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The
first time I saw a satellite phone in use was
several years ago in Death Valley. A German film
crew was there doing some product shots for a
backpack manufacturer. I was seething with jealousy
when the attractive models whipped out their sat
phones to make calls home. I decided then that I
absolutely needed to have a satellite phone! Alas,
at the time, prices for the phones and the service
were astronomical.
Shadows and Sand, Death
Valley National Park, California
All jokes aside, a satellite phone is a great
accessory to have if you spend a lot of time in the
field, especially if much of that time is in the
backcountry where cell phones don't work.
At the very least, a sat phone allows you to make calls—from
just about anywhere—in case of an
emergency, which can mean the difference between
life and death. It is also a great way to keep in
touch with friends, family, and
business when
away in the field.
In any event, prices have come down in recent years,
so you don't have to be a high-priced German model
to afford sat phone service. I recently purchased a
Globalstar GSP-1700
satellite phone (pictured below), along with the
Globalstar Evolution Monthly
service plan. I've had a chance to extensively test
both phone and service over the past few months.
I've taken the phone with me while sea kayaking the
Apostle Islands
of Lake Superior, hiking in the
Adirondack Mountains
of upstate New York, and tromping through the
deserts of Utah and Nevada, including a trip to
Zion National Park.
I've found my sat phone to be an indispensible tool
for staying on top of business while out in the
field. For example, my sat phone allowed me to
answer urgent questions about an
article I had written for Popular Photography
magazine, allowing the
editor to keep on deadline
and ensuring I got a paycheck—even though at the
time I was stuck for several days on a remote island
with no cell service due to inclement weather while
kayaking Lake Superior!
The Phone
The GSP-1700 comes with a hefty $999 price
tag.
I choose the expensive
GSP-1700 over Globalstar's cheaper sat phone (the
GSP-1600, which is $399) because of its smaller size
and lower weight, both of which are critical to me
when engaging in backcountry photo trips.
At only seven ounces, the phone is perfect
for hiking and backpacking. It's 5" tall, 2" wide,
and about 1.5" thick. By way of comparison, it's
somewhat smaller than a landline phone handset, but
larger than a cell phone, making it suitably compact
for even tightly packed extended trips. The antenna,
which must be fully extended to make or receive
calls, folds away when not in use.
Here's a comparison showing my home phone, the
GSP-1700, and my cell phone. Note that the GSP-1700
is about 50% larger than the cell phone on the
right. Although you can't see it from this view,
it's also about three times as thick.
So
basically, the GSP-1700 can slip into your pocket,
but not as comfortably as a cell phone. It does easily
stow inside a pack, or in a kayak hatch.
I
find the GSP-1700 to be very easy to use, with
intuitive controls. The main screen is small, but
easy enough to use for making calls. If you get data
service (which I do not have) along with your voice service, I suspect the small screen might make
reading emails somewhat challenging. Both the screen
and the keypad lights up when you press any button,
which is very helpful when trying to make calls in
dim light.
My Globalstar phone came in handy when stranded
for several days
by bad weather on remote Bear Island on Lake
Superior.
Overall, I am very impressed with how the phone
operates.
Call quality is very good, at least as good as a
typical cell phone, if not better. Glabalstar uses a
low-earth orbit satellite constellation, which means
no annoying lag time while talking. Battery life is
impressive; I have used the phone extensively on
several trips over the past few months, and only
recharged the phone once so far. Globalstar's
specifications for the phone claim four hours of
talk time on a single charge, which seems right on
the money to me.
The Service
I am
currently signed up with Globalstar's cheapest
monthly plan, the Evolution plan. At only $34.95 a
month for unlimited calling in the continental U.S.,
Canada, and Alaska, this plan is a real bargain,
cheaper than most cellular plans these days! The
hitch? Many of Globalstar's satellites have reached
the end of their service life, and as a result,
their satellite constellation is undermanned. As a
result, service windows are sporadic and
short-lived. My understanding is that Globalstar
offers the cheaper service plan as a way to keep
customers while it works to correct the current
service problems (see more on that below).
As a
result, I've sometimes had to wait a few minutes or
more to place a call, and when I am able to place a
call, I only get a few minutes of talk time before
service is interrupted. For me, it hasn't been a big
deal; I only need to make a few calls a day while in
the field, just to keep tabs on the business and to
chat with my wife, so having sporadic service hasn't
been an issue. I've never had to wait more than
fifteen or twenty minutes before a satellite pops
into the sky to give me five or ten minutes of talk
time, more than sufficient for my needs. For
$34.95/month, I'm willing to put up with a few
service interruptions.
Of
course, if faced with an urgent emergency, having to
wait a few minutes to make a call could be the
difference between life or death. But even with
current service issues, the ability to make calls in
places where I have no cell reception already makes
me feel a heck of a lot safer.
While photographing the Nevada desert, my
satellite phone helped
coordinate the search for a lost hiker.
Globalstar recently secured several hundred million
dollars in financing, enabling it to start launching
a second generation of satellites. Globalstar
expects to complete deployment of its new satellite
constellation by the end of 2010. So, if everything
goes according to plan, it should mean much better
service, perhaps even restoring Globalstar's
first-place rating in the sat phone industry. But it
will also likely mean an end to rock-bottom service
prices. In fact, the Evolution plan will expire at
the end of 2010. So enjoy the low prices while they
last!
Assuming Globalstar can work out all its service
issues, should you chuck your cell phone and switch
to satellite? Certainly not, at least for the time
being. I still have a cell phone, and it is my
primary mode of communication when traveling and
shooting in the frontcountry. Satellite phones don't
work indoors, or in others areas where you don't get
a clear view of the sky (such as in a thick forest),
nor will they work while driving unless you buy a
car adapter. And the are currently less robust than
cell phones in terms of features. But in backcountry
areas where cell phones don't work, a satellite
phone can help you stay connected, and give you some
peace of mind—and
it may even save your life.
Conclusion
While the service is spotty right now, Globalstar
satellite coverage should get much better in the
coming year.
Right now, affordable service prices make Globalstar
a bargain, if you don't mind waiting a few minutes
or more between service windows to make calls. I'm
happy with my phone, and am looking forward to
better coverage in years to come! |
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