[pct-l] Emergency Devices

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Paul,



As I recall, “Flyin Brian” Robinson carried a satellite phone during much –
or most – of his famous 7,371-mile, 2001 Calendar-Year Triple Crown hike.
http://royrobinson.homestead.com/Triple_Crown.html


I believe he did so at the request of certain media concerns that were
committed to follow, and report upon, his progress.  Brian referred to the
thing as “the brick”.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 5:52 PM, Paul Bodnar <paulbodnar at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> > Just a comment, it is nice that the SPOT device lets friends and family
> know
> > how you're moving along, but those who are really concerned and worried
> > about you will want to hear your voice to feel the assurance of your
> > well-being.
>
> I used the first generation SPOT on my 2010 hike and was very pleased with
> the performance.  My family was able to track my progress in real time.  I
> activated the tracking function to assure everything was fine between
> checking in with an OK message.  There was no need for anyone to worry.  If
> I called every ten minutes with a SAT phone I think my family would think I
> was crazy... plus it would cost a fortune in fees.  My family was able to
> easily determine if I was moving by just connecting to the internet and
> viewing my SPOT web page.  They don't need to hear my voice to know I'm
> OK...  Obviously if I'm moving I'm OK, it not only tells my family I'm OK
> but also assures them my SPOT is working.  If there was any type of
> emergency I could press the Help button or in extreme cases press the 911
> button.   The SPOT also provides the location with great accuracy, something
> not available with a stand alone SAT phone.  No additional fees except the
> flat $100/year for OK messages a
>  nd $50/year for tracking.  The Spot Personal Tracker was free with a
> rebate when I purchased it with service activation, now it is listed at $99
> http://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=101 .  So looking at the cost to
> benefit ratio the SPOT wins over a SAT phone (Iridium 9555, $1395
> http://www.gmpcs-us.com/IRIDIUM/Iridium-9555-Handheld-Satellite-Phone.htm) for my needs.
>
> The battery life for the second generation SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger is
> poor when considering tracking (3.5 days to 7 days) but good for OK messages
> (350-700).  I chose to use the heavier first generation SPOT Personal
> Tracker because of the better battery life when in tracking mode.  I
> replaced the 2 lithium AA batteries about every 3-4 weeks, going through
> about 12 batteries for my entire trip.  I always carried a spare set of
> lithium batteries.   I would send an OK in the morning and when arriving at
> camp.  I would also send an OK in the middle of the day if I wanted to mark
> something of interest.  All OK messages are recorded in an email for future
> review.  SAT phone messages are recorded as bills on your monthly statement.
>
> I have only seen one thru-hiker with a SAT phone and that was in 09, but he
> didn't finish the trail.  Was it the weight of the phone or the calling fees
> that stopped him...no one will ever know.  I didn't see any thru hiker with
> a SAT phone this year.
>
> Has anyone ever completed a thru-hike with a SAT phone?  If so please
> provide your input on how it worked on your successful thru hike.
>
> Paul
>
>
>
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