SAT Communicator or SAT Phone?

pluton

Adventurer
The satellite phone's lack of giving location to me is a risk. If I hit my head and am not lucid enough to relay GPS coordinates the phone is not much help. I don't know how easy it is to pinpoint a satellite phones location.

Since I travel alone I like the ability to keep in touch with my family. The inReach prerecorded message with map and pin is what I use most. Texting back and forth when needed has been sufficient and the ability to get a basic weather report has helped on a couple of occasions.

jim
The Inmarsat Isatphone Pro allows it's GPS position to be sent as the content of a text message or email with just a short sequence of button pushes. I assume---but do not know if---the current Mk 2 model has the same function. It's not 'panic' button simple, but it's there. You can also have the phone display it's GPS position coordinates and type them into a text or email.

I agree that the inReach system is good overall choice at a somewhat reasonable, cheaper-than-satphone price.
 

LandCruiserPhil

Expedition Leader
Most of my travels are solo to remote areas and I assume the solo responsibility for me and my vehicle. I do carry a SPOT (by request) so others know where Im at and where to pick up the body if needed. Im not counting on any device to save my life when you consider if you are bleeding bad you sometimes only have 5 minutes for them to get there with your type of blood. Up until 15 years ago all we had was HAM for extended communication.

Point: I just returned from the Sahara desert of North Africa and if you had a serious injury or a life threatening situation all the sat phones and communication device made would have been worthless.

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mpinco

Expedition Leader
Let's not forget the old truism. Old technologies die hard. As land based cell phone technology matures, saturates and growth declines the cost will drop as every last ounce of profit is squeezed out. Any satellite technology will have to overcome that reality.
 

windtraveler

Observer
Love the inReach for the simplicity of it, the options for various subscription levels vs. month to month plans, and the geographic coverage provided. Relatively cheap insurance/peace of mind for the user and their loved ones.
 

JaSAn

Grumpy Old Man
The Inmarsat Isatphone Pro allows it's GPS position to be sent as the content of a text message or email with just a short sequence of button pushes . . .

My one concern, and I admit it is low probability, is that with a head injury a sequence of buttons might be beyond my capability. After her stroke my mother could not figure out how to work a 'turn a dial and press cook' microwave that she had used for years.

I like this conversation as it lays out the different capabilities and drawbacks of the current technologies so we all can analyze our own needs.
 
I almost bought an inreach explorer a couple days ago and one of the main features was the two way texting. I was told by the store person (whose friend has one) that it really doesn't work that well. She made it sound like I could send a message, but they couldn't respond unless they went through some program or additional step. She said her friend's dad was sending messages to her friend while the friend was out hiking and none of the messages were ever received because they weren't sent from some special app or program. Can anyone tell me how the inreach two way texting works?
 

whitenoise

Adventurer
I have the older delorme inreach explorer and we have used it in 4 countries so far, it worked seamlessly to communicate position and status to a designated contact or family. Its ability to upload track logs in real time is easily the most used feature. Nice to have a device that serves multiple purposes. We have not yet used it in an emergency so cannot comment on that.
 

GB_Willys_2014

Well-known member
I almost bought an inreach explorer a couple days ago and one of the main features was the two way texting. I was told by the store person (whose friend has one) that it really doesn't work that well. She made it sound like I could send a message, but they couldn't respond unless they went through some program or additional step. She said her friend's dad was sending messages to her friend while the friend was out hiking and none of the messages were ever received because they weren't sent from some special app or program. Can anyone tell me how the inreach two way texting works?
Not my experience at all.

Inbound/outbound messaging works easily enough, except for the wonky native keyboard. Although, sometimes it takes time, but even then, it seems to be a function of satellite connectivity.
 

EMrider

Explorer
I’ve found that sending and receiving text messages with the InReach is quite easy and reliable. There is an iPhone app you can download that enables you to type text messages on your phone instead of the tiny InReach keypad.
R
 

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