TOTALLY NEW TO COMMS AND NAV, NEED PURCHASE ADVISE (1 Viewer)

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Need some advise on what to buy? So I plan to get into overlanding in the Southeast U.S. I'll be traveling to places I have never been with my younger(all under 9) children.. Safety and being able to communicate in an emergency are top priority. I have been offroading 30 years but I have NO experience with comms or nav, other than my cell phone and Garmin... :) any advice is greatly appreciated on what to purchase!!

thanks, Bill

NW Florida
 
Satellite phones work pretty much everywhere. They cost alot; the plans cost alot.
I would consider this: Garmin Delorme Inreach
Global reach, texting, GPS tracking and pay-by-the-month plans.
Can also find the older model for a bit cheaper.
 
thanks guys! I think the sat phone and Inreach would be good options! In addition to those items, I dont have a radio.. anything i can install there for nav or comm?
 
In addition to those items, I dont have a radio.. anything i can install there for nav or comm?

Do you wheel or travel with other vehicles in a group? If so, get what they're using.

If you're solo, a ham radio will give you better range than a cb and access to repeaters, but you need a license to operate one. The license is easy to get though. Lots of bands and options there; some you can talk around the world on - but most folks start out on the 2 Meters band, and lots of clubs and runs are moving to 2 Meters from cb for their trail comm.
 
Btw, what are repeaters?

Repeaters are ham radios, fixed in one place, that automatically re-broadcast any signals they pick up on their specific frequency, so that the range of communication is greatly increased. The VHF and UHF ham bands are generally line-of-sight communication, so if the repeater antenna if high up (on a mountain, or a tall tower), then line-of-sight to and from it is much farther than from one ground station to another.

Out west, it is fairly common to have many of them tied together in a network so that you could communicate all over a whole state and possibly farther. Most repeaters are on the 2M and 70cm bands, but there are some on other bands too.
 
I'd have:

A CB because lots of other folks have them. Mine also has weather radio channels.

Delorme/garmin inreach, get the nice plans for the months you're out and about.

An att or verizon phone.
 
I recommend some researching reading this link. Its the boyscout radio training class and I found it very useful and easy to follow:
Radio Merit Badge Resources

Learn all you can about HAM radio as it will give you the largest range and ability to communicate, second to sat phone or sat phone/cellphone hybrid. Then test out for the license and get a good rig radio. HAM radios can carry a lot more power than others, and therefore have longer range. Many of the parks have repeaters on high places, so you can typically get out even if on a valley or obstructed.
 
IMHO a sat phone would be overkill in the SE US. That area should have good cell coverage and excellent HAM repeater coverage.
 
I agree, sat phone is overkill for the area. However, I am looking for a good excuse to get one of these and use it overseas:
SatSleeve for iPhone

Its a great concept, prices are still a bit high, but competition bringing them down.
 
I agree, sat phone is overkill for the area. However, I am looking for a good excuse to get one of these and use it overseas:
SatSleeve for iPhone

Its a great concept, prices are still a bit high, but competition bringing them down.
There are many areas in the western US where a sat phone would be useful.
 

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