Since the move to northern Idaho, I’ve been able to spend a lot more time in the back country. There is a LOT of wilderness here, crisscrossed by old mining and logging roads, allowing one to get pretty far off the beaten track. My new passion, looking for abandoned silver mines (there are hundreds of them in the panhandle), keeps me out of cell phone range much of the time, so I figured a satellite tracker was a good idea.
Garmin and Spot have most of the market share, but I selected a more recent entry—Zoleo—based on positive reviews, a much lower price, and the recommendation of a friend who spends more time than most semi-lost in the outdoors.
The Zoleo lists for $200, but drops to $150 a couple of times a year (like now) and the basic monitoring plan costs $20 a month, which gives you 75 emails or text messages sent over the Iridium satellite network. If you are in cell range, the device uses the cellular network and texts and emails don’t count against your total. A really nice feature is that you can suspend and reactivate your plan as needed.
The device is small, about 2 ½ x 3 ½”. It’s waterproof and shock resistant, with only three external controls: a power switch, an ‘I’m OK’ button, that sends anyone in a contact list you define an ‘I’m OK’ message along with your location, and finally the SOS button, which resides under a spring-loaded guard panel. Pressing it alerts Global Rescue, who monitors 24/7/365 and they acknowledge receipt and coordinate with whatever emergency services or search and rescue is closest to your location. Your emergency contacts will also receive notification. ‘I’m OK’ messages don’t count against your total, so you can send as many as you want.
Those functions only require the Zoleo device, but using the full functionality requires a smart phone paired to the Zoleo. With a paired phone, you can compose and send/receive texts and emails, and also communicate directly with Global Rescue to explain your situation and further assist rescuers in locating you. Global Rescue can also connect you with medical professionals to answer questions and provide advice in non-emergency situations—all part of the basic subscription. Finally, you can download satellite weather, useful if you are going to be off the grid for a few days.
I found my unit to be very easy to set up and it works as advertised when in cell range. I understand that there is often a lag of a minute or more when using the satellites—I’ll find out soon.
