Satellite phones

A couple of posts here have mentioned personal locator beacons for traveling in remote areas. I've never used one, so I can't judge their effectiveness. I don't know what feedback you get - can anyone tell me how I could tell if it worked?

My wife and I camp in remote areas, and we rent a satellite phone to take with us. The cost varies, but for a week it's reasonable. Google
satellite phone
and you'll come up with a dozen or more rental sites. The last I read Globalstar satellites are failing, and I've rented Iridium phones lately.

I've never had an emergency, but I've used them in Death Valley. We camp during Thanksgiving, and we take a list of local numbers and our AAA number. We can get back to the Bay Area through Reno and the Donner Pass (a more pleasant drive) or through Barstow, CA and up the central valley (deadly boring). We call AAA and find out if the Pass is open. If so, off we go. If not, we go the southern route.

We've had friends who've had various failures on their transportation, and the sat phone has been very helpful in getting them a tow.

The advantage I see to the rented sat phone is that there's immediate feedback that you got through, and if you don't need your life saved you still can use the phone for assistance of different kinds.

If someone were injured, we have local emergency numbers and not only can get an ambulance started but can get over the phone advice on whatever can be done. ("Operator, I think my hunting companion just had a heart attack and died!" "Okay, first let's make sure he's dead.")

I'm not saying anything negative about PLBs as I've never even seen one. But there seem to me to be advantages to renting a phone if you're going to be in a remote area and want to get help. You do need a clear overhead for a satphone, but I assume you do for a PLB, too. (A clear overhead isn't a problem for us

by the way.)

You don't get feedback from a PLB it is distinctly one way. It's even difficult to test the new 400mhz beacons.

Advantages: smaller lighter (with the new unit, cheaper) than a sat phone, simple to operate - just one button, also sends your location, battery life, since it is only used once you don't have to worry about keeping battery charged, generally more rugged/survivable.

Disadvantages - as you point out, it's press a button and hope. You can't summon none emergency help or ask questions.

Also becarefull under that widowmaker. Interusting little thing that is.

That's my _wife_ under the widower maker. I'm no fool. :->

It's art. Hippy art. :->

> generally more rugged/survivable.

Yeah, the sat phone is not rugged. I hadn't thought of that because at my age I'm car camping, so survivability of the device is assured. :-) And I'm with access to battery power to charge the sat phone up if need be. So sat phones are not the be-all and end-all solution to every situation.

The civilian sat phones I have used aren't much more rugged than an older model cell phone. However if you keep it in say a Pelicase and don't use it till you need it then it should be as good as a plb.
You will also need a GPS so you can tell help where you are - I don't know how good the location fix for a sat phone is but I suspect it is very poor - 100s of sq. miles if just based on which sat picked up the call.