[GreenKeys] OT: emergency communications

[W2HX]

While not cheap, the garmin "inReach" is what I would trust in the case of an emergency. It is a satellite thingy which will report your exact position to anyone (like loved ones) who are looking out for you. You can also initiate an SOS to their 24/7 global monitoring center.  I think being able to send your exact location in the case of an injury could shave minutes off a rescue effort which could be important.

I'll mention that I do not actually own this, but a pilot friend of mine swears by it and I trust his opinion
https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/

they are available on amazon. 

-----Original Message-----
From: GreenKeys [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of dmm at lemur.com
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2017 12:42 AM
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GreenKeys] OT: emergency communications

I have a question primarily for the amateur radio folks on the list.
It's clearly off-topic, but this is the only venue I know of with a deep knowledge of ham radio. 

Since my wife's recent and unexpected death, I'm now living in our rural home alone.  It's 50 acres, and the terrain is complicated.
To cover it all line-of-sight would take half a dozen positions.
Adding to this, it's all within a valley in which there is basically no cell reception.  We have land-line telephone and terrestrial-radio-based Internet (ex-Motorola Canopy) at the house (only).

This has been made more difficult for me because last year I injured my back rather severely.  So a real possibility now exists that if I'm out working on something remote from the house and re-injure myself so that I can't make it back, it might be too late before anyone notices and comes looking.

What I need to find is some kind of device that I can carry with me on foot which can, perhaps with the aid of a base station at the house, permit me to make an outgoing emergency call (or at least send a signal).
It can't require line-of-sight, and it can't depend on the cell network.

What, if any, are my options?

Thanks very much for any and all advice.

Regards,
David M.
===
Dr. David M. MacMillan  -  dmm at lemur.com

"Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. 
The conditions are always impossible."   - Doris Lessing

www.CircuitousRoot.com   *  www.Lemur.com

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