Sat Phones and Outback Travel

Submitted: Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 19:41
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Having recently moved from Tassie to the Mainland I'm about the embark on my first outback trip. Heading up to Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and up the Oodnadatta track first two weeks in August.

I'm travelling solo but with the GF and obviously there is no cell phone coverage for most of the trip. I have a UHF radio in the ute and am taking my EPIRB but was wondering about whether carrying a satellite phone might be sensible - what are people's thoughts ? Is it a sensible option or is it a bit of overkill.

thanks
Iain
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Reply By: George_M - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 20:22

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 20:22
It all depends on your appetite for risk, Iain.

In you stick to the main roads in that area you would only rarely be on your own, and then for less than a day. At the moment it's peak tourist season; particularly with Lake Eyre filling up there'll be lots of people around that area if you have mechanical difficulty.

You'll have Next G coverage in some of the towns on your route (but not all), and if you REALLY get into trouble you have your EPIRB.

You could always hire a Satphone, but probably not necessary (IMHO) for that type of trip.

Have a good trip...

George_M
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Reply By: Peter Horne [Krakka] - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 20:24

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 20:24
Very sensible in my opinion, we take one with us in those areas.

Peter
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:10

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:10
Have a read of these threads re Sat fones but they are a good idea.
Easy to carry good reception. ETC

Threads 79937 ,79167, 79096, 78987 ,78932, 78073, 78088, 77648, 77090, 76466.

Cheers Give all options for pricing etc.
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Reply By: D200Dug- Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:25

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:25
Back in my day :-)

People have been traveling through round and across Australia for a long time without sat phones and epirbs.

Yes it does add to safety and security but I personally feel they are a bit of an overkill ( unless you really find you need one :)

I really enjoy getting out past where communications can find me and enjoying the peace, quite and contentment that brings.
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Follow Up By: Joe n Mel - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:40

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:40
was my thoughts until i worked and lived remote, now will not go 20k without the sat phone, never used it and hope never to use it but if i do and it saves someones life, more so my kids lives then i think it is the first thing you should pack....
I do re-call that in the "old days" people used to be found dead about five days later, bet they wished they had sat phones, 20 times more people out there in the bush now, half the amount of deaths ....... sat phone are cheap ...
Plus you can turn all them communitations off, just turn them back on only when you need them :-)
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Follow Up By: D200Dug- Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:59

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 21:59
I bet not one of the people found dead had an EPIRB with them.

If things go really wrong I would be using that.

I am not against carrying communications gear I carried an HF radio for years but always thought if I roll the car over on a remote track and cannot get out it is not going to be much use to me.

I would carry an EPIRB in the cab within easy reach of the driver and front passenger rather than anything other bit of communications kit.

If you prang or get stuck then just flick the switch and someone will come looking for you.

Tony Abbot had a satphone with him when he got lost :-)
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Follow Up By: Joe n Mel - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 23:21

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 23:21
Tony Abbot cant read, did not know how the sat phone works..... that was funny to say the least... :-)
When we put all the options on the table we looked at at all things required for before, during and after and the sat phone wins....
The HF.....
Secured to the vehicle, if it rolls or loses battery due to damage it dont work, the antenna is the first to break in a serious "event" and also can not be taken with you if you need to leave the vehicle... if it burns...
The EPIRB ....
Can withstand most forms of accident, shock ect, can be taken with you, has it's own battery but its biggest downfall is it does not let the people at the other end know what exactly what is wrong or has happened and the standard policy for them is to put all resource's on to the call and expect the worst and can cost the "service" allocated to it a VAST fortune simply to pick someone up that has a flat battery for instance ......
The Sat phone...
It is robust, has its own battery, can be taken with you and can let people know exactly what is wrong and what is required to solve the problem...... an example was a vehicle attempting a water crossing, got stuck in the middle and car got swamped, person had sat phone in dry bag and made it to the side, called for help advised that all persons ok but car is gone and can only be picked up on the southern side of the crossing ..... the other was a case needing insulin, epirb would have not helped in that case...
Hence the sat phone won ....
One interesting thing we pushed on to "new starters" was the scenario of travelling out to one of the remote community's and having a flat tyre, we stressed to take the phone with you and keep it in you pocket or within reach ... if the car rolls off the jack and falls on you and pins you under it, your leg stuck and body/head out in the full sun in the middle of the desert .... 4 hours in that sun and your shot, 1 phone call and you live, an epirb also would be excellent...
I do of course agree at LEAST carry an epirb and if you can afford it get a sat phone, we have both now and have trained the kids how to activate the epirb in the event we can not..
(missus wants to know... are you writing a book or what????) no, just lost a good friend due to drowning from crossing a flooded crossing in the pilbara, if we had better communications back then it may have been avoided (days of HF radio)
Cheers
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Follow Up By: D200Dug- Monday, Jul 12, 2010 at 11:18

Monday, Jul 12, 2010 at 11:18
Great book !!!! I cannot wait till the movie comes out :-)

I have to agree with you on both is better.



from the ABC news today


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/12/2950755.htm
Australian mobile invention could be desert lifeline
By Jason Om in Arkaroola


Australian researchers have developed software that allows mobile phones to communicate with each other where there is no reception.

It is a new mobile phone system that promises to work anywhere and potentially help save lives in a disaster.

Researchers have gone to extraordinary lengths to test it out in a remote desert wilderness in South Australia.

In a landscape of deep valleys and rugged red ochre mountains, the tests have been a success.

They were carried out at Sillers Lookout, a lonely cliff that juts out like a long finger at Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges.

The area is dead quiet apart from a few flies and some unexpected chatter.

Researchers from Flinders University have gone to the remote spot to prove their technology works.

They have been carrying out tests in a range of situations where there is no mobile phone reception.

Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen, who is leading the project, has made software that allows ordinary mobiles to communicate without phone towers or satellites.

"Here at Arkaroola the nearest mobile phone coverage is probably 100 to 130 kilometres away," he said.

"We are in chasms and gorges where even satellite phone would actually have a lot of trouble because you can't see enough of the sky to acquire the satellite."

Dr Gardner-Stephen says his device actually incorporates a compact version of a mobile phone tower into the phone itself.

"So using the WiFi interface that is in many phones today that you would normally use for internet or that kind of thing, we are actually carrying voice over that, but in a way that doesn't need to go back to a central repository anywhere," he said.

The signal between phones is limited to a few hundred metres but by adding more devices and small transmitters the range can be expanded to cover a much bigger area.

Dr Gardner-Stephen says the system could provide an instant mobile phone network in a disaster.

"With Haiti what was actually observed was that their mobile phone network and their landline phone network was essentially knocked out for the first 48 hours after the earthquake," he said.

"It was really about a week before it was back to the point where people could fairly readily make calls.

"What research has actually shown is that the vast majority of the response to a disaster is actually from the local people there, so if we can provide them with ease of communications as soon as possible after the earthquake, not 48 hours, not 72 hours but potentially minutes after a disaster, then we can help them to start rescuing people from rubble and generally rebuilding, maintaining law and order."

The researchers' next step is to increase range, improve sound quality and develop a way of air dropping the system into a disaster zone.
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Follow Up By: D200Dug- Monday, Jul 12, 2010 at 11:19

Monday, Jul 12, 2010 at 11:19
Just that the technology is improving daily!
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Reply By: Motherhen - Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 22:27

Sunday, Jul 11, 2010 at 22:27
Hi Iain

We chose a sat phone over an EPIRB. In a medical emergency, we would be able to get advice, rather than use an EPIRB signal which is really saying "life threatening emergency - come and get me ASAP". It was a good insurance in case of a breakdown (worked first trip with the sat phone as we didn't need to use it). It was invaluable when we had a breakdown in a remote area last year. We were also able to phone home and tell one of the family to let the others know why we were out of communication for so long when we were delayed. Family members knew they could reach us if they had an emergency. Some of the routes we took probably had a lot less traffic than the roads you have outlined.

As you read the previous threads, you will also see that Spot Messenger is an option.

Motherhen
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