Outdoor enthusiasts will take along one tool on their outings – hiking, skiing, or cycling – before they even think about taking an avalanche beacon to the backcountry, a bear spray in the deep woods or a first aid kit where they are likely to endure a number of cuts and bruises. It is their smartphone.
Emergency device manufacturers have centred their marketing strategies around telling ill-prepared adventurers about the various hazards they might face and the risk of carrying only their smartphones with them. But, a start-up called GoTenna, has decided to against the tide. They have come up with a six-inch antenna that can be paired with your phone through a Bluetooth connection. This antenna, once paired, can turn your smartphone into a two-way radio.
The device lets you send text messages or your GPS coordinates to another person with the antenna for up to a radius of 50 miles even if your phone does not receive a single bar of mobile service. They are sold in pairs. The range of the reception varies from nine miles if you are deep in a valley to 50 miles if you are on a peak. It is quite similar to the way the range of a walkie-talkie varies.
The company reckons that sending text messages will be more useful in transmitting critical information to loved ones or rescuers in case of an emergency, for texts are not subject to the reliability of a person’s memory and do not require both parties to be on call simultaneously. Similarly, the device’s ability to transmit coordinates will also be far more useful. The text messages exchanged between two parties are completely private and they can be set up to be erased once they are read.The product has been on the receiving end of a whole lot of guff since its press launch, especially from people who ask to see the difference between GoTenna and the classic Nextel walkie- talkie feature, or those who would not leave their HAM radios for anything.
The only glitch in the device is that it holds good only for local adventures. It cannot be of any help if you are going on a cross country trip and want a lifeline to your home in case things go bad. With this in mind, their price of $199.99 for a pair does not seem to be too high, for it is a relatively economical means of staying in touch for those who wish to concentrate on indulging in adventures close to home.If you are the outdoor kinds, and spend a lot of your time in exploring what your surroundings have to offer, then the GoTenna is quite a good bet.