• DCRC 2024

Please school me on communication devices

sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Here's my dillemma. I have a very loving wife who wants me to stay alive as long as possible. If I'm not home from a trip when I say I will be, she gets really nervous (and rightfully so). I spend a lot of time up AF canyon, and I have zero cell coverage up there. So if I get a flat, or if I break something, I need to be able to send her a message that I'm safe, but I'll be home later than expected.

What are my options?

I've heard about the spot messenger, but I've also read that they have issues. I'd love to hear some options from those of you out there who have used any of these devices and what you recommend.
 
solidfrontaxle

solidfrontaxle

Toyota jihad
Location
Casper, Wyoming
I'd say either a Spot, which isn't THAT unreliable, or a HAM radio.
Spot will send reassuring emails to your wife and if you get in a jam you can summon help or emergency help. Its only one way communication though, and you have to subscribe to the service, which sucks.
Ham radios have an awesome range and can do tons of stuff (make phone calls, summon help, bounce off repeaters to far away places), but you have to have a license to transmit, and to do so you need a license.
I think pretty quick here theres going to be alot better two way communication with SPOTs and PLBs which is really the ideal I think.
 
lewis

lewis

Fight Till You Die
Location
Hairyman
Who is your carrier? I have gotten cell service up there. Not every where but enough that I could get to a spot of coverage in an emergency.
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
I still haven't activated the SPOT I won on here a few months ago :-\ If you'd use it, it's all yours. There is an annual subscription fee...
 
Greg

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Location
Grand Junction, CO
The newer SPOT devices are a good way to keep in touch where ever you go. I picked one up for my wife's peace of mind and simply for that, it's been great. It's a good way to stay connected and let your loved ones know you're safe and know where you are. You also have the option of sending out a custom 'Help' message requesting assistance, but nobody is injured and it's NOT an emergency. Beyond that, if you ever find yourself in an emergency, you have a great connection to emergency personal.

The price of the device is minimal, they get you with the service subscription. I think my subscription was around $180/year with the options I choose.

I like the SPOT, so far it's been a good purchase. With your SPOT purchase comes access to the SPOT Adventure Page where you can document your trips. I've been playing with it and like it enough to keep using it. Here's my page, I have 3 trips recorded in there so far. -

http://www.spotadventures.com/user/trips?user_id=72359


Another SPOT option is the Connect. Use your smart phone with the GPS communicator... http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=116
 
R

rambrush

Member
Location
NW Az
Ham Radio would be a great option but.. more than likely you would require a HF frequency to get out if no repeaters are available in the there.
That means you have to test up to the general level as the tech would not allow the hf bands required. Then you need a hf rig in the vehicle and antenna. You would then hopefully have someone monitoring a preset frequency. so this is quite a process. a sat phone might be the best option.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Are there any apps that anyone's familiar with that'll plot my GPS location? So even if I can't send messages out, my wife can see where I am using the GPS on my phone? I'm an android guy.
 
StormRider

StormRider

Active Member
Location
West Jordan
Your phone will need a signal to transmit your location, so if your out of cell coverage, Spot might be a better choice. Be aware though that Spot needs a clear view of the sky to work. Moderate tree coverage is enough to block communication to the satellites, as is deep canyons and such.
 
Hickey

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Location
Grantsville, Utah
Google latitude will show my position with the weakest of signals. My wife likes to follow along with me as I tour the western states every week. You need to get a car dock for your phone for optimal long term gps usage.

Even if it doesn't show your exact current position due to no signal, it will show the last place you had signal. That would be a huge benefit to a rescue effort.
 
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sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
does anyone know if the spot connector would work without a cell phone? Could I send "OK" status updates and use the sos featuer, or does that only work with a cell phone?
 
cruiseroutfit

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
There are several different SPOT options, a standalone unit that require no cell phone, cell phone integrated modules and a GPS integrated setup. If you don't want to have to rely on your phone for tracking... get the standalone. We use one with our Baja car for emergency and tracking purposes, it works pretty decent.

For my personal tracking I use APRS which is a feature available to HAM operators. Its somewhat limited by terrain but it gets out I would guess 90% of the time and when its pinging every few minutes automatically, 90% success is satisfactory. Here is a map of a trip we did last fall through Utah, each node is a verified location, showing not only the GPS location but speed and time too.


Map.jpg
 
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