Anyone Have A Sat Phone?

[viking]

We got a really good deal from Steve Quayle's web site were we have gotten a lot of very informative DVD's and books. www.stevequayle.com the sat phone we got runs us just a bit over $100 per month, phone comes free with the deal and we get 150 minutes per month, with a small fee we get carryover minutes. Anyway, the main reason we went with a sat phone is that we get no cell phone out here and the land lines are not trustworthy, so we consider ourselves to be the local communication center for our tight community.

 

[Alaskajohn]

I had an employer who gave me a sat phone back about a decade ago. Most of Alaska is what you describe as the vast majority of the state has no cell service or line lines.

I always struggled to get a good signal when I was up north with the very tall mountains to the south trying to pick up a satellite. I doubt you will have this issue in Oregon.

 

[Amish Heart]

Two of our children went to Europe for a college semester. We gave them sat phones to use.

 

[viking]

We live in a shallow valley, the mountain across from us is about 3,500 feet, I went out on our deck, in the S.E. corner and got 5 bars for excellent reception.

 

[Amish Heart]

We talked to our son in Germany. He was trying to find the college, took the wrong train and was lost for a bit.
Meanwhile, at the Frankfurt Airport, a gunman shot an American. Glad he had that phone, I was frantic.

 

[Cascadian]

We used them when I worked for Dod. The were great but I wasn't paying for it.

 

[dademoss]

there is just no I want to talk to that badly.

 

[viking]

there is just no I want to talk to that badly.

What it is is that there are some in our community the have health issues and we have frequent phone line problems on one hand and zero cell phone reception in the area, unless you drive about three miles to the east, which if someone is having health issues, could be deadly. I've had people down the road past me that are able to call me but not out of the area, I'm trying to get people around us to get two way radios for emergency help.

 

[dademoss]

What it is is that there are some in our community the have health issues and we have frequent phone line problems on one hand and zero cell phone reception in the area, unless you drive about three miles to the east, which if someone is having health issues, could be deadly. I've had people down the road past me that are able to call me but not out of the area, I'm trying to get people around us to get two way radios for emergency help.

In our last preparedness radio net, the RT22S was given high marks for ease of use and reliablilty in a neighborhood

• A discussion ensued regarding FRS radios, with a mind to providing inexpensive radios to trusted neighbors and family for use in an emergency (as well as general use, such as around a farm).

o Hans & Howie recommended the Retevis RT22 and the RT22S FRS radios (which can be purchased from Amazon for approximately $35 with wall wart charger; there is also a slightly more expensive version with a cradle charger). They are small and are more likely to be actually carried.

o The RT22 and RT22S also allow for some basic programming so you can add GMRS repeaters, for example.

o The 22 is 16 channel with the first 15 being the FRS channels and the 16th can be used with a repeater.

o The 22S has some unique features (vs. the 22). It can be opened up to 32 channels with an INI file (Hans has done it). There is a light bar (which can be blacked out), and there is a battery indicator, too.

o Hans generously offered to field questions about programming the RT22/S radios. You can contact him at (redacted, contact me for his email).

RT22S