Sat Phone

[DL.]

Does anyone on here have any insights into buying a sat phone in the UK? I understand it used to be hugely expensive, but maybe not as costly now. I have experience of using them on ops/exercise abroad when the government was paying, but never in the UK.

This looks handy:
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/g ... Gwod_68GSg

[Polchraine]

Does anyone on here have any insights into buying a sat phone in the UK? I understand it used to be hugely expensive, but maybe not as costly now. I have experience of using them on ops/exercise abroad when the government was paying, but never in the UK.

This looks handy:
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/g ... Gwod_68GSg

What sort of information do you need? Coverage? Capabilities? Service Providers? LEO, MEO, GEO?

[Kungfugerbil]

This looks handy:
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/g ... Gwod_68GSg

Handy but no voice capabilities, only map tracking and SMS. Subscription of £15 a month on top of that for basic package.

An iridium phone will cost you around £800 to buy and about the same for a year subscription with voice minutes... at least that's what it was six months ago. May have come down slightly.

[DL.]

I think that's a bit out of my budget.

I'm going to be spending time in an area that's a ten minute drive to the other side of the valley to get a phone signal.

I think for safety reasons something that works off satellite would be best to reduce risk

Are emergency locator beacons easier on the wallet?

Polchraine, Thanks for the pointers, I really don't know anything about what's available so am not sure what those acronyms mean.

[Polchraine]

Coverage - where are you likely to be?

Capabilities - just voice? or a PC input to send data and web access? or the ability to send a message in an emergency? or just a personal locator beacon?

LEO - Low Earth Orbit. Lots of satellites continually moving round the earth. Iridium uses 66 - they had initially thought they needed 77 and hence teh name

MEO - Medium Earth Orbit. Less satellites, moving a lot slower at several hundred miles up.

GEO - Geostationary orbit - 22,236 miles up and just 4 satellites needed to give almost full coverage.

Each type had good and bad points including latency (delays on transmission path) and costs!

[DL.]

If I'm honest with myself I don't think I would need to make calls.

A personal locator would probably fit the requirements.

I would generally be out of normal phone signal in South & West Scotland, however I was planing on doing my competent crew course on the yachting side, so something that would be able to be land based and sea based would probably be worth any extra cost - are the locators which work on the 406mhz frequency viable?

[Lancs_Oakley]

Bretling will sell you a dual band ELT in a watch (PLB). This will ping up on satellites and they will send SAR direct.

Another option if you have radio comms is of course 121.5. Almost any commercial aircraft near will hear you, airports and ATC if you are near enough. Along with "others". Being voice you can give more information. You will need to know your location though for a faster response as it may take some hours to get you pin pointed without lats and longs.

ACR2000 is a good locator beacon and any military SAR aircraft will know exactly what that is from a distance. IIRC ACR run a "club" for people who have been saved by their kit.