New ~ SPOT Satellite Phones
Seem reasonably priced. Anyone have one? Couldn't get the link to work.
Forum Discussion
ktmrfs wrote:
Sometimes I have had to move the {SPOT} device around to get it to hit the sat. So I don't expect it to be a true emergency contact method.
With SPOT device, same as with any email, you can only verify that email has been sent (and for that, as I read, you might need as long as 20 minutes for SPOT to complete some "cycle"). You never know whether this message did arrive anywhere. On more than one occasion I had emails sent from my PC or my friend's that never arrived, even when PC didn't show automatic notification that message was "undelivered". This is the nature of internet and email.
Then there is such thing as PLB 406 by ACR and others, for distress signals only, with GPS coordinates sent at the same time. There is no monthly subscription, but they will kill you - financially - if you activate PLB for reasons other than rescue. Again, there is no confirmation that the call has been received. Though I haven't heard of cases when a person activated PLB but nobody received a signal. Since it is sending a distress call automatically every 30(?) seconds after you've activated it, the chances to hit the satellite are pretty high.
