Northwest Dive Club

Anybody here have a satellite phone or have experience using satellite phones? I'm going to Alaska in 5 weeks and need to rent a satellite phone. I've heard that Iridium works best over there versus Globalstar. I'm not going near the north pole, but more so about 300 miles west of Anchorage, near the vicinity outside the southwest region of the Denali National Park.

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

I'm interested in any input too. For hiking the cascades, for purchase.

Thanks!

My experience is that sat phones are iffy in the northern latitudes. That makes them less than ideal for emergency communication. For just staying in touch on a flexible schedule they seem to work just fine.

For life and serious bodily harm there isn't any substitute for a modern emergency locator with proper registration.

For text type communication take a look at SPOT. I've not used one. But people seem to like them for semi-serious comms.

NOTE: IF YOU DON'T MAKE PROVISION FOR BATTERIES/RECHARGING WHEN YOU ABOLUTELY NEED THE DEVICE IT WILL BE D E A D.

Oh yes, The Cascades; Battery rule applies. Remember the phone needs to see the sky to work well.

thanks!

I don't know much about the emergency locators. Do they have the same range as the text communicators?

YellowEye wrote:thanks!

I don't know much about the emergency locators. Do they have the same range as the text communicators?

Two different animals.
The EPIRB/ELT is a radio transmitter that sends a signal to a satellite. That starts a search and rescue effort by everyone in the area. In Alaska that could involve State Troopers, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army and private resources. Even foreign resources can be involved. It is an all out effort to locate and rescue you. People will risk their lives to rescue you.

The text devices like SPOT are useful but only talk to where you put in the machine. Useful for inconvenience events like being off schedule, bring more soda pop, etc.
Someone could notify rescue on your behalf. But, mainly useful for social messages.

You have framed the question and I have responded like you are going to be solo or in a small group in the wilderness. Let's boil it down. Exactly where you going to be? Doing what?

Hi
Thanks for the info!

Some of those SPOT-like devices have text and a big orange button for emergencies. Probably the same?

I was thinking of getting one for my parents to use it most of the time, they do a lot of pretty serious day hiking, and I wouldn't want them to get stuck up on the mountain anywhere. And also use it for my overnight backpack trips.

Was listening to a report on a trip to the Wrangle-St Elias area. Reminded me of you.

Ever get it sorted?

WheRe did you go?

ArcticDiver wrote:Was listening to a report on a trip to the Wrangle-St Elias area. Reminded me of you.

Ever get it sorted?

WheRe did you go?

I ended up renting the Iridium 9505A. I'll pick it up on the 20th at Blue Cosmo in Seattle. I will be using it outside the western boundary of the Denali National Park.

That is a nice area. Pretty open so that should work for you. Going with an established group/tour company, or solo?

Just two of us.