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Anyone considering buying one with current specials on? Now about same price as Inreach Messenger.
Have a dedicated PLB, thinking a messaging device be good to contact home or chopper if required. On the flipside only really need it for 1 month out of the year so bit of a toss up as to being worth the cost of the unit and annual contract.
Keen to hear from others in the same boat.
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Soon nz should have 100% coverage which I think will make the inreach a bit redundant as long as you have a standard PLB.
The iPhone 15 has a PLB built in and I think the new galaxys coming will do too but those rely on having it charged so a standard PLB definitely worth keeping IMO
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeightsDrinker
PLEASE dont be so fast to drink of the telcos coolaid
it will be many years (if the achieve it at all)before there is anything even remotely (pun intended) like 100% coverage in this lovely country of ours.... hells bells they dont even have all of SH1 covered and thats our main national highway. there are many parts of other major arterial routes that have little or no coverage so what makes you think that there will be coverage down bottom of shiity gorgy creek between mountains??? and that is just the sort of place you will NEED your panic button device to work in.
yes Im guilty of saying bugger the radio,there is phone reception over MOST of area we get most callouts in (peel forest) but have been shown error of my ways...and we only need to comunicate with each other not the RCC ,which is who you need to get in touch with in a SHTF situation.
stick with the tried ,tested and proven, for now....give it a few years before relying on new teck to save your arse please.
I certainly wouldnt be putting too much faith in any Telco being able to provide decent coverage, let alone good coverage, for the next few years. And then youre gonna have to mortgage your house and girlfreind just to pay for it. If you feel you need a PLB, carry one. If you want some coms with home, or a weather forecast, or to spin some BS with fellow hunters, or call a helicopter, then buy one of the Garmins, or a Zoleo. Both work great, weigh bugger all, and quite simply work.
And you dont have to have an annual contract, think both of them have contracts where you can opt in or out each month. And still a bloody sight cheaper than the proposed wonderful full country cell phone coverage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaybe
They’re cheap because they are a becoming a redundant device in lieu of cellular satellite messaging and data/voice down the track.
Cell phones do not meet the criteria to be distress beacon (PLB).Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeightsDrinker
They do not link directly into the Cospas-Sarsat system.
They do not transmit 406 & VHF.
They do not reserve battery for 24 hours minimum continuous operation.
An EPIRB in addition to the above must float and run for minimum 48 hours.
An ELT in addition to the above must have a ‘G’ switch.
I’d be amazed if the iridium system the Garmins use doesn’t go broke because of Starlink.
The last sentence of my comment was “standard PLB worth keeping”
YES 100% it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeightsDrinker
Well I for one won't be giving Musk my money or Voda-one or what ever flavour name they are running now. I will always carry my PLB and its always in the car when we travel.
I've got an inreach explorer+ that il be selling soon of you want to get one cheap. You have a few options with the plans, pay monthly or casual where you set it up for the month you want to use it and stop the subscription so you're not paying to keep it in a box somewhere. Only selling because I'm upgrading to a garmin gps with inreach combined.
They won't be going redundant any time soon. And you're not relying on a single companies satellite system if shit happens, the messaging and sos will still get through.
Musk will keep you in contact with the world, even if NZ wants to keep you in the dark. Plus its four times as fast as our terrestrial modem. And on the slower non priority speeds (still twice as fast as our terrestrial) is cheaper.
We have it with us for our South Island trip, cause with health issues with overseas family its the only way to guarantee staying in touch, and knowing if we need to head to an airport....
I reckon PLB always - but i am keen to see how this starlink goes this / next year.... hopefully everyones phones turn into sat phones over night?
Until he has another Tanty and shuts it down. We use 4G internet when on the road and so far have not had any blank spots down here and went right around the SI back in November.Quote:
Originally Posted by XR500
I hear you and in your situation I might have looked at it, but I hate to give money to misogynous clowns.