Topic: Best Personal Locator Beacons and Satellite Messengers of 2023 (Read 35 times)
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Topic: Best Personal Locator Beacons and Satellite Messengers of 2023 (Read 35 times)
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Cons
Garmin’s inReach Explorer set the standard for co*bining handheld GPS units with satellite messaging technology. It is without question the most popular GPS option for those who co*monly hunt, fish, or travel in remote, rugged areas with little or no cell service. These Garmin GPS units (and all that utilize the inReach technology) work off of the Iridium satellite network to co*municate via text message, retrieve detailed weather forecasts, and feature an SOS feature that summons rescue in case of emergency.
The original inReach Explorer is a fairly typical-sized handheld GPS with a screen that is smaller than many other units and no touchscreen. It does have an adequate display with a variety of map options, as well as a hunt-and-peck keyboard display for messaging, but is more user friendly when using with your smartphone via Bluetooth and the Garmin Earthmate app, which allows you to use essentially all of the unit’s functions through the convenience of your phone. —Tyler Freel
One of the biggest reasons that people opt for Garmin inReach Mini 2 over the lower priced ZOLEO or Somewear devices is that you can still send out messages to your loved ones even if your phone beco*es inoperable—say if the battery dies. The Garmin Messenger attempts to split the difference between these two options: it’s a chunk lower priced than the inReach Mini and while you can’t type out a message on the Garmin Messenger directly, you can read inco*ing ones, and you can send out pre-programmed messages to your contacts. (You can type out messages on the Messenger app on your phone, however.)
There are enough cool features with the Messenger app (most of which are now also available for other Garmin sat co* devices) that you could almost overlook the real stand-out feature of the Garmin Messenger: its battery life. Whereas most of the best personal locator beacons and satellite messengers advertise a battery life of only a handful of days, the Garmin Messenger can last up to a month (two weeks if you expect the sky to be obstructed by canyons or canopy)—that’s twice the lifespan of the Garmin inReach Mini 2. So if you’ve been holding out on upgrading from your PLB (or are just tired of carrying around a spare battery pack for your sat co* device), then this one is worth a serious look.
The first time I tried out a Somewear Global Hotspot I was prepared for the usual setup slog: a difficult to find download, endless screens of info to laboriously type in, multiple rounds to connect it to my smartphone. In fact, I had set aside an entire evening just for that purpose. But then it took less than fifteen minutes, and most of that was just waiting to see if the Somewear Hotspot could connect to a satellite while sitting on a covered balcony (it could). I spent the rest of the evening packing for my next trip.
The Somewear Global Hotspot turned out to be just as easy to use in the field as it had been to set up. The app had pulled in my phone contacts, so looking up my emergency contact to shoot a message off to took seconds. (Texting back was also effortless, and both contacts I messaged reported no difficulties on their end.) I was in a deep river canyon in Olympic National Forest at the time, so I wasn’t expecting (and the Iridium satellite network did not deliver) a perfectly accurate track, but whenever I pinged the device to show my location it would get within a reasonable approximation of where I was in about ten minutes—providing plenty of reassurance of its capabilities in an emergency situation. Even the weather forecast turned out to be accurate, as it was pulling in information based on my exact coordinates—helpful if you are on a longer journey. Since my original test of the Somewear Global Hotspot, the co*pany has partnered with OnX to give users the option to share waypoints with one another off grid (assuming both users have subscriptions to both services).
By far the biggest downside with a device like the Somewear Global Hotspot is that if your smartphone runs out of battery in the field, the only feature of the satellite messenger that you’ll be able to use is the SOS button.
Product Description
The ZOLEO is a great budget satellite co*munication device at $200 for the device and $20 a month for the basic service. You can send and receive messages on your phone through the device via email, text, or the ZOLEO app. I always use the app as it is the most user-friendly in my opinion letting you know if your messages are going through and providing an easy check-in option with your location coordinates. For a reasonable extra fee you can add location services to create waypoints along your route and freeze your service for three months. I appreciate the value and peace of mind of the ZOLEO but it certainly isn’t perfect. If you damage your phone or don’t have it, you won’t be able to send messages but you can send an emergency beacon or send a check-in with a pre-decided message from the device itself. The weather reports are also woefully inaccurate. —Ashley Thess
The ACR ResQLink View is as simple as personal locator beacons go. It’s only function is to send a distress signal—nothing else. The device uses GPS locating, 406 MHz, and 121.5 MHz homing capability to send an SOS, meaning the authorities can find you anywhere in the world, including on the vastest of oceans. The device does not require a subscription, but only works for 5 years, which is the length of the device’s battery life. Several other features make it especially marine-worthy: The beacon is buoyant. It has an LED strobe and an infrared strobe. A multi-function clip allows you to keep the beacon close by at all times.
The SPOT was the first personal locator beacon with satellite messenger I ever owned, and like a lot of backcountry adventurers, I mainly got it to let my mom know I was OK. That’s because while the SPOT does not allow for two-way satellite co*munication, it’s more than just a personal locator beacon: you can pre-record a couple of messages and send those out (along with your GPS coordinates) without triggering a whole search-and-rescue operation. In essence, it’s a satellite GPS tracker. As near as I can tell there are only two obvious functions for this: 1) to let people in the frontcountry know that you are OK (useful for longer trips) and 2) to request pickup from your emergency contact in the event that you run out of food along a remote forest service road but don’t need to be rescued immediately per se.
The SPOT does a pretty good job at this: while I used it, it managed a 95 percent success rate in sending out my daily check-ins. (You can guess what happened to my mom the other 5 percent of the time—we eventually started checking in twice a day.) My sense is that this was less an issue with the SPOT device itself, but rather that the GlobalStar network lacked coverage for especially tough to reach spots, such as canyons. (Since I originally tested the device, GlobalStar has added more satellites to their network, although they still have fewer than the Iridium network).
Whether or not you need a personal locator beacon depends on how much time you spend exploring the backcountry, especially places you aren’t familiar with and where other people aren’t close by. If you spend a lot of time exploring remote areas, you should purchase a PLB.
The most affordable PLBs are between $150 and $200. The standard PLB is around $300, while the top-rate PLBs are upwards of $400.
While you do not need a subscription to use a personal locator beacon, you do need a subscription to use satellite co*munication devices. Subscriptions typically vary between ten dollars per month (allowing only a limited number of text messages, up to sixty-five dollars per month, for unlimited text messages.
Personal locator beacons typically co*e with built-in batteries that last for five years. Satellite messengers also co*e with built-in batteries, which can (and should) be recharged before the start of each trip.
Personal locator beacons do not co*e with text messaging functionality, but most (although not all) satellite messengers do. Be sure to check the subscription plan of your satellite messenger to see how many text messages you are allowed to send per month.
I’ve hiked and backpacked for thousands of miles, and I frequently carry a satellite messenger with me, including models from Garmin, SPOT, and Somewear. While I’ve never had cause to hit the SOS button (knock on wood), in that time I have made use of the satellite messaging capabilities, and have gained a sense of their usefulness, and limitations. Reco*mendations in this story are based on my personal experience (as well as others on the OL team), the experiences of others using the Globalstar and Iridium networks, manufacturer specifications for each device (including weight, subscription costs, and battery life), and intended purpose.
A personal locator beacon is a must-have safety device for any hunter, backpacker, angler, or adventurer who spends significant time in the backcountry. Make them a part of your standard survival kit, an emergency radio and one of the best emergency blankets. While there is increasing cell coverage in the backcountry (including through satellite networks, like Starlink), the tried and true SOS capabilities of the Iridium and Globalstar networks make one of these devices a must-have for the backcountry. While most individuals—whether you are out for the day or for the week—will benefit most from the lightweight Garmin Inreach Mini, consider the cost, weight, and functionality of your satellite messenger before making a final purchase decision.
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