Satellite Phone & Radio

I came across an interesting product this week in Brigada.  SPOT is a satellite messenger.  This handheld battery operated device can broadcast your location to up to ten people you choose.  Every time you press the ok button, your friends receive an email or text message letting them know that you are ok and giving them your longitude and latitude.  When you press the help button, your friends are sent an email or text alerting them that you need help, along with the GPS coordinates for your location.  If things become worse, pressing the 911 button will alert the SPOT response center who will contact you friends, police, and other rescue services.  SPOT retails for $169 and the service fee is $99/year.  Another $50/year allows your friends to track your movements on Google Maps while another $150/year provides search and rescue assistance.  It doesn’t cover the whole world so check the coverage map – Sub-Saharan Africa is not covered.  The help button differentiates SPOT from traditional personal locator beacons, as it offers a middle option between calling 911 and doing nothing.  In addition, the ok button gives peace of mind to friends and relatives.  This is a very handy device that I would classify as a mix between a “poor man’s satellite phone” and a “poor man’s Codan.”  By that, I mean that if you worked in a rural area and your friend or emergency contact worked in an urban area, you could use the help button to send him a text message and he could contact you via HF radio.  If you use HF radios and can’t afford a satellite phone this may be a good option to let friends know that you’re ok or that you need help.  Visit the SPOT website.