Satellite trackers tether off-the-grid adventurers

PRIME August 2012 By Gary M. Kaye Special to PRIME First off, this is not about those GPS tracking devices that rely on cell phone service — the ones for your kids, your pets, or your aging parent. This is about trackers that follow you anywhere in the world and don't rely on a cell phone tower. My 25-year-old son set off on a five-month, backpacking trip around the world on his own; without much of an itinerary, and just a plane ticket. Occasionally he's been in places where we can Skype, but for the most part he's been off the grid. He did agree to carry a nifty device from DeLorme called the inReach. So, when he was in the jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam, I could pinpoint his location. When he was breathing thin air in Nepal at the thirteen thousand foot high Annapurna base camp, I was breathing a sigh of relief. Satellite based tracking devices fall into two main categories, one-way and two-way. The inReach is one of the two-way devices. GlobalStar's Spot devices are one-way units. They rely on the constellations of satellites that are used for satellite phones. inReach uses the Iridium network. The Spot devices run on the GlobalStar network. There are others on the market as well, including the SARLink View 406 from ACR Electronics, which runs on the Cospas-Sarsat system that also services aircraft and marine locator beacons. PLBs are less expensive; but only have one function: emergency location. This is exactly what you need if you're trapped in an avalanche or on a sailboat taking on water in the ocean. Push the button and presumably someone will come and rescue you. There's no way to send or receive a message. Devices like the Spot and the inReach all include PLBs functionality. They have an easy to find, but not easy to hit by mistake, emergency button that will trigger a response from the GEOS manned response center. That emergency extraction is paid for by an insurance premium included in your contract fee. But, they do more. Spot makes several devices including the Spot Messenger and the Spot Connect. The Connect, as its name implies, connects with an app on your smartphone that will let you use its Bluetooth function to send a detailed message using the phone's keypad. Even without linking to a smartphone both Spot and the inReach will allow you to use the device to automatically track your location. Both the inReach and Spot's other device, the Spot Messenger, will let you send a pre-defined check-in message such as "just checking in — everything's okay." The Messenger also has a "help button" for those times when you may be in need of assistance, but are not in a life-threatening situation requiring extraction. The inReach has a two way capability, allowing you to link from the device to a smartphone (or a specific model of DeLorme handheld GPS, the PN60) to receive messages as well as send them. This means that if there's something the traveler needs to know, such as an emergency at home, they can receive that information and respond to it. The inReach is a bit bulkier than either Spot device, and rapidly depletes battery life. For you social animals — both the Spot and inReach can post your location directly to your Facebook or Twitter account so your friends can keep track of you. The DeLorme inReach costs roughly $250 for the unit, and there are a variety of yearly and seasonal service plans available. There is a onetime $30 activation fee. The Spot Connect costs $170 and the Spot Messenger costs $120. A one-year service plan for either costs approximately $100. While both Spot and inReach provide reliable ways of buying some peace of mind; but, they are only of use if a traveler remembers to turn the device on and to bring a supply of fresh batteries. These trackers aren't just for keeping tabs on the kids. This summer I'll be packing the Spot Connect in my daypack so my nervous kids can keep track of me on a trip to China. Bottom line, the cost for keeping track of an adventurous kid: a couple of hundred dollars. Having peace of mind because you know they're okay — priceless. Gary M. Kaye is an award-winning journalist who has covered technology topics for more than 30 years. He writes and does radio pieces for AARP and is senior writer for Tech Toys Magazine. In addition, he runs a consulting business helping hi-tech companies with strategic communications. Visit his new boomer tech website, www.intheboombox.tv.