Video Title
Satellite Communication on a Budget | Garmin inReach GPS | Prepping for Non-Preppers #BetterPrepared
Video Description
Satellite phones are incredibly expensive, but the capability they provide is invaluable. If the main communication infrastructure fails during a disaster, making cell phones and landlines ineffective, using satellites can be an incredible lifeline and advantage. This video goes through why you would want a satellite communication method and explores the new satellite communicators, especially from a financial perspective. I specifically review the Garmin inReach Explorer+ and discuss the other models including the Garmin inReach SE and Garmin inReach Mini. The Gamin inReach products provide many of the benefits of a satellite phone, with a more budget-conscious price point (they still aren’t inexpensive, but they are way less expensive than a sat phone).
Garmin inReach Explorer+: https://amzn.to/30wwJ3s
Garmin inReach Explorer SE: https://amzn.to/2XWK47B
Garmin inReach Mini: https://amzn.to/30nwtE6
Video
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Video Transcript
WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en
00:00:00.030 –> 00:00:04.440
the disaster strikes and the grid goes
down and communication towers are down
00:00:04.440 –> 00:00:08.970
and cell phones aren’t working we have
thought about maybe an alternative some
00:00:08.970 –> 00:00:13.500
other way of communicating outside of
the standard phones and cell phones and
00:00:13.500 –> 00:00:16.740
even maybe radios maybe like satellite
phone
00:00:16.740 –> 00:00:21.119
did you see how expensive they are
they’re really expensive well I’ve got a
00:00:21.119 –> 00:00:25.320
little bit more cost-effective option
that I think you might be interested in
00:00:25.320 –> 00:00:33.690
so stay tuned and I’ll show you and tell
you all about it hey everybody welcome
00:00:33.690 –> 00:00:37.559
to cascade dispatch I’m Casey and today
we’re going to talk about communication
00:00:37.559 –> 00:00:41.460
we’re gonna talk about communication
when the normal communication doesn’t
00:00:41.460 –> 00:00:46.590
work and specifically satellite
communication so why would you want to
00:00:46.590 –> 00:00:50.610
think about satellite communication well
in an emergency like an earthquake or a
00:00:50.610 –> 00:00:54.840
hurricane or tornado or wildfire or
something a lot of the communication
00:00:54.840 –> 00:01:00.180
towers and infrastructure may go down or
be damaged and may take a while to be
00:01:00.180 –> 00:01:03.719
repaired so if a cell tower goes down
you may lose cell service
00:01:03.719 –> 00:01:09.180
if phone lines are cut you may not have
landline service and what infrastructure
00:01:09.180 –> 00:01:12.689
is still available is going to be
overrun by people trying to make
00:01:12.689 –> 00:01:17.850
emergency phone calls and get
communication out through what few wires
00:01:17.850 –> 00:01:22.500
and communication outlets are still
available satellite is something that a
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lot of people don’t consider so it’s
going to be an opportunity to get
00:01:26.670 –> 00:01:32.670
messages out get kaamika contact with
people outside of the disaster zone and
00:01:32.670 –> 00:01:38.820
not be tied in to those standard
infrastructure pieces that may be
00:01:38.820 –> 00:01:44.790
damaged or inoperable during the
beginning of the emergency so you might
00:01:44.790 –> 00:01:48.180
be thinking to yourself okay I’ve heard
about satellite phones but they seem
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really expensive and complicated why
would I want to bring this into my
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journey and that’s a really good
question some people may not be at a
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point in their preparedness journey to
really consider something like a
00:01:59.009 –> 00:02:03.960
satellite communicator communication
device of any kind and that’s totally
00:02:03.960 –> 00:02:08.310
fine just bookmark this video and watch
for later and in a few months when you
00:02:08.310 –> 00:02:12.000
get there you cue it back up and you
watch the rest of it for those of you
00:02:12.000 –> 00:02:17.130
who have considered something like ham
radio a handheld walkie talkie or radio
00:02:17.130 –> 00:02:20.670
device of some sort as an alternative to
a cellphone
00:02:20.670 –> 00:02:25.380
satellites are probably something that
you have thought about or dug into one
00:02:25.380 –> 00:02:29.970
of the issues with satellite phones is
they’re really expensive satellite phone
00:02:29.970 –> 00:02:34.050
can run you know three to fifteen
hundred dollars depending on the model
00:02:34.050 –> 00:02:39.330
to actually buy the phone plus you have
a monthly service charge that starts the
00:02:39.330 –> 00:02:43.020
low whistle I was able to find as well
$30 camera all the way up to you know
00:02:43.020 –> 00:02:47.700
150 or 200 dollars depending on what
plan and how many minutes you want to
00:02:47.700 –> 00:02:51.660
have and that’s a monthly fee that you
have to pay for in order to operate that
00:02:51.660 –> 00:02:56.970
device so obviously having a satellite
phone is going to be a great option you
00:02:56.970 –> 00:03:01.380
can make a phone call when when nobody
else can the problem is is that from a
00:03:01.380 –> 00:03:05.310
financial perspective you have to pay
that monthly service fee regardless of
00:03:05.310 –> 00:03:08.940
whether there’s a disaster or not
there’s no good way to just turn it of
00:03:08.940 –> 00:03:13.260
ice on or turn it off from the
subscription fee and still have it work
00:03:13.260 –> 00:03:16.769
in a disaster so you have to keep that
on and you’re gonna be paying that
00:03:16.769 –> 00:03:21.239
monthly fee regardless of whether
there’s a disaster or not on top of
00:03:21.239 –> 00:03:24.300
having to buy the device having one of
them is going to be a little bit
00:03:24.300 –> 00:03:29.820
expensive for us and our plan we have
multiple you know two adults in our
00:03:29.820 –> 00:03:33.450
household plus other family members that
are around so we’re gonna actually
00:03:33.450 –> 00:03:37.920
utilize those devices and have them work
for us in our communications plan we
00:03:37.920 –> 00:03:43.739
actually need multiple devices so it
gets multiple into the expense gets
00:03:43.739 –> 00:03:49.410
multiplied if you need two devices three
devices in our case you know when we get
00:03:49.410 –> 00:03:54.630
to the plan here’s a spoiler alert we
needed six devices it becomes incredibly
00:03:54.630 –> 00:03:59.880
cost prohibitive to just have that
monthly fee when without a disaster
00:03:59.880 –> 00:04:04.860
actually happen okay so at this point of
the video you’re probably wondering why
00:04:04.860 –> 00:04:07.680
it is that I brought up this topic of
satellite communication and made it
00:04:07.680 –> 00:04:12.000
sound really exciting because it won’t
go down when everything else is in is
00:04:12.000 –> 00:04:16.010
destroyed and then basically it was like
oh yeah but it’s super
00:04:16.010 –> 00:04:20.090
he wants to do it what’s the point well
the point is is that there’s another
00:04:20.090 –> 00:04:24.080
alternative the alternative are these
devices called satellite communicators
00:04:24.080 –> 00:04:28.280
at least that’s how I’ve seen them
referred to a lot online and their
00:04:28.280 –> 00:04:32.510
devices that utilize the same satellite
network as a satellite phone but are
00:04:32.510 –> 00:04:37.610
really for just doing text messages and
emails so you can still get messages out
00:04:37.610 –> 00:04:43.580
using satellites as your communication
method but you’re not having to pay the
00:04:43.580 –> 00:04:50.030
really expensive voice charges that you
would for a satellite phone so of all of
00:04:50.030 –> 00:04:53.750
the satellite communicators that I
looked at the one that I picked for a
00:04:53.750 –> 00:04:59.270
few reasons that I’m about to get into
is the Garmin Explorer plus you may be
00:04:59.270 –> 00:05:02.060
looking at this as saying I don’t know
if it’s a phone or a GPS or what it is
00:05:02.060 –> 00:05:07.640
well funny story it’s both it’s not so
much a phone it’s a communicator but
00:05:07.640 –> 00:05:11.930
it’s also a GPS there are other brands
out there that have satellite
00:05:11.930 –> 00:05:16.040
communicators but they are specifically
only communicators you can only send
00:05:16.040 –> 00:05:21.680
messages with them and you can only send
them usually to an email address or a
00:05:21.680 –> 00:05:28.490
phone number whereas this has that
capability but it also has the standard
00:05:28.490 –> 00:05:35.630
GPS features so it’s got all of the
standard maps and things that you would
00:05:35.630 –> 00:05:39.650
want to see it’s got topographical maps
it’s got street maps it’s got all kinds
00:05:39.650 –> 00:05:45.170
of that sort of stuff as well as you can
send messages between devices and this
00:05:45.170 –> 00:05:50.720
is a really important feature that I’m
going to go into here in a second so for
00:05:50.720 –> 00:05:55.490
us on our plan we have three families
that live very close together our family
00:05:55.490 –> 00:05:59.600
members plus we have other state
contacts everybody should have an
00:05:59.600 –> 00:06:03.110
out-of-state contact somebody outside of
what would be the disaster zone to
00:06:03.110 –> 00:06:08.030
communicate with but we also need to be
able to coordinate in the disaster zone
00:06:08.030 –> 00:06:15.470
so we picked up six of these one for
each of the adults at each house so if I
00:06:15.470 –> 00:06:18.830
go to the you know to the grocery store
and my wife takes the kids somewhere
00:06:18.830 –> 00:06:25.340
else we always have one of these with us
or in the car so if something were to
00:06:25.340 –> 00:06:29.919
happen well roundabout we have a way of
communicating what’s cool about these
00:06:29.919 –> 00:06:34.389
they will not only send email and text
messages but they will also send
00:06:34.389 –> 00:06:39.370
messages to the devices themselves each
device has a special ID and so I can
00:06:39.370 –> 00:06:44.349
actually send a message to my wife’s
communicator and she can send one to me
00:06:44.349 –> 00:06:49.210
so we don’t have to rely on the
out-of-state communication person to
00:06:49.210 –> 00:06:52.990
relay messages we can actually
communicate directly so when an
00:06:52.990 –> 00:06:56.889
emergency happens all six adults in our
family group can get on our
00:06:56.889 –> 00:07:00.849
communicators and we can start messaging
each other we can send messages out of
00:07:00.849 –> 00:07:06.719
state and let everybody know who’s okay
who’s hurt where we are and then
00:07:06.719 –> 00:07:12.250
coordinate on the plans okay so I just
talked about how expensive satellite
00:07:12.250 –> 00:07:16.449
phones are and these seem really similar
you know they got to be comfortable well
00:07:16.449 –> 00:07:21.370
they are definitely one of the more
expensive items that we have in our
00:07:21.370 –> 00:07:27.009
preparedness gear and supplies but
they’re not the most expensive so Garmin
00:07:27.009 –> 00:07:30.490
actually makes three different versions
of this communicator actually they make
00:07:30.490 –> 00:07:34.569
a fourth now it looks like it just came
out but at the time you’re buying this
00:07:34.569 –> 00:07:39.879
there were three there’s a little kind
of like a mini version that just does
00:07:39.879 –> 00:07:44.979
very few kind of communication functions
there is the SE version of this which is
00:07:44.979 –> 00:07:49.539
yellow and then there’s the Explorer
plus which is orange the yellow SC
00:07:49.539 –> 00:07:53.860
version we actually have a couple family
members wanting to get the yellow one
00:07:53.860 –> 00:07:58.360
and some one of the orange one of the
differences the orange one has Maps
00:07:58.360 –> 00:08:04.479
already included in it whereas the
yellow one the SC version does not have
00:08:04.479 –> 00:08:07.569
maps included it will still track where
you’re going you can still put kind of
00:08:07.569 –> 00:08:12.129
waypoints and GPS coordinates but if you
want to just pick something up and see a
00:08:12.129 –> 00:08:16.029
map of where you are this is the only
version that had that capability at the
00:08:16.029 –> 00:08:21.159
time that we bought it these were ranks
for about 400 or 450 dollars depending
00:08:21.159 –> 00:08:26.349
on where you get them and whether
they’re on sale the yellow ones are
00:08:26.349 –> 00:08:30.069
somewhere between two and two hundred
and fifty three hundred dollars
00:08:30.069 –> 00:08:34.839
depending on where you get them
sometimes I have them at Costco even we
00:08:34.839 –> 00:08:38.529
actually ended up buying them at Costco
because they were on sale at Costco and
00:08:38.529 –> 00:08:41.460
so we bought all the yellow ones and
then realize that they didn’t
00:08:41.460 –> 00:08:45.089
the maps included and so we took some of
those back and swapped it up for the
00:08:45.089 –> 00:08:50.450
Explorer pluses so that at least every
house has one Explorer plus and one SE
00:08:50.450 –> 00:08:54.360
on us we both have Explorer pluses
because I want my wife that have the
00:08:54.360 –> 00:08:59.160
same stuff that I’ve got and if we’re
separate places I want her to be just as
00:08:59.160 –> 00:09:02.339
capable in some of the other houses
where they’re planning on leaving the
00:09:02.339 –> 00:09:07.140
the SC at home and having the Explorer
plus out on the road it makes more sense
00:09:07.140 –> 00:09:10.020
to have it that direction you don’t
necessarily need all the mapping
00:09:10.020 –> 00:09:14.850
capability so as far as the
subscriptions go the the Garmin
00:09:14.850 –> 00:09:20.010
subscriptions or inReach subscriptions
are about the low-end one that we have
00:09:20.010 –> 00:09:23.160
is called the safety plan it’s about
twelve dollars a month if you pay for it
00:09:23.160 –> 00:09:26.130
or if you commit to a year it’s a
monthly charge but if you commit to a
00:09:26.130 –> 00:09:31.350
year it’s twelve dollars a month and
that gives us ten custom messages every
00:09:31.350 –> 00:09:35.330
month where we can actually take it type
whatever we want and send it off and
00:09:35.330 –> 00:09:41.910
then unlimited what they call kind of
pre done messages where you have like
00:09:41.910 –> 00:09:46.890
three messages and say like I’m okay I’m
headed to this location or please send
00:09:46.890 –> 00:09:51.120
help and those what you you put those
into the interface and then you have
00:09:51.120 –> 00:09:52.950
those available you can use them as much
as you want
00:09:52.950 –> 00:09:58.050
they’re not super descriptive but you
can send them out if you want sir for us
00:09:58.050 –> 00:10:02.790
we are plan on using a lot of the custom
messaging and you can actually pair the
00:10:02.790 –> 00:10:06.120
device to your phone and use your phone
then as the keyboard instead of using
00:10:06.120 –> 00:10:09.870
the device as a keyboard which is nice
if you’re trying to send a longer
00:10:09.870 –> 00:10:16.529
message but we have them pre-loaded into
each of these devices all of our emails
00:10:16.529 –> 00:10:21.330
all of our phone numbers for text
messaging and then all of the device IDs
00:10:21.330 –> 00:10:25.050
so that we can communicate with each
other’s devices independently we can
00:10:25.050 –> 00:10:28.140
send broadcast messages if we want to
and then all of our out-of-state
00:10:28.140 –> 00:10:32.579
contacts are also included in that list
so everything is preloaded and ready to
00:10:32.579 –> 00:10:37.110
go we don’t necessarily need a phone to
make these work or to get information to
00:10:37.110 –> 00:10:42.149
the people that we’re trying to
coordinate with and then if an emergency
00:10:42.149 –> 00:10:47.160
does happen because there’s a per
message rate of if you go over your a
00:10:47.160 –> 00:10:52.230
lot of ten messages one of the messages
that we can that we plan on sending is
00:10:52.230 –> 00:10:57.350
to our out-of-state
to call and adjust our plans on our
00:10:57.350 –> 00:11:03.710
behalf so you can always increase your
plans on in reach and there’s no it
00:11:03.710 –> 00:11:07.460
doesn’t seem like there’s any feed
upgraded I believe there is some sort of
00:11:07.460 –> 00:11:10.910
a penalty if you’re going to downgrade
here your plan but in an emergency we
00:11:10.910 –> 00:11:14.330
can then upgrade to their limited plan
and then we can use these as much as we
00:11:14.330 –> 00:11:18.740
want to and kind of keep the cost down
for that period of time and then Ratchet
00:11:18.740 –> 00:11:25.460
it back the issue with with this too is
we’re only paying $12 a month then to
00:11:25.460 –> 00:11:29.090
have these available whatever we want
and let’s say we’re traveling somewhere
00:11:29.090 –> 00:11:35.060
and we get a flat tire and we’re out of
cell phone range we can use these to
00:11:35.060 –> 00:11:38.480
kind of make those sorts of emergency
contacts as well
00:11:38.480 –> 00:11:42.440
we don’t necessarily only need some sort
of major disaster that happen to have
00:11:42.440 –> 00:11:45.260
these be useful which is another
difference between having a Sat phone
00:11:45.260 –> 00:11:49.700
where you’re paying a really high
monthly fee for a very few amount of
00:11:49.700 –> 00:11:54.590
minutes that you may or may not ever
need and can only be a phone versus this
00:11:54.590 –> 00:11:58.370
which you’re paying a smaller monthly
fee to always have that capability you
00:11:58.370 –> 00:12:04.430
can ramp it up if you need to it has all
the GPS features in it so if you just
00:12:04.430 –> 00:12:07.070
wanted to use it as a GPS you can do
that too
00:12:07.070 –> 00:12:12.110
there’s also an SOS button button which
in a disaster probably is not going to
00:12:12.110 –> 00:12:15.560
be helpful because everyone is going to
be pushing their SOS button but if you
00:12:15.560 –> 00:12:19.190
are a hiker and you’re out of the woods
or something and you fall and you need
00:12:19.190 –> 00:12:22.460
help immediately and you can’t get a
hold of anyone you can push this SOS
00:12:22.460 –> 00:12:27.500
button and Garmin has a service that
will send help and if you need to be
00:12:27.500 –> 00:12:31.850
helicoptered off of the mountain or
something they will coordinate that you
00:12:31.850 –> 00:12:35.600
have to pay for it but they will do that
for you and I guess if you’re hanging
00:12:35.600 –> 00:12:38.750
off of the mountain who cares how much
it cost just get the helicopter and come
00:12:38.750 –> 00:12:43.790
and get me so that’s why this has a lot
more features than the other
00:12:43.790 –> 00:12:47.690
communicators it also has a lot more
features I think than a standard Sat
00:12:47.690 –> 00:12:52.970
phone and the value associated with this
as a communication item versus a Sat
00:12:52.970 –> 00:12:59.360
phone or just a standard communicator I
think is is really important so I would
00:12:59.360 –> 00:13:02.240
encourage everyone to take a look at
these I know they’re not going to be in
00:13:02.240 –> 00:13:04.910
everybody’s budget it’s not gonna be
something everybody
00:13:04.910 –> 00:13:08.900
can afford or thinks is relevant and
that’s fine this is a little bit more in
00:13:08.900 –> 00:13:13.790
the advanced category of people down
there prepared this journey so think it
00:13:13.790 –> 00:13:17.570
over kind of understand why you would
maybe you want this even if you’re not
00:13:17.570 –> 00:13:20.600
gonna get something like this think
about some other communication methods
00:13:20.600 –> 00:13:24.710
that you would want if cell phones and
landlines would go down what is your
00:13:24.710 –> 00:13:29.720
communication plan at that point and
then leave it in the comments below does
00:13:29.720 –> 00:13:34.520
this seem like something that would be
useful to you in your plan
00:13:34.520 –> 00:13:39.280
is there something else that you would
like to have in your plan think about it
00:13:39.280 –> 00:13:44.540
like subscribe share i think that’s
gonna wrap it up for this part if
00:13:44.540 –> 00:13:47.420
there’s specific features do you have
questions about also leave them in the
00:13:47.420 –> 00:13:51.170
in the comments below and i’ll see if we
can answer or do a separate video kind
00:13:51.170 –> 00:13:54.830
of going through all the features of
this I really wanted to just kind of
00:13:54.830 –> 00:13:59.750
focus on kind of how cool I think the
idea is and how you might want to use
00:13:59.750 –> 00:14:02.930
them but if there’s specific features
that you have questions about leave them
00:14:02.930 –> 00:14:06.050
down below and then I’ll get some
answers for them thanks a lot and see
00:14:06.050 –> 00:14:08.560
you next time
