The Best Satellite Messengers for When You’re Off the Grid
by Admin
Posted on 09-11-2023 10:35 AM
Until recently, only professional adventurers owned satellite communication devices. Most casual backcountry enthusiasts just didn't have the budget, or the expertise, necessary to own an esoteric, expensive device that spat out weird numbers (latitude, longitude? what?) on a hard-to-read lcd. If you regularly ventured off the cellular grid, you relied on maps, memory, and crossed fingers. All that has changed with a recent crop of more affordable—and much easier to use—satellite messengers.
For the past year, i've driven to obscure mountain locations, hiked on tree-covered trails, and spent a lot of
time
sitting in the snow to track my location, map my routes, and send texts to my loved ones to show them how much fun i have in their absence.
We’re all for big adventures that take us off the grid, but it’s never a bad idea to have a way of getting in touch. For organizing a pick up, initiating a rescue, or just checking in, a satellite messenger has become our go-to means of staying connected in areas without cell service. In addition to their ability to send (and—most of the time—receive) messages, these devices tack on a range of other functions, including location sharing, gps navigation, weather reporting, and more. Below are our picks for the best satellite messengers of 2023, ranging from high-powered hotspots that pair with your smartphone to simple one-way messengers.
Call it a satellite communicator or a satellite messenger. Either way, you don’t want to go off the grid without one. In emergencies, these handheld devices let you call for help, but most of the time, they’re a conduit for texting with family or friends when cell service is spotty at best. Some even have navigation features to help you find your way. Garmin and spot are the biggest names on the market, but in recent years new competitors have joined the fray with more affordable options designed to work with your smartphone. Whether hiking, roaming the backcountry , or fishing at sea, these are the best satellite messengers to keep on hand.
While a cell phone can provide convenient and feature-rich communication in areas with adequate cellular service, satellite messengers excel at providing communication capabilities in remote, off-grid, or emergency situations when coverage doesn’t exist. The key differences between a cell phone and a two-way satellite communicator are: communication technology: cell phones use a terrestrial communication infrastructure such as towers and networks to communicate. On the other hand, satellite communicators use satellites to communicate. Coverage: cell phones use coverage provided by cellular networks, which means coverage is limited to where there are towers and networks available. A satellite communicator offers global coverage in even the most remote regions.
Should You Buy a Satellite Messenger Device?
Olathe, kan. /september 27, 2022/business wire – garmin ® international, inc. , a unit of garmin ltd. (nyse: grmn), today announced inreach® messenger , a new communication-focused device with global two-way texting, location sharing, and sos capabilities1. Built for those who want a quick and easy way to reach loved ones when they’re without cellular coverage, inreach messenger provides seamless satellite communication either as a standalone device or when paired to the new garmin messenger companion app for smartphones.
This new app leverages wi-fi®, cellular and satellite connectivity for two-way texting and group messaging. The messenger companion app will automatically choose between wi-fi, cellular or satellite connectivity to ensure every message is sent and received.
To compile this review, we started by carefully selecting the top models of satellite messenger and personal locator beacons. It's usually impossible for us to satisfactorily test every product on the market for a particular category. With plbs and satellite messengers, though, there aren't many options available, and we can test nearly every device. Especially in the two-way satellite messaging device sub-category, we've worked to get every single new option in our hands. The end result is a set of tested products that represent essentially all of the available satellite communication options currently on the market. From there, we purchased and activated these beacons and put them to the test for hundreds of hours, side-by-side, in several distinct situations and locations.
Diversity of communication ability gives the garmin inreach messenger ($300) a place above the rest in the satellite messenger world, and easily landed it as our best overall device to date. While other devices might rely on satellite communication alone, this messenger works with your smartphone to send messages via your cellular network when it’s available, then defaults to the iridium satellite network when cellular is not. Very slick. This seamless messaging stream within the app was one of our favorite features and can be a huge boon for people who travel in and out of the backcountry. The on-device options include a handful of pre-programmed menus to scroll through via the screen, and allow you the ability to craft messages (albeit slowly), track your progress, or seek out a weather forecast while abroad.