Yup, exactly what Alannah said.. i also agree that not everyone can afford a satellite phone, i would only use one my self if i was going somewhere very remote. I don't think there is much use for them for the average outdoors enthusiast in the UK. Would only be ideal if you were going on a trip to a remote area in another country, say for example being in a desert or a jungle. However i do know that rescue helicopters have satellite phones on board around here. You can also hire these phone for a few days from certain places if you feel you need one.alannah wrote:I agree with you but to be fair to shortymcsteve who originally suggested the satellite phone idea, it was was for persons at work engaged in the use of chainsaws. Employers have a legal obligation to provide reliable contact with external services and in those circumstances a satellite phone is a viable option.Minus1 wrote:This talk of satellite phones is totally detached from reality.
The vast majority of hillwalkers are not able or willing to pay the enormous cost for occasional use. 446 MHz walkie talkies are cheap and thus far more likely to be taken up. It's just a matter of publicity.
I think the word is spreading quite fast regarding the use of a hill walking safety channel on 446 chanel 8,
I think if you are using dangerous machinery you should have all the safety precautions in place, the risk of something happening is obviously much more than if you were just out for a walk in the woods.
When life depends on it, you want to be relying on something you know is going to work, rather than something that might have problems, that was my point.