Originally Posted by
pinzgauer
There are multiple sat phone providers. They nearly all have similar constraints: Fixed amount of bandwidth and a growing customer base.
Since they all run very close to capacity most of the time, it does not take much to saturate them into overcapacity.
Has happened repeatedly, and does not have to be an event as large as Katrina, it happens with bridge collapses and even (based on reports) in war zones.
Getting short messages through as data is much more reliable, and that's a very large market now with the advent of hockey puck sized data devices.
They (sat phones) have a role, and can be useful. But I'd never put even most of my eggs in that basket due to prioritization of service. BTW, cell phones do the same, so are no better. Was very apparent on the old IDEN networks, was positioned as a feature.
Yes, was referring to the ubiquitous baefong handhelds. Really annoying to setup by hand, but it's so easy to download canned configs that you can do worse to get started. (Literally, $30 for a kit with cable and big battery)
My go-to handheld is the VX-7. Others really like the PRC-148 clones, when they were available. Both are very tough radios. The VX-7 covers many more frequencies. The PRC-148 clone has very long battery life and easier interop with mil accessories. (Though I use civvy gear with mil audio all the time)
HF is a broader discussion, and it's far more than the old morse code (CW) and even SSB. The advent of PC soundcard DSP's have opened up many very high performance waveform/modes to hams. Some can send signals with very low power levels and with RF paths that traditional modes could not even hear. Others are implementations of the mil ALE 141 protocols and data modems. I run HF ALE quite a bit, both with amateur radios and commercial/mil radios with the capability.
If I were starting from scratch I'd end up right back where I am now: unlocked VX-7 Handheld. Yaesu FT-857 mobile for HF, 6m, 2m, and 70cm. (And quite a bit in between). Larsen 2/70 dual band for VHF/UHF. SGC-237 autotuner with whip for instant 3.5-54Mhz HF/6m capability.
I also have HF manpacks (civvy, and until recently, Mil) that I use for voice/data in the woods and in emergencies.
Put another way, I had 7x24 voice & email comms in the middle of the katrina zone the whole time I was there when an agency we were helping completely gave up on irradium type satphones as they could not complete a call 99% of the time.
You'd be looking at $1-1.3k to get a decent mobile setup + a handheld like I described. I will always maintain that HF+vhf/uhf mobile capability. Even now that I have cellular coverage many places that used to be an hour out of range. In big events, they carrier networks can (and have) gone down. Repeatedly.
In disasters, sometimes local cellular works, and long distance calling does not. (usually initially pattern while the sites are still on gen power, if no antenna damage). Then they go offline. Then as they come back online, the long distance trunks in/out saturate. But you can often get SMS through as it uses separate channels.
All that said, as a pilot the mantra on priorities was: "1) Aviate, 2) Navigate, 3) Communicate". There is probably a similar thing for preparedness.
And some big questions: Who do you plan to talk to? Depending on the event, can you trust them? Can they even help you if you could trust them?
Natural disasters they are very important. Man-made... maybe not so much outside of low power point to point stuff.
Bookmarks