Satpaq two-way satellite phone attachment messenger

[jexx45]

I just recently got a Satpaq (SatPaq) unit that connects to your iPhone or Android phone via an app (SpaceLinq) and allow you to send and receive text messages, get weather info, or send SOS with GPS location. What was attractive about this unit, as opposed to Garmin/Inreach Explorer+/mini and others was that it doesn't require a subscription plan (you buy packs of messages) and that you can use the phone you already have. First couple of uses seem encouraging, but wondering if others have tried this one and have thoughts?

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Looks interesting - but info is scarce. Searching for reviews most look like paid reviews? For the Garmin you can buy subscription by the month for when you're going on a trip.

 

[Dharma Dude]

No subscription is good but satpaq uses two satellites and only covers the US and territorial satellites. The satelites are geostationary and so 23,000 miles away and will require more device power to communicate. So I wonder about battery life.

The Inreach uses the Iridium system, a constellation of 82 satellites that forms a mesh for reliability. Iridium offer worldwide coverage and because the satellites are in lower orbit (482 miles), it requires much less power for the device to communicate.

I would go with Inreach.

 

[jexx45]

No subscription is good but satpaq uses two satellites and only covers the US and territorial satellites. The satelites are geostationary and so 23,000 miles away and will require more device power to communicate. So I wonder about battery life.

The Inreach uses the Iridium system, a constellation of 82 satellites that forms a mesh for reliability. Iridium offer worldwide coverage and because the satellites are in lower orbit (482 miles), it requires much less power for the device to communicate.

I would go with Inreach.

yep, all correct and valid points. i think it depends on the use case(s). been eying the garmin/inreach and the reason i went satpaq is the following:

main use cases:
- off-roading in vehicle with power source (e.g., Moab etc.)
- weekend back country skiing, mountain biking, and hiking/camping

additional criteria:
- light weight (satpaq, inreach mini, spot gen 3)
- no subscription fees (satpaq)
- two-way messaging (inreach+, spot x, satpaq)
- sync to phone (inreach mini, satpaq)

ideally, it would have more broader usage area (read in some forum that they are planning on offering a worldwide version at the end of 2019 with a trade-in) but wanted something now for the above use cases.

just tried it mountain biking, but haven't done more extensive testing yet. but so far it seems to meet my needs (pending battery life and more rugged assessment)