$5,000 satellite "hurricane" phone for the paranoid

Well, with the recent hurricane seasons we've been having, it might not be exactly paranoid to throw together some survival gear and emergency communication equipment, but we can't help but thinking this new "Personal Hurricane Kit" from Assemble Communications is a bit of a cash-in on the hysteria. Luckily, it is a full featured cash-in. Released last month, the $5,000 device comes in a watertight suitcase which holds the battery-powered Inmarsat satellite antenna and handset. But along with making your calls, the kit allows you to connect your computer for broadband satellite Internet, making this the obvious choice for mobile professionals stuck in a bit of bad weather. The price for the 6-pound kit includes 400 minutes of talk time and 150 megabytes of Internet access, so we recommend staying away from streaming those "Lost" episodes -- as ironic as it may seem at the time.

[Via SOSD]

[Mr.Kaiser @ Jun 8th 2006 3:53PM]

Now if us down here in Florida could get satellite EV-DO or EDGE, we could even want to live through a hurricane. SWEET!

[RWD fan @ Jun 8th 2006 3:55PM]

Amateur radio is quite a bit cheaper. A technician class license is easy to get. Might not be the latest tech, but when Ophelia made landfall here in the Carolina power was knocked out, some phone lines down, cable went out, but the handheld VHF radio and a number of different repeaters worked fine right through the storm.

[Scabies @ Jun 8th 2006 4:04PM]

However, once you've spent your 150mb and 400min of talking (or 150mb of VoIP and 400min of talking)
You are screwed
(or there is a royalty to be charged per minute after you run out)

[Carl Hartmann @ Jun 8th 2006 4:05PM]

Yeah, sure. I bought the same capacity by purchasing an Iridium phone with a data cable....I pay $30 per month then by minutes used. Useable in more places, costs a quarter of that...and using it while sailing in the Caribbean.....priceless.

[Galls @ Jun 8th 2006 4:08PM]

what happens when that hurrican proof phone becomes a hurrican proof projectile?

[Brandon L @ Jun 8th 2006 4:25PM]

I second the Amateur radio idea. I got my technician class license a few years ago. Never really used it much, but it's a good thing to have.

[NNTPgrip @ Jun 8th 2006 4:40PM]

This is what was in the package Tom Hanks did not open.

[LittleJoe @ Jun 8th 2006 4:52PM]

...and as in all cases... the people that would need something like this the most cant afford it and the people who are least likley too need it will be buying 5 of them.

[Spi Waterwing @ Jun 8th 2006 5:04PM]

Ham radio is definitely better. You can get a nice setup for

[dc @ Jun 8th 2006 6:04PM]

Spend that $5000 on something you'll appreciate a lot longer...move away from Florida.

[Perrey Z. @ Jun 9th 2006 2:51AM]

Too bad it wasn't available during the statewide tax-free weeks. We sure can use something that will keep us Floridians in contact when the FPL and their diabolical monopoly mysteriously shut the power off and our cordless phones are useless.

[Ken @ Jun 9th 2006 8:20AM]

I spent almost that much on a Starband dish and three satellite modems (over the years). I hope the Inmarsat dish works better than Starband does... worrying about co-pole/cross-pole, the slightest bit of misalignment causing you to lose signal, and the blazing 128K/s for $90/mo just added to the pain of the initial investment and trying to get a satellite tech out.

I wouldn't wish two-way satellite internet on my worst enemies. Dialup or morse code over a ham radio are better.

[FlatCat @ Jun 10th 2006 1:05AM]

Or you could just buy a Globalstar satellite phone for $645 or so and about $30/month.
http://www.globalstarusa.com/

[Yes Man @ Jun 12th 2006 1:38PM]

Iriidum is ok, and so is globalstar. Ask global star what happens when their satellites are falling out of the sky. Iridium is ok, but data is 2.4 kbps.
BGAN is voice and data, who said you need to do the data, the voice works great. You “hurricane victims” complain when you get messed up by storms, and complain you have no contact with the outside world, then a good piece of equipment comes out and you complain again. Why not just move North, and stop rebuilding.
As far as UHF, who wants to go get a license? And what happens if the repeaters are knocked out. Can you walk around with a ham, or do you have to sit in your garage like you do Friday nights?

[ME @ Jul 1st 2006 10:36PM]

I have a ham license and a Qualcomm GSP1600 hand held Globalstar satellite phone with the liberty 1800 plan. It's the American Express card I leave at home! The quality of the Globalstar system is almost like land line quality. Works out to about 50 cents a minute compared to $1.60+ for Iridium.

-Lessons learned in St. Bernard Parish Louisiana