Satellite Communicators – What Use Cases make this Tech Vital for You?

Satellite Communicators – What Use Cases make this Tech Vital for You?

More than ever, it is imperative to be able to reach out and contact someone in cases where you need to relay time-sensitive information, for general safety and during an emergency situation.  I was in need of some technology to communicate any time & anywhere when I ventured out in the great outdoors – hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and motorcycle rides in the rural country.  A few years ago, I defined all my requirements and researched the market to find the most affordable, durable and feature rich communication device.  I invested in the DeLorme inReach SE 2-Way Satellite Communicator.  I am able to “check in” with family using pre-defined messages or send custom messages received as texts or emails.  Texts include my current lat/long position.  Emails incude my lat/long position and link to show location on a map.  The device can even periodically sends location updates to my personal MapShare page where each “check-in” is timestamped forming a bread crumb trail showing progress on my travel.  Access to my MapShare page can be public or private using a password.

The DeLorme inReach line of satellite communicators was bought out by Garmin.  Garmin is a proven leader meeting the technology needs in rugged & outdoor environments. For a while Satellite phones were the way to go!  But with that solution, there is a steep cost for the equipment & satellite service.  Then came the concept of Satellite Communicators.  Companies like Spot and Garmin were the leaders in this niche market.  Some of the initial satellite communication devices were 1-way where the individual can only communicate out via text or email.  Today, the technology has progressed with new companies entering the market to provide 2-way satellite communicator devices.  Some are just satellite hotspots where you tether to your phone using an app to send & receive texts and emails when you are out of internet & cellular range.  Others are completely self-sufficient with a keyboard to construct your texts and emails.  What is common between all of them, is the ability to signal for help/SOS.  When an SOS alert is triggered an emergency response center specific to the manufacturer is alerted and based on the type of emergency, will respond with the appropriate help.

I am a big fan of Garmin products and have used them throughout my life for numerous outdoor and exercise activities.  I’ve owned ForeRunner watches for running, Fenix GPS watches for exercise, eTrex handheld GPS navigation devices, an off-shore marine navigation device, numerous automobile GPS navigation devices and now a satellite communication device.

The satellite subscription service  for the Garmin inReach device is, by far, the most affordable & flexible.  Many satellite subscription services are annual contracts similar to your cell phone service.  But let’s face it! – there are times when you may not be venturing out to the great unknown and why should you have to pay for service during these hiatus periods?  Garmin heard all you outdoor explorers and structured their service to offer monthly & yearly tiered plans.  The monthly plan allows you to suspend your service indefinitely.  During these times you are not charged.  There is a nominal yearly fee to keep your service active.  So when your venturing hiatus is over, you can simply re-activate your satellite service.  Your outdoor venturing awakens like bears waking from hibernation!

I dusted off my DeLorme inReach SE 2-Way Satellite Communicator and thought … what are other use cases where this technology can be useful?  So I came up with the following new use cases.

  • Hurricane Storm Season – here in Florida, hurricane season spans from June through November.  With climate change, climatologists predict the season be get longer.  From experience, power, internet & cellular can be down for a number of days.  Over the years, I’ve refined my hurricane preparation kit.  My DeLorme inReach SE 2-Way Satellite Communicator has been added to the kit.  I will re-activate my satellite service for such a cataclysmic event where it can be used to communicate to loved ones that my family and I are okay or to reach outward for help & assistance.
  • International Travel – I’ve captured the use case as a means of communication while travelling through rural country areas in the US where internet & cellular is unavailable by car or motorcycle.  Today, I am doing more air travel and the satellite communicator will be my device of last resort.  When arriving in countries most people purchase a pre-paid SIM or eSIM to provide cellular data service on unlocked phones while abroad.  What happens if there is a situation where neither work effectively?  Each country  uses a specific set of cellular band frequencies to operate on.  Maybe your phone cannot connect to the local cellular network since it does not support the cellular bands used in the country.  I had this problem with an unlocked ATT version of the ZTE Velocity hotspot I brought over to England.  I had a pre-paid SIM but I could not get it to connect to the provider during my travel.  After some research, the ZTE Velocity hotspot only uses cellular bands used in the US, Canada and parts of Asia.  In turn, I bought a EU specific hotspot, the Huawei e5576 hotspot which supports cellular bands used in the UK, other european countries & countries in Asia.  What if there was an emergency and I need to contact family back home in the US or they needed to contact me immediately?  Now, I have the solution – I will carry my DeLorme inReach SE 2-Way Satellite Communicator in my backpack or computer bag for international travel.
  • Winter & Ski Season – during winter travel, there may be instances where a winter storm has knocked out cellular service.  The GPS device would be crucial to get automobile assistance when temperatures plummet turning the situation into an emergency.  As members of my family and I progress to become stronger skiers and snowboarders, I see these events are ripe for using my GPS communicator.  Some of the ski runs are longer and navigate beautiful terrain lined with trees and other features.  Terrains such as these are usually cellular service voids.  If you are hurt and disabled while out of cellular service and require help, you can transmit your exact lat/long location.  Also, if you go “off-piste” or out-of-bounds skiing and are lost, you can reach out for help.

The use cases are endless and specific to every person’s lifestyle & needs.  What price would you pay for safety & peace of mind?  That’s a rhetorical question.  I see satellite communicators as invaluable.  Hopefully you take a satellite communicator with you.  It can prevent a manageable situation or event turning into an emergency.  The thing about an emergency is no one plans to be in one.

Be safe while you roam!

More than ever, it is imperative to be able to reach out and contact someone in cases where you need to relay time-sensitive information, for general safety and during an emergency situation.  I was in need of some technology to communicate any time & anywhere when I ventured out in the great outdoors – hiking,…

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