[GreenKeys] OT: emergency communications

Wed Apr 12 00:27:37 EDT 2017

As In my opinion, if you're serious about getting help when you're in a
remote location and in a situation where you can't self-rescue or expect
anyone to find you, I'd recommend one of the personal locator beacons like
the SPOT, InReach or ResQLink.

I'm speaking about the ResQLink which I'm familiar with -

The main point for me is they are easy to use. The ResQLink has you flip
out an antenna and push a button. That's it. You do that and SAR is on the
way. There are any number of realistic scenarios where I may not be able to
explain verbally where I'm at and how to get to me. Heat stroke,
dehydration, diabetic episode, heart attack, major injury like concussion
or serious pain from broken bones, snake bite... etc. If I'm in a serious
life-or-death situation, I absolutely want a "push button, receive
helicopter" box in my pocket.

They are small, portable, lightweight. They weigh a few oz and fit in your
pocket. They have long battery life - ResQLink is 5 years until used, and
24+ hours once activated. They are rugged, durable, waterproof, dustproof,
etc. They provide a GPS location, and have a short-range homing beacon to
assist SAR in finding you. That's way better specs than most any "real"
radio, smartphone, or Iridium phone that I know of.

The downside for me is the up-front cost is steep.

On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 6:31 PM, Paul Pennington <paulpenn at gmail.com> wrote:

> Apparently things are much better now for Iridium.  See the Wikipedia
> article "Iridium Communications".
>
> Paul Pennington
> Augusta, Georgia
>
> On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 9:05 PM, Andy Williams <andywilliams at pobox.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I was on a 4 month assignment in 2007 where there was no phone service,
>> landline or cell. We had an Iridium satellite phone and I found the service
>> to be spotty at best and some of the calls were unintelligible. We had a
>> good view of the sky and I tried calling from the roof of our building on a
>> few occasions. We even had our phone replaced, to no avail.
>>
>> Unless the Iridium service has improved since 2007, I would not recommend
>> it.
>>
>> Andy Williams
>>
>> > On Apr 11, 2017, at 2:18 PM, John Nagle <nagle at animats.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > http://www.satphonestore.com/iridium-9555-satellite-phone-st
>> andard-package-used.html
>> >
>> > On 04/11/2017 07:23 AM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
>> >> From: dmm at lemur.com
>> >> 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.
>> >
>> >   I'd suggest an Iridium phone.  They can be had for about $850.
>> >
>> > http://www.satphonestore.com/iridium-9555-satellite-phone-st
>> andard-package-used.html
>> >
>> > https://www.amazon.com/Iridium-9505A-Satellite-complete-
>> package/dp/B000S2AVBS
>> >
>> > These connect directly to satellites and will work anywhere on the
>> > Earth's surface where you can see the sky.  The airtime rates are
>> several dollars a minute, but you can buy a prepaid SIM card and not use it
>> much.
>> >
>> >                               John Nagle
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