iPhone gets Globalstar Satellite SOS

[ryanerb]

The new iPhone 14 can now send SOS over satellite using Globalstar network.

Supposedly, it can also send your location to your friends using the Apple 'Find My' app.

Yes, iPhone is not going to be near as 'rugged' as something like an inreach, but it's a good second backup!

Read more here:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

[The Other Tom]

I talked to a ranger after the first SOS type devices came out. She said they got an SOS call once and of course responded. When they located the "victim", he said his emergency was that he had run out of water. And this was in the Sierra during a time when water was plentiful. I don't know if Apple's new SOS allows for two-way texting or not, but if it doesn't, I expect they'll be more calls like this which will overwhelm first responders.

[bobby49]

That's the good part about a two-way text device, such as inReach. If the victim sends out an SOS message, the message will be routed to the authorities. That is typically a county sheriff's dispatcher. Of course, the dispatcher doesn't understand the nature of the emergency, so the dispatcher can send a text reply back to the victim asking for details. The dialog can continue until the dispatcher knows just what has to be done. It might be a helicopter _that_day_. It might be a helicopter on the next day. It might be rescuers on foot. It might be nothing!

[erutan]

From the link in the first post:

Tap Report Emergency.

Using simple taps, answer the emergency questions to best describe your situation.

You can also choose to notify your emergency contacts that you contacted emergency services, along with your location and the nature of your emergency.

To connect to a satellite, follow the onscreen instructions. After you're connected, continue following the onscreen instructions to stay connected while you send your message to emergency services.

Once you’re connected, your iPhone starts a text conversation with emergency responders by sharing critical information like your Medical ID and emergency contact information (if you have set them up), the emergency questionnaire answers, your location (including elevation), and remaining battery life for your iPhone.

[erutan]

tl;dr you don't get the casual two way communication of dedicated satellite devices (or weather/fire updates) and it will take a little longer to connect on average (you aren't going to be able punch out on a PLB then pass out) but it seems solid for an emergency scenario to me. I just carry around an ACR beacon just in case I need it, or come across someone who does so don't have two way communication anyways (and on you can share your location with friends and family with this if you want, though I imagine that'd be a more intentional thing at x times a day vs an always on tracker).

It's not going to be quite as rugged without a heavier case, globestar isn't quite as nice iridium, etc. I'm not so concerned about battery life, for me carrying ~8oz of a 5W solar panel and 6600mah battery keeps my phone (and my partner's) up indefinitely above treeline using maps, taking many photos, occasional books (including secor, roper, laws) and listening to music if it's late in the trip and I'm slogging up a pass. Cut off 2lbs of camera weight.

I was toying with an ACR bivvy stick, mostly for the ability to get weather updates on it (and there's services where you can text your GPS and get fire info
within x miles etc) as well as be able to give more precise data in an emergency. This will be good enough for me that I won't bother with an extra piece of gear, subscription, etc.

This is a very in depth look at the functionality with real world testing, this is well worth reading if you're interested in the technology:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/11/app ... ainer.html

Another take, though less useful if you're really interested:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/15/234 ... ite-ios-16

Two real world scenarios where it worked well already:

https://www.pcmag.com/news/man-stranded ... -satellite

In a public statement, Troopers who saved the man said they “were thoroughly impressed with the accuracy and completeness of information included in the initial alert.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... te-feature

“I didn’t know this was a feature on the iPhone,” Fields, 23, said. Once her boyfriend, Christian Zelada, found her shattered but still functioning phone on the side of the canyon, she said, they used the emergency messaging via satellite to communicate more details about their injuries and the crash.

I'm happy with my two year old phone (which still has a solid trade in value), but the satellite SOS and way better camera system (https://lux.camera/iphone-14-pro-camera ... huge-leap/) pushed me to upgrade to a 14 Pro.

[CAMERONM]

The 14 pro is an amazing camera upgrade with native RAW files and a larger sensor than the previous model.
The "test satellite" option still does not appear for me so I have not been able to test it.
Apple will learn quickly that they will have to include a "READ ME" to avoid litigation for all of the clueless people who will use it and be charged for misuse.
Still, an exciting development. Garmin should be concerned.

[JWreno]

I have the iPhone 14 pro and I am glad that sat SOS will become the norm after a while as technology spreads.

I have decided to section hike the whole PCT in the first 3 years of our full retirement. I bought the Garmin InReach Messenger because I think two way non-emergency texting will be useful to communicate with our family while on the trail. We will be joined with our 72 year brother and I think at our age it is a good idea to have communications options. The battery life is great and I normally just keep it turned off when it is in our vehicle. I should only have to charge it a couple of times a month on resupply days while on the PCT section hikes.

We also live in Nevada take our vehicle to many dark sky places with no cell service. We activated the $11.95 plan and will keep it active at least until we finish the PCT. It is a reasonable price to have two way texting available anywhere. I don't plan to have the system automatically text our location on a time based system. I will plan to send a few "Everything is fine." messages with location data each day while backpackin since these messages are free and unlimited.

We decided that section hiking the PCT is more compatible with our retirement. We plan to do 3 month+ summer section hikes and 2 month or so spring section hikes to complete the 750 miles between Campo and Cottonwood pass. Section hiking will allow us to avoid challenges of early summer high sierra snow and early fall snow in northern Washington. We can do southern California low elevation sections before the days become two warm and save the higher elevation parts of southern California until those areas are mostly snow free. We will have the flexibility to hike much of the trail north of I80 before fire breakout. The breaks between section hikes will allow our bodies and minds to recover.

[erutan]

Yeah the only thing I don't like about the camera system is that the 2x lens doesn't do normal RAW, so I usually just end up cropping a 1x or using the 3x lol. Halide + LR CC is a great combination for shooting, cataloging, and processing. It tends to overexpose a bit in bright light (light a sunny day on slickrock) but it's not a bad idea to shoot -.3 or -.7 anyways just to make sure shadow detail can be pulled out. The waveform analysis is insanely helpful for shooting really high contrast areas like slot canyons as well as the zebra striping when adjusting exposure.

You need to be out of cell range and not in airplane mode to do the test.

I’ve tested it multiple times in Joshua Tree, Paria, and The Needles and it’s worked great in all cases aside from in a narrow canyon with hundreds of foot high walls (Paria). I’ve updated my location in find my & done a test back and forth with the question / answer thing.

It usually takes maybe 10-15 seconds to find a satellite, and around the same amount of time to send a location or message. Having thin to moderate clouds or somewhat obstructed lines (hills and low canyon walls around) didn’t seem to impact things much. It’s pretty easy to send, I can hold my phone at a 30 degree arc or so.

I haven’t tried it in a forested area as I’ve been in the southwest.

Waiting 20 minutes sounds rough, but these people were in a genuine slot canyon, and it’s saved people in LA & Alaska before.
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/24/em ... -students/

I don’t have a 2 way messenger (I backpack with my SO) and it was time to renew the battery in my beacon so it’s good enough for me.

apple support doc overview: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

At some point TMO is supposed add on texting via starlink bandwidth and possibly a little data (Musk was denied rural broadband subsidies for starlink as is, and a week later announced that heh). Still not sure how I feel about that, but being able to grab weather/fire stuff will be nice. Having wet snow until early afternoon on our first trip last year was a bit unnerving - I didn't know if it was a normal system I could count on afternoon patterns for when crossing the GWD or if it was a monsoon/tropical storm where all bets were off. Ended up being predictable and fine, and we had simpler backtracks we could have done if not. I enjoy the uncertainty for the most part.