Hurricane and Natural Disaster Preparedness 2012 With Satellite Phones and More

With the start of hurricane season, now would be a good time to make sure you have everything you need in case of a sudden emergency. GMPCS would like you to be prepared before, during and after the storm. The following are a few items that will help for this hurricane season.

Satellite Phones
In any natural disaster the potential for landlines and cellular phone towers to go down or these networks to be overloaded is very likely. After a tornado, hurricane or flood a satellite phone may be your only way to communicate. A mobile satellite phone relies on an orbiting satellite system, which are independent from local infrastructure and therefore not affected by these natural disasters.  The most reliable satellite providers with global coverage are Inmarsat and Iridium. Both providers have their advantages and are compared in this online article.  The most affordable of the two is the IsatPhone Pro from Inmarsat. For as little as $610 you can have an emergency satellite phone, sold here. Another smart option is the IsatPhone Pro Emergency kit which includes an emergency airtime plan with the equipment.

Additional Batteries
If you already have a satellite phone, now would be a good time to test it. Check the Batteries and make sure you are familiar with making a call. Also having an additional battery is an affordable solution to being prepared. The IsatPhone Pro battery retails for just $40.95. Iridium offers a high capacity battery for the 9555 model phone and an additional Iridium 9575 extreme battery can be found here.

Battery Docking Stations
Battery docking stations are capable of rapid charging most types of satellite phone batteries in a single process. A battery docking station allows you to charge the satellite phone battery without using the handheld phone. This accessory is available in single bay units as well as four bay units, for the Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro,the Iridium 9555 and other Iridium handsets.  Each bay can accommodate a charging plate designed to fit each type of battery.  Charging plates can be swapped to charge different types of batteries with the same bay.  More information on the battery docking station can be found here.



Nomad 13.5 Solar Panel

Solar Charger
When the power goes out the Nomad 13.5M solar panel may be your only source for charging your electronics. Using 13.5 watts of highly efficient mono-crystalline solar technology, its four small panels provide plenty of power and conveniently fold into a small, lightweight portable case. This solar charger will recharge the batteries of the above satellite phones for Iridium and Inmarsat. In addition it will charge a mobile cell phone, MP3 player or tablet connected via the DC cigarette adapter.