Communication

I think I've solved one of my most worrying problems. I've basically had three options in mind for communication while I'm on the islands, none of which was satisfying to me. I've heard there is sporadic cell phone reception from the higher elevations on the island, but it is unreliable and won't necessarily work in case of emergency. Do I really want to have to climb to the highest peak on the island if I've tripped and broken my ankle?

A satellite phone would work well, probably from anywhere on the island, but it is very expensive. $300 per month to rent a unit, plus $4 a minute for air time. I could easily end up spending fifteen hundred dollars if I go this route. That would severely restrict the other gear I want to bring with me.

I've also heard that a two way radio can communicate with nearby communities, but radios are a very complicated affair. There are portables and there are ground units. There are frequencies and wattages. There are battery cases, lithium ion cells, and AC power sources. An inexpensive unit costs over $300, and even at that price no one who'll sell me one will even speculate on what type of range I'll get out of it.

I was feeling a little desperate until I discovered Spot. It is a very simple GPS satellite linked one-way communication device. It has three buttons, "OK", "Help", and "Emergency". It can send these messages to any preselected phone number or to a website, and is made specifically for people like me who are working/playing alone and out of regular communication range. So I can set up a schedule with someone in civilization who can receive these messages and react accordingly. As a bonus, Spot also records your coordinates every fifteen minutes, so when you get home you can see everywhere you've traveled in Google Maps. Pretty nifty.

So I think that between my cell phone and Spot I will have met all my communication needs. Now I just need a volunteer who be willing to receive my distress call should I ever have to make one. Any takers?