BajaNomad

Satellite Phone Providers

Ateo - 2-8-2019 at 07:55 AM

Heading down into the Desolate Zone. The guys I’m with have a satellite phone and are wondering if anyone has a favorite provider.

Pacifico - 2-8-2019 at 08:45 AM

We did a trip and one of my buddies had to have a reliable way to communicate each day with his wife. He rented a satt phone from this place:

https://satmodo.com/buy/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&...

All I know is that it worked perfectly and he got to check in each day. Maybe give them a call and see who they recommend? I know they rent to a lot of the race teams.

Satmodo

John M - 2-8-2019 at 08:55 AM

Is our provider. We purchased a sat phone from them, and it's worked each and every time we have attempted to use it. Regardless of the company, be certain you get one that utilizes Iridium satellite network.

TW had one through Spot - and it wasn't nearly as reliable.

John M

StuckSucks - 2-8-2019 at 09:09 AM

I've rented a sat phone a bunch of times from Satmodo in SAN -- really good people, great service. The only way to go.

David K - 2-8-2019 at 09:25 AM

Another option that has texting and email via Iridium satellites is the inReach device which is a GPS communicator. I used one the past two years and it was great. Your friends and family can see where you are and contact you too. DeLorme inReach was made part of the Garmin family about two years ago. I had the Explorer model.

JZ - 2-8-2019 at 09:34 AM

We have rented a bunch of times. I went with a company called Satellite Phones Direct, as they had the best rates at the time. Haven't rented for about a year, and things change. Get one that uses the Iridium network for best coverage.

The whole field of satellite communications is exploding. Lots of companies and products entering the market.

HeyMulegeScott - 2-8-2019 at 10:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Another option that has texting and email via Iridium satellites is the inReach device which is a GPS communicator. I used one the past two years and it was great. Your friends and family can see where you are and contact you too. DeLorme inReach was made part of the Garmin family about two years ago. I had the Explorer model.


I've been using our InReach a lot down here in Baja. Works great. My only complaint is the clunky website interface.

David K - 2-8-2019 at 10:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Three2tango  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Another option that has texting and email via Iridium satellites is the inReach device which is a GPS communicator. I used one the past two years and it was great. Your friends and family can see where you are and contact you too. DeLorme inReach was made part of the Garmin family about two years ago. I had the Explorer model.


I've been using our InReach a lot down here in Baja. Works great. My only complaint is the clunky website interface.


Explain please? This site?: https://inreach.garmin.com/ or the Earthmate App for your cell phone to work with the inReach so you can use your cell phone for satellite texting and the bigger map screen on your phone?

DawnPatrol - 2-8-2019 at 12:03 PM

SATMODO hands down.
Have had my Iridium sat phone for a while now and it works great!
I also have the Search and Rescue through GeosAlliance and also the $1MM emergency medical EVAC through them.

I never want to use the latter, but I have as many bases covered as possible

Great people over there

Yea, they are not cheap, but I wont scrimp on emergency communication and the costs involved

Alan


[Edited on 2-8-2019 by DawnPatrol]

HeyMulegeScott - 2-8-2019 at 07:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by Three2tango  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Another option that has texting and email via Iridium satellites is the inReach device which is a GPS communicator. I used one the past two years and it was great. Your friends and family can see where you are and contact you too. DeLorme inReach was made part of the Garmin family about two years ago. I had the Explorer model.


I've been using our InReach a lot down here in Baja. Works great. My only complaint is the clunky website interface.


Explain please? This site?: https://inreach.garmin.com/ or the Earthmate App for your cell phone to work with the inReach so you can use your cell phone for satellite texting and the bigger map screen on your phone?


David K - Yep. https://inreach.garmin.com/ . The app is ok. Wish they would integrate with the Garmin Basecamp Desktop software.

4x4abc - 2-8-2019 at 07:12 PM

nothing from Garmin or DeLorme (now absorbed by Garmin) was ever user friendly
I hate my inReach, but I carry one since it works much better than sat phones (carried those for 20 years)

the main safety advantage of inReach is that you reach emergency experts 24/7
they know how to get you help
I have had emergencies with the sat phone and I was not able to reach any of my trusted knowledgeable friends
if the only person you can reach is your mother in law in New York - good luck explaining to her you are stuck in a canyon in Baja. Good luck depending on her to organize help.

so, the clunky inReach it is

and David, have you managed by now to get a usable track out of yours?

David K - 2-9-2019 at 09:44 AM

The track maps are great except for one thing, the extra straight lines connecting random points. I think it was because I did not do something at the start of each day's drive? User error? I tried both emailing and phone calling Garmin support and could not get a solution for removing the extra lines, however. PaulW uses his and doesn't get the extra lines... I think he disclosed why?

4x4abc - 2-9-2019 at 10:01 AM

I get the lines too and have not figured out why
unresponsive customer service means bad product

so, i am using my old Garmin GPS for accurate tracking

David K - 2-9-2019 at 10:03 AM

It's only because we are old now, Harald... LOL!

Ateo - 2-9-2019 at 10:53 AM

Thanks ALL. I’m reading the responses now. Thank you Nomads.

Ateo - 2-9-2019 at 10:58 AM

Looks like Satmodo gets the most thumbs up here. I’m gonna google a rental now. I’m also gonna start checking the surf forecast and hoping for a mammoth northwest swell!

Alm - 2-11-2019 at 10:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  

I have had emergencies with the sat phone and I was not able to reach any of my trusted knowledgeable friends
if the only person you can reach is your mother in law in New York - good luck explaining to her you are stuck in a canyon in Baja. Good luck depending on her to organize help.

Good point. Sat phones are for casual talking to friends or family thousands miles away. In emergency in the middle of nowhere, De Lorne - or even Spot - often will do a better job.

[Edited on 2-11-2019 by Alm]

David K - 2-11-2019 at 11:01 AM

If you have Nomad friends, an inReach message to them asking to post a request on Nomad will work. You also can post directly onto Facebook from the Garmin (formerly DeLorme) inReach.

I disagree with Alm

John M - 2-11-2019 at 03:41 PM

I have not found that a satellite phone is best used for casual calls though some may choose to use it in that manner.

We have used ours almost always in remote areas and it has never failed to make a connection. On rare occasion it will drop the call but never have we not been able to re-establish a solid connection. We have made numerous calls from remote areas of Baja, Death Valley, and other regions of the Mojave Desert where no cell service is available.

We have not tried the In-Reach system, so I cannot comment on it; but we feel quite confident in our Satmodo purchased phone and contract.

We've seen them used by many race teams - they certainly aren't calling grandma - If you watched the recent Dakar Rally you saw a number of racers on a Sat phone when they needed assistance. I also feel that a real two-way voice conversation is more understandable and much quicker than back and forth text messages.

John M

LukeJobbins - 2-11-2019 at 09:01 PM

We use an inReach and it’s epic for us. GPS and texting. Connect to your phone and text with ease. I hate that people know where I’m at when I’m trying to get lost, but we have saved a few peoples families from worry sending some texts like, “all is good with Ron,” so I guess it’s all good.

Ateo - 2-12-2019 at 09:55 AM

Thanks again all! The phone will be picked up Thursday and it’ll be nice took all the girlfriends from 50 miles down the dirt road.

See...

John M - 2-12-2019 at 10:34 AM

your U2U

John M