realistically expect.

The problem with marine radios is there aren't a variety of antennas. It's pretty much just boat and handheld rubber ducks, they don't make car antennas that work well up there. There are better ways to skin this cat.

Amateur radio (and its attendant gear) is a good place to start. The license is cheap and anyone with a few brain cells can get one. Renewal is free (done online) every 10 years.

If the idea is emergency comms you'd be way better off with a ham radio... you can hit a mountaintop repeater, etc.... unless you're WAY into the turd world somewhere, there is usually a repeater that can be hit. Many of these repeaters have echolink, etc.

-Mike

 

[Madball13]

The problem with marine radios is there aren't a variety of antennas. It's pretty much just boat and handheld rubber ducks, they don't make car antennas that work well up there. There are better ways to skin this cat.

Amateur radio (and its attendant gear) is a good place to start. The license is cheap and anyone with a few brain cells can get one. Renewal is free (done online) every 10 years.

If the idea is emergency comms you'd be way better off with a ham radio... you can hit a mountaintop repeater, etc.... unless you're WAY into the turd world somewhere, there is usually a repeater that can be hit. Many of these repeaters have echolink, etc.

-Mike

Repeaters are limited in scope as well, if your lucky you get 30 miles. HF is the way to go. Google NVIS antennas, gives you 0-300 miles range. Now change to a different antenna and you can hit the west coast or Europe.

 

[jd4444]

FYI, although I don't have any input as to pricing but, I do know you have to be outside to use the SAT phone. (or at least your antenna needs to be outside) There are many movies and TV shows that show actors using the SAT phone inside and saying "I can't get through." No kidding, maybe move outside?

 

[spcantwell]

WOW, not a single person mentioned CB radios? They are pretty secure these days because there are only 4 or 5 people in the state who still have them. Not much less power then the marine radios but with more options (though they are dated options). Radio shack still sells one or two i think. Or you can make your own 'spark gap' transmitter and let the FCC find you in an emergancy, though they may just drop off a ticket and not any supplies...

 

[Archilochus]

WOW, not a single person mentioned CB radios? ..

I've got a few older CB's that were given to me. When tinkering around with them (in southern NH), I was hearing jabber from people claiming to be in NY, CT, NJ, & MA. Obviously some folks are using... errmmm.... somewhat higher power units than normal

 

[Prepper]

There are VHF frequencies that are legal to use on land and not nearly as over-crowded as the FRS bands:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service

One of the nice things about MURS is that you can (legally) run an external antenna.

I knew of the MURS existence but not that I could use an antenna. How much will that help? As later posted mentioned too, there is still CB which of course likes antennas.

Back to sat, could someone keep a phone unactivated (or expired) and add minutes only after an emergency has happened? Or would they need the grid to jump start it or something? That might help with the expiring minutes problem.

 

[atmay]

MF/HF radio is probably your best bet. VHF/UHF for very local comms in a hand-held format.

 

[Delta L Varmint]

I've got a few older CB's that were given to me. When tinkering around with them (in southern NH), I was hearing jabber from people claiming to be in NY, CT, NJ, & MA. Obviously some folks are using... errmmm.... somewhat higher power units than normal

I know that CBs can be fiddled with to operate on HAM frequencies. Of course this is a big big no no. HAM operators will rat you out to the FCC real quick. I'm thinking, at this point, maybe I get my HAM license finally, I did some amateur radio stuff as an after school activity back when they still required you to learn morse code.

 

[Madball13]

I know that CBs can be fiddled with to operate on HAM frequencies. Of course this is a big big no no. HAM operators will rat you out to the FCC real quick. I'm thinking, at this point, maybe I get my HAM license finally, I did some amateur radio stuff as an after school activity back when they still required you to learn morse code.

Yes Cb's can be modded to work on the ham bands but the mod causes a lot of interference on nearby frequencies. A stock CB running 4W isn't much better than a handheld running 5W. CB transmissions can skip like ham bands but it happens very rarely and is not a reliable form of comms. Ham really is the way to go.

For those interested this weekend is field day and everyone busts out there gear and does a weekend long test running on batteries and generators. Every location tends to have a GOTA(get on the air) station and that is used to give people interested an opportunity to talk to other people. Take a look here and find out where people are operating and check it out:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

The Gloucester club will be running 24 hours a day starting Friday afternoon through Sunday at noon. I know they will have Voice and digital communications running.

 

[quincy]

I have my Yaesu 2m/70cm FT 60 and a 5 watt CW shortwave transceiver. Pretty much all I need. Small rechargeable 12 v battery and solar panel. Rolled up dipole ant for the SW bands.


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[Madball13]

I have my Yaesu 2m/70cm FT 60 and a 5 watt CW shortwave transceiver. Pretty much all I need. Small rechargeable 12 v battery and solar panel. Rolled up dipole ant for the SW bands.


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The FT-60 only receives on 108-520 and 700-999.990. What about all the radio activity that takes places <108 which is 90% of the ham radio activity?

 

[quincy]

Have QRP transceiver for 80, 40, 20, 15 m.


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[Madball13]

Have QRP transceiver for 80, 40, 20, 15 m.


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Now your talking.

 

[Hush]

Sat phone is useful OCONUS. Multi-band radio is better for domestic use. And cheaper, for a bug out bag toy.

 

[atmay]

Another point to consider here: no matter what you're considering for comms, make sure it can put you in touch with people you need/want to get in touch with.

1500 watts of HF and the finest antenna money can buy won't do you shit if there's no one friendly on the other end to get your tx.

Standardize comms amongst your friends/family/whatever.

 

[spcantwell]

Does anyone know of a radio cb/marine/ham that can be recharged by usb power? Getting a biolite stove and it seems like a good addition.

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