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Emergency SOS via satellite

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Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#291

Post by willcipriano »

Johnny555 wrote: post #189
Buttons840 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Alternatively, you can spend about $200 one time on a personal locator beacon that requires no ongoing costs. It can't do two-way communication but activating it sends out a specific frequency picked up by satellites and is the equivalent of calling 911. Rescuers will come to help you. All serious hikers and outdoor adventurers should carry a personal locator beacon.

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Yeah, the cheapest plan is $14.95/mo ($11.95/mo if you pay for 12 months) and includes 10 "free" text's, $0.50/text after that. I wish they had a non-cost plan (or maybe $10/year) plus $5/text or something like that for use in an emergency. I have an InReach, but haven't used it for an emergency (yet), I've sent a few texts to friends/family while outside of cellular coverage sinc…

You can turn it off in the off-season making the annual cost not quite monthly * 12

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#292

Post by widforss »

tony_cannistra wrote: post #267
Buttons840 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Alternatively, you can spend about $200 one time on a personal locator beacon that requires no ongoing costs. It can't do two-way communication but activating it sends out a specific frequency picked up by satellites and is the equivalent of calling 911. Rescuers will come to help you. All serious hikers and outdoor adventurers should carry a personal locator beacon.

Actually, I'm not sure this is good advice. Two-way commiunicators are vastly preferred by Search and Rescue organizations. The reason for this is that they can learn about what they need to do and who they need to send to you, because they can ask you. If you have a broken leg, they'll send in 10 people to get you out. Dehydrated? Two responders and water. Calls that come in from "dumb" communicators like PLBs are m…

I'm on a SAR team. We literally deployed 10 people on both PLB's and Inreaches last winter. SAR people are cheap

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#293

Post by martyvis »

MarkMarine wrote: post #129
COGlory wrote: post #123

I was just on the ground coordinating with 4 friends that got buried in 5+ foot of unexpected snow in the mountains (forecast said 1"-2" when they went up) for the rifle opener in Montana. I wound up getting sick so I stayed home (hilariously I was the only one who got an elk) but I sent them up with my InReach. All I can say is THANK GOD that I did, because it turned into over a week long effort to get them out. Two…

For Emergency services there is no “activate and pay later” because you don’t need to activate, and you don’t need to pay. If you have an iPhone 14 it’s supposed to just work if you’re calling 911.

>If you have an iPhone 14 it’s supposed to just work if you’re calling 911.

Did you mean to say "work AS if you're calling 911"? The emergency message via satellite function has to be explicitly used instead of just calling 911

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#294

Post by jms703 »

carabiner wrote: post #265
subsubzero wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does, I have the fancier inReach - the one that can make calls and texts without being tethered to an iphone. The service runs $15 a month for the basic service and scales up depending on how many texts a month you want to use. I wouldn't ditch it for an iphone 14 as it is way more rugged and in really cold climates(I live near the mountains) a iphone will rapidly discharge its battery and will be useless. I final…

Which Inreach model allows voice calls?

None of the Inreach devices can make calls.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#295

Post by biomcgary »

tony_cannistra wrote: post #267
Buttons840 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Alternatively, you can spend about $200 one time on a personal locator beacon that requires no ongoing costs. It can't do two-way communication but activating it sends out a specific frequency picked up by satellites and is the equivalent of calling 911. Rescuers will come to help you. All serious hikers and outdoor adventurers should carry a personal locator beacon.

Actually, I'm not sure this is good advice. Two-way commiunicators are vastly preferred by Search and Rescue organizations. The reason for this is that they can learn about what they need to do and who they need to send to you, because they can ask you. If you have a broken leg, they'll send in 10 people to get you out. Dehydrated? Two responders and water. Calls that come in from "dumb" communicators like PLBs are m…

My wife has an InReach. While hiking in Colorado, she encountered a woman who started going into shock (for no obvious reason!). Because of the satellite-based texting, SAR determined that Medivac chopper was more appropriate than land based rescue. Doctors said that the woman had 1-2 hours before death / permanent injury, so the most likely outcome of only having an emergency beacon would have been her death.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#296

Post by yurishimo »

tyingq wrote: post #248
Hippocrates wrote: post #207

Apple is building up a nice portfolio of life-saving features. Currently we have fall detection, a-fib detection, crash detection, satellite communication. These are all solid value-adds and differentiators from the competition. I'm not sure if they amount to a strong selling point for _everyone_ yet, but I'm sure that's where Apple is headed. I am extremely bullish on Apple's ability to measure health signals in the…

>At some point iPhone and Apple Watch will probably be marketed as the devices you need if you don't wish to die early. Or you'll have to turn over your data to get the reasonable health insurance rates and not fall in the risky rate bucket.

God forbid the US become a civilized nation and offer a real competitive national healthcare options. I live in one of the more expensive European nations when it comes to healthcare. €100~/mo with a €400~ deductible per year. Worst case scenario, I spend €1600/yr on healthcare.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#297

Post by fortuna86 »

fckgw wrote: post #257
fortuna86 wrote: post #244

Great technology. Roll it out to more phones than just your latest model.

How? Push out an OTA update that installs an entirely new cellular modem with satellite communication frequencies?

Most smartphones have GPS built in, are you telling me it was impossible to utilize existing hardware for this feature? Or was it a deliberate decision.

Ok, perhaps not phone calls or text. What about a beacon feature?

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#298

Post by LeifCarrotson »

COGlory wrote: post #123

I was just on the ground coordinating with 4 friends that got buried in 5+ foot of unexpected snow in the mountains (forecast said 1"-2" when they went up) for the rifle opener in Montana. I wound up getting sick so I stayed home (hilariously I was the only one who got an elk) but I sent them up with my InReach. All I can say is THANK GOD that I did, because it turned into over a week long effort to get them out. Two…

> there needs to be a "use it now, pay later" or no one is going to activate it and actually have it available when they need it

I've been solo hiking, running, kayaking, and biking in areas without cell service since before cell phones were things people carried.

Haven't needed emergency search-and-rescue in 20 years, so it's just never seemed like a good investment...that's $3600 I could have 'wasted' on a service I've never needed. But I would probably buy and carry an InReach if they offered use it now, pay later plans. I don't carry a PLB, because that would mean paying for insurance, and I'd more likely need a lift from my brother in a side-by-side than a helicopter from the sheriff's office (and the ruinous costs that would entail....

I plan to wear my Fenix 6 Pro for another 10 years, but if they came out with a version with InReach 2-way texts my wife would buy it RIGHT NOW, express shipping, not even a thought of waiting for Christmas.

On the other hand, that's $3600 of profit for Apple/Garmin/Iridium/Globalstar/Spot that they're loathe to leave on the table until the one time in 20 years when I really need it.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#299

Post by biomcgary »

widforss wrote: post #292
tony_cannistra wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, I'm not sure this is good advice. Two-way commiunicators are vastly preferred by Search and Rescue organizations. The reason for this is that they can learn about what they need to do and who they need to send to you, because they can ask you. If you have a broken leg, they'll send in 10 people to get you out. Dehydrated? Two responders and water. Calls that come in from "dumb" communicators like PLBs are m…

I'm on a SAR team. We literally deployed 10 people on both PLB's and Inreaches last winter. SAR people are cheap

SAR people may largely be volunteers, but helicopters have fairly expensive operational costs. In time-sensitive situations, it is better to have two way communications (because it keeps SAR as inexpensive as possible). See my sister comment for my wife's experience.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#300

Post by adamredwoods »

rootusrootus wrote: post #197
Jemm wrote: post #84

Groundbreaking? Hardly.

Then you should have no problem pointing me at what other smartphone already has this ability.

Terrestar Genus (2011, now defunct) https://www.engadget.com/2010-11-23-terrestar-genus-now-avai...

Android: https://www.thuraya.com/en/products-list/land-voice/thuraya-...

Lynk: https://lynk.world/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/a-virginia-company-h...

Add-on for existing phone: https://www.bluecosmo.com/iridium-go-global-smartphone-acces...

T-Mobile is planning on it: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/t-mobile-takes-cove...

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