SPOT Phone

08 August 2015, 19:49

Stoneybroke

SPOT Phone

Anybody here have any experience with the SPOT sat. phone? I'm an old guy that hunts some fairly remote country and my spouse is a worrier.

09 August 2015, 07:34

JBoutfishn

Not sure what a SPOT Phone is, I carry a SPOT that notifies selected people of location when I am in places an "old guy" should not be alone. In an emergency it will call for help.

09 August 2015, 12:12

bobby7321

take a look at delorme inReach. Can't talk, but works pretty well to send text messages. service is fairly cheap.

10 August 2015, 07:38

JeremyKS

I have a delorme inReach and really like it.

10 August 2015, 09:27

Stoneybroke

The Spot phone is now a freebie, but the basic contract is $300 a year with 120 minutes of air time. For me, the cost is not a huge factor, but reliability is vital. If I have a major problem and call 911 on a sat phone, will S&R be able to locate me from my signal? last year, I came out of the woods at 8pm one evening and mama wasn't happy. She was ready to call the mounties. Moral: Don't pull the trigger att 5:00Pm, when you are 2 miles from the truck!

12 August 2015, 00:41

JBrown

quote:
Originally posted by Stoneybroke:
The Spot phone is now a freebie, but the basic contract is $300 a year with 120 minutes of air time. For me, the cost is not a huge factor, but reliability is vital.

I have used a spot messenger for several years(Thanks to member Pigfarmer). It has always be 100% reliable.

$300 a year for a sat phone seems reasonable.

Jason

"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________

Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.

Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.

-Jason Brown

13 August 2015, 04:11

groundtender

Delorme's inreach SE has worked reslly well for me. No problem with reliability or signal acquisition. Texting only, but I like that. $35.00 a month, and I pay that only for the months I use it...Sept, Oct, and Nov.

17 August 2015, 23:36

Stoneybroke

Question: Can you reach first responders (911) with the Delorme InReach?

18 August 2015, 02:25

groundtender

Yes. One of the buttons on the InReach is exclusively for declsring you are in a real emergency. The Search and Rescue team will know your position. There are a couple steps, which prevents inadvertant calls for rescue. My advice is read up on the InReach and call Delorme with specific questions. But after beating the learning curve, I can stay in touch with my wife, the hunting camp manager, and during the day I check in with other guides that work for me. You can contact anyone whose cell # you have, and they can respond to you. One thing I have learned....stating you have a moose down is a sure way to get no response!