Sat phone vs Epirb

An EPIRB is only capable of sending a distress signal (and your location) and bascially sends the message "I'm going to die if you don't come and get me quick".

If you want to send any other message, a SatPhone (or possibly HF) is what you need. This might include communication for arranging repairs, non-life-threatening medical assistance, regular contact to confirm all is well, or even to say "We've had some problems. We're okay, but we'll be XX days late to our destination" etc.

A SatPhone provides 2-way communications as well as non-emergency communications (even social communications), but costs more to use!

Have a look at link, it is the "SPOT" its only about $300 plus $100 to connect.
You cannot talk, but it has an emergency button which is satellite tracked. You can hit the "OK" button and anyone with you code can watch your trip via the internet.

Alot cheaper then a Sat Phone.

http://www.findmespot.net.au/

Cheers

Wato

I have seen a lot of posts on this and always looked on with interest the differing views. In my opinion, i believe that safety is absolute paramount and i personally will be carrying both for the trip in July. The sat phone though i will be hiring.

Sat Phone for sure. You can't talk to the flying doctor in a medical or accident emergency, or arrange recovery/assistance if you break down in a remote spot. The EPIRB lets someone know there is a life threatening emergency and approximately where - nothing else, and is only for use in such an emergency.

At sat phone can be used for situations not immediately life threatening. We didn't use our the first year, but did need it last year. It would have cost us heaps more if we did not have it, and also we could make a quick call to a family member to ask them to let all the family know we would be out of touch for a while and not to worry. Peace of mind all round.

Motherhen

With apologies to the others for duplicating the advice - they posted while is was typing.

Mh

The way I looked at it when I was traveling was this:
If I roll the car and am in a pretty bad way, having to power up and call triple 0 and give a location etc etc might be too difficult. I kept the epirb up the front of the car with the idea that in a big crash I can activate the unit and place/chuck it out the window and job done.
I agree you can't activate the epirb for a flat tyre, engine failure etc. If this was to happen, you would have to think about how much food water you have, what are the chances of another vehicle coming along within this time frame? If you have say 3 days of food maybe you set the bar at 56 hours and then you hit the epirb as it will become a life threatening situation shortly thereafter.
From what I understood the "spot" device needed mobile phone coverage?
Each to there own. If you have plenty of $$$ then get both. Either way, good prep and a good knowledge/skill base can't be substituted.
Tim

Of course a lot would depend on what type of emergency you are experiencing. For some people in remote areas two punctures with only 1 spare and no repair equipment might be an emergency, for others simply running out of fuel, others someone suffering snake bite, heart attack, serious vehicle accident with multiple injuries etc. I say it's a 50/50 each way. really depends on your ability to be self sufficient and how well prepared you are. For others no amount of preparation or support will ever prepare them for the slightest problem. You only have to look at some of the stupid questions asked on some of the forums. HF radio would give you the best of both worlds, casual communications and someone on the other end to help in an emergency. Of course, like all equipment, someone will have to know how to use it, enable it or activate it. Good luck.

Remember that an PLB/EPIRB is ONLY for use when life is immediately threatened.
Not for when it might be and certainly not for a mechanical type breakdown.

Thanks everyone for your replies.I was referring to a real emergency like a car crash or a medical emergency.Looks like I will be be investing in a ERPB as well as a Sat phone or a HF radio.

The problem with using a sat phone in an emergency is "WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL", most people will call a friend and tell them to phone someone.

The only problems is you will tell them your 80Km's from X town on the Y road and the message in the panic turns out as your at Y town on X road.

PLB is a better choice for serious emergency, a Spot is a good choice as it offer more functions but in a emergency a PLB may be a little bit more reliable, only because with a PLB it is dealt here locally within Australia by the Maritime Safety Bureau and the spot is in the USA and they have to notify the Australian rescue people.

But a Spot on the other hand has better features and can be used for letting people know where you are using Google Earth and you can send out "I'm OK" messages.

The advantage of having a sat phone is you can send and receive calls from family and friends and is ideal if something happens at home when your away....like your on a 3 week trip and in the first week a family member becomes seriously ill or passes away, or if someone becomes sick you can call the RFDS on duty doctor fro help.....it might save you driving for 18 hours straight and hundred of Km's for medical help when not needed, or if you break down and need urgent parts or fuel.

All three have there advantages and disadvantages, we have PLD, sat phone, HF radio and UHF

Like other replies I find it can be a tricky question Coot.

Its easy to say the lot , but cost is an issue.

Therefore I think the answer can only be in made in the knowledge of your potential trips and situation.

Never worried about them before as in remote trips we always go with someone and usually these devices exist in the group.

We hope to attend the July gathering in WA and then travel more or less straight up the Canning , probably by ourselves.

So in that situation the following would be true.

1/ Would be travelling with food/supplies for at least a week .

2/ While its remote , a day would not go by without passing vehicles provided you stick to main tracks.

3/ main risk factros are accidents & illness mechanical/ fuel issues.

Hence , low risk of requiring an EPIRB.

Spot systems , provide little support - but when they upgrade to a text based messaging system, watch out.

HF radio , is likely to be less reliable in the real sense of establishing a comms link
as they depend on antenna's etc , which its reasonable to assume could be damaged. They also need more operator skill.

In the senario I have painted , a good quality satphone is the likely best choice
considering also that it can be hired.

My only worry with satphones is the amount of times people say they couldnt get signal around here. Or it would ring but then drop out.

But im sure if you waited a little longer or travelled a little further you could surely pick it up. I would go the sat phone myself.

We carried both. In an emergency you set off the epirb to give your location, you can ring 000 and tell them you have set off the epirb and what the emergency is. If some is dying you ring 000/flying doctor and they can talk you through procedures to keep someone alive till help arrives. What is a life worth?????
Thankfully we never used one for any emergency. While on the Gibb we had an electrical fault so I rang a mate who helped out. Cost me very little compared to getting a local mechanic to do it.

Just a thought,
when you have this "accident" requiring you to use a 'communication device'

*Are you injured, can you actually get out of your seatbelt to use it ?

*Where was it thrown when the vehicle rolled over, was it also damaged in the crash ?

* Do you actually know where you are anyway, as it's a remote area and your on a dirt track, not a sealed road ?

Back to reality, when will the next vehicle come along the same dirt track as you and be able to assist in some way, maybe pull you from the wreck and give you food and drink, because you have broken bones and can't feed yourself ?

Maybe, this 'communication device' is required only because you forgot to tell some-one to water the lawn, maybe it can wait till you get to the next station or town with a telephone ??

How long does it take to get the 'service' you require (Doctor, Dentist or Candle-stick maker) to your position anyway, would it be probable that other vehicles would pass your position first and be able to assist, if it was not to do an emergency appendectomy ??

Maîneÿ . . .