[pct-l] Satellite versus Cell phone

[Brian McLaughlin]

> -          Is the cell coverage on the trail sufficient to depend on a
cell
> phone?

I can't answer this as I've never taken a cell phone
on a PCT hike. I don't own one. Coverage depends
entirely on proximity to cell towers, or unobstructed
line-of-sight to towers. Towers tend to be placed along
major highways or near population centers.

The PCT, as a rule, is never near to population centers.
Sometimes it runs near to a major highway. Other times
there will be a good line-of-sight to a distant tower, but
you'll have to keep on turning on your phone to know
if you were fortunate enough to have coverage, since
it won't be apparent any other way.

> -          Don't satellite phones have to "see" the phone satellite? So
they
> aren't always on.

Unlike cell phones, I have rented a sat phone and
used it. I kept it turned off most of the time, since
I didn't care about incoming calls. Instead, I arranged
with my wife for anything she sent to be sent as a text
message. This would be stored by the sat phone company
until I turned on my phone, then sent to me.

Getting coverage on a sat phone is pretty easy. All you
need is a decent slice of open sky. Turn it on, let it find
a satellite, then dial and talk.

> -          Has anyone done a cost/risk comparison for satellite versus
cell?

I don't understand what risks you are concerned
with? Breakage? Battery leaks? Losing it?

The cost of a sat phone is truly (pun intended) sky high.

> -          I do recall seeing a coverage chart. Does anyone know of such a
> graph?

Cell companies sometimes make maps of their
coverage as a marketing tool. They are only as
detailed and accurate as the marketing department
wants them to be, which is not very detailed. Sat
phone coverage is most of the globe.

> It seems a costly emergency device or a "how are you?" chatty device.

Getting a sat phone just for chatting, it's a very steep price.
As an emergency tool, it is remarkable, next thing to a
miracle really.

If you have some spare cash and are concerned with
emergency coverage, you might look into a Personal
Locator Beacon (PLB) instead. They are also expensive
and more limited in their usefulness, but one would do
what you needed, if you got in bad trouble.