Modern Vespa

so I am going to be on the ocean without internet, wifi access or cell service and I was looking into satellite communication devices. All quite expensive as well as the service plans but I came across a device called Zoleo, which is not too expensive($200) with reasonable service plans that is only for texting. It looked sort of interesting and I am curious if anybody has any experience with this or similar type devices? It also looks like it would be good for any other time you are off the cell grid, be it hiking, camping, etc. Thanks for any info.

larry

I'm considering adding the Garmin In-Reach device to my riding kit.

It's a combination tracker, text communicator, and emergency beacon. There are several different plans available, all of which are required for the device to function. These plans will vary in their accessibility and pricing, but the Garmin plans can be "paused" when not in use.

I had an accident last year where I broke my left arm, right hand, and several ribs in an area where there was no cell service. I wound up riding another 15 miles where I knew I could make a call. If I had been any worse, I doubt I would have been able to make that ride.

I know other riders have used Spot as well, but I don't think it has texting. Do you have a use case for this Zoleo outside of this one trip? And will it do what you need it to do outside of this trip? It seems like it would be a good option as an emergency beacon as well.

I also looked at the garmin but the Zoleo looks to do what I need as well as emergencies as you said and it can be put on hold for a small fee or cancelled and reinstated and I would also keep it on the Vespa and as living in AZ now and hoping to travel more I think it would be a good thing to have. But the Garmin is also a great choice, the Zoleo a bit cheaper.

Spot has texting, and you can pay per month. However it's an awful interface, and I no longer recommend it.

The Garmin In-Reach will be our next device for off-grid use.

I have an inReach SE, actually the original Delorme before Garmin bought them out, that I have used since 2016 (bought for an AK trip).

The app makes it much easier to use.

Different plans are available.

Maybe if you declare war on Russia, Elon Musk might give you a Starlink terminal

A community of people that get these types of communication devices are backpackers that will be out in the wilds for weeks to month (like hiking the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Coast Trail) to let family and friends know how its going and to get help in an emergency. You might also nose around on those types of sites
Miguel

Sadly would probably require mains power

48V DC I believe - ready to be corrected! Plenty of ways to get that from 12V, but it takes between 75 to 110W, so you need to be able to provide about 10A at 12V. An auxiliary LFP battery could do this easily. You could build your own for less than $100- add a DC-DC charger to charge it from the bike, another $50. Or just make a 48V battery, that might work out to be the most economical way.


That's if you've the readies to pay the monthly fees of course.

so back to my situation I need this device for a week on a dive boat out in the ocean to stay in touch with the family and I think texts would work. Also for the future I might be out of cell service for a day or two so battery life not a great issue. They do now make a lot of solar powered battery packs that can be used to charge devices obviously assuming there is sun. So I am considering this device. Again not very expensive and the service plans also not very expensive and the reviews I have seen are also good.

Personally I would go with the Garmin. They have great tech support and the In Reach is very widely used. I have a Spot and I'm not thrilled with it.

I use the Garmin In Reach Mini. It has everything I need. Most importantly is the SOS button if I really need help. As I often ride where there is no cell service it is a comfort to know that it is there and works. It sync's with my cellphone and and I can send and receive texts effortlessly. Remember, it is a satellite communications so do not expect instant reply like the cellphone. It may take a minute or two.

I had a Spot but found the coverage very poor in some areas of the world. Spots reply to questions of coverage was "we are having a temporary outage in that area." I got that everywhere from Vietnam to South Africa. Garmin uses the Irdium satellites in a low orbit and Spot use high orbit satellites. Or did. The low has better coverage and strength.

Then again, being out of touch for a week might not be a bad thing.

I have spent a fair bit of time researching these units and I am thinking about going with the Zoleo. It uses the same iridium satellites as the Garmin devices so the coverage is good and it gets very good reviews and is cheaper and should do what I need giving me texting when out of cell service as well as the SOS button. But as I don't need it for a while I will continue to look. Appreciate all the input though.

I just bought a GME Accusat MT610G

Didn't care about comms, just wanted SOS and no plan and long life battery

https://www.gme.net.au/au/emergency-safety/mt610g/

We used a SPOT device years ago when boat cruising - it was before texting was available on it, and you could send a "Everything is OK, this is our current location" message, or be able to request help. Our daughter said it was the best peace of mind for her.

One time when we were going to be away from any chance of cell coverage for what I thought would be "about 10 days," we weren't able to let her know we were fine for what turned out to be two weeks. When I was able to get cell service, I called her and got, "Where have you people been? I've been worried sick about you!" Role reversal with the kid worried about the parents. We bought the SPOT device after that and used it for several years.

I know the devices have gotten better with capability since that time. Never had to use it to summon help, but just to let the kid keep tabs on us. It would text or email her that canned message with our current latitude and longitude on a map so she could see where we were in real time.

I thought I would post my recent experience using my Zoleo device for satellite texting. I was on the ocean for a week on a liv-a-board scuba boat, no cell , or internet service. I researched and eventually bought it the device. It is a box about the size of a pack of cigarettes and uses the Iridium satellite service and has fairly reasonable service fees. So I as well as several of my diving group were able to text back and forth to the US(we were in the oceans surrounding Belize). It was easy to use and not too expensive and now I have it when I am in situations without cell service. Just follow up info.

In case people missed the rumour mill, SpaceX are proposing satellite to cell phone coverage. Rumours floating around about apple too.
While these might not be imminent it should give the current services a kick up the bum. I wouldn't be investing in a device that was going to lock me in right now though.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/elon-musks-spacex-t-mobile-us-plan-boost-cellular-coverage-space-2022-08-26/

my investment in this service when I am not using it is $4 a month so not very invested, but what you said is very interesting

so I read the article and if you think about it using satellite for cell phones could make a lot of sense for all the cell suppliers assuming that you can get satellite service when indoors or with bad weather, not sure about either. The device I used needed clear view to the sky, but tech is always changing. Then again devices could be sort of like a hybrid car using cell or satellite depending on the circumstances, that could be brilliant. Actually my Zoleo will use whatever is the cheapest, cell, internet or satellite depending on where you are.