Satellite phones

[swmoelk]

I was wondering if anyone carries one and if so what kind? I will be carrying one this year because 1 I'll be solo and deep and 2 I felt irresponsible the last time I was in the mountains because there was absolutely no way my wife could get a hold of me in an emergency. Hopefully this will help give her and myself more confidence this year.

Also any recommendations on where to buy airtime from?

[Osprey]

I've been looking at getting one as well mainly because I hunt solo as well for emergency use and also if I get something down where I would want a packer instead of hauling it out myself. Also I'm looking at going on taking an air taxi for a mostly DIY AK caribou hunt in a couple years so I want it for that too. I've been looking at the spot sat phones but haven't done a ton of research on them.

[N&N Waterfowl]

You can rent a satellite phone by the week...the cheapest that I have found was like $18 per week. You can prepay for minutes at a cheaper rate...not sure what the current fee is. You wouldn't need many minutes, but the security of being able to keep you family updated on a regular basis is worth the $$.

[CurlyTail]

You basicly have the choice between the Iridium system of satellites, and the Globalstar system. There may be a third new system that I am unfamiliar with.

I strongly advise you to avoid the Globalstar system. My family has been dealing with them for years and they are unreliable and the system is a mess. The glitches were going to be worked out for the last 10 years. Nothing but empy promises and disappointment. The SPOT device operates on the Globalstar system.

Iridum is much more reliable, but phones are expensive and the service plans are complex and expensive. This makes rental a good option. Consider the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator for a less pricey alternative - you get two way texting, but no phone conversation, and emergency rescue alert. We have used this for 3 years, and it is reliable, plus your wife can follow the link and see where you are at on a nice topo or aerial map on the DeLorme web site.

The cadillac - get your own iridium phone. Economy Plan - rent an iridum phone The longterm DIY option - DeLorme inReach

[swmoelk]

I found a good iridium used for what it was going to cost to rent one for 3 weeks this year. The weekly rent isn't bad but the shipping both ways ,extra,battery,case,insurance and what have you adds up quick. I went with the older 9505a. It lacks some features but the sales rep assured me they were sturdy and reliable.

[jmez]

Depending on where you are even the Iridium may or may not work. We took them to CO a few years ago and it was a waste. Unless you were in the wide open on a high spot there was no signal. When there was a signal it still didn't work well. Calls, if they went through took about 5 minutes to connect and then it dropped the call frequently. After about the third day we just left them in camp and didn't even try to use them anymore.

I would recommend a PLB as well that operates on the SARSAT system. Use the phone to check in at home. Use the PLB if you are in trouble.

[swmoelk]

That sounds like a bad deal. What models were you using? I wasn't expecting cell quality service out of mine. I'm hoping to call home once or twice and receive a message in case of emergency at home.

[jmez]

Iridium 9555