Bivystick?

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Bravo30

Well-known member
I’m looking into getting one of these for when we’re out and about in the van. From what I understand it pairs with your phone and allows you to send text messages via satellite, view maps on the app and send out an SOS. My question is, let’s say my van breaks down and I don’t necessarily want to send out an SOS, how would I get in contact with a tow company etc? Would I start texting fiends and family and have them coordinate or is there some type of call center/dispatch that I could text?


Amazon.com: Bivy Stick : Electronics

Amazon.com: Bivy Stick : Electronics
www.amazon.com


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R

Rando

Explorer
What is the advantage of this over an inReach? At first glance it appears to give you less functionality for more money, so there must be something I am missing.
 
C

Chuck1

Active member
1 review ! , for the same price you can get a well tested Garmin inreach, if this is life and death buy a Gamin for backup. ;)
 
B

Bravo30

Well-known member
Rando said:
What is the advantage of this over an inReach? At first glance it appears to give you less functionality for more money, so there must be something I am missing.
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No activation fee or contract so if you only need it for a month, you pay for a month. This can also be paired with your cellphone so you send your text messages through there and you can also view maps via the app on your phone. I’m still undecided myself.
 
DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
You can pair an InReach with a phone. That's not an option with SPOT devices, they are stand alone devices.

The activation fee and service between all the various devices is different. The ability to turn this Bivy on and off on 30-day uses and the buying credit thing is interesting. Garmin offers a similar option to turn on and off an InReach for intermittent service I believe.

OTOH, I've owned a basic SPOT Gen 3 tracker for a few years now and since it's an annual contract I just always have it on my backpack or in the truck. I figure I have the device because it's not possible to anticipate when or where you'll have an issue and not have cell coverage. So if I've spent the money I'd want it all the time.

Another difference is Bivy uses Global Rescue to service the distress (SOS) activation while SPOT and InReach contract with GEOS. Both are known outfits but they are organized slightly differently. This emergency coordination is really what you're paying for in the subscription.

As I understand it GEOS IERCC is focused on just coordinating SAR for their clients while Global Rescue does more than just the SOS answering they're doing for Bivy (like travel insurance, risk management, medical advisement - I think you'd have to pay for these services beyond the Bivy subscription). I don't think this is critical, I'm sure either will be competent at the task of coordinating an activation with appropriate SAR people.

All theses devices use the Iridium constellation with the exception of SPOT, who has their own being a brand of Globalstar. So as far as coverage anywhere an Inreach works so will a Bivy stick. There's going to be some difference in the device itself and how well it works but the coverage from the satellites will be identical. In this case the InReach is much more mature and has a larger user base so the strengths and weaknesses are probably more well known.

One thing to consider is the original Bivy stick was a 5.2 A-hr battery that could keep your cell phone charged. That I thought would be handy. The new Bivy stick blue is a 1.4 A-hr battery that won't do that but will be an additional device now to keep charged. Having more stuff to keep charged is one reason why I have not jumped from a SPOT Gen 3 (uses 4 x AAA batteries) to an InReach that requires USB charging an internal battery. In a truck that's fine but backpacking or on bike it's just more junk to carry.
 
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JaSAn

JaSAn

Grumpy Old Man
My 2¢:
The glaring difference (to me) is that the Bivy Stick becomes a simple, one way beacon if for any reason your cell phone is unavailable (forgot in truck, battery dead, fell in lake, . . . ). My inReach is fully functional as a stand alone unit.

At least once a month I am somewhere where having an SOS capability is prudent, so my inReach is active all year. I just consider it another insurance cost.
Bivy Stick is just incorporating an 'activation fee' into their monthly billing. If you are only going to have it active for a couple of months, maybe their price model makes more sense to you.

As for non-life threatening problems: I have family and friends that will coordinate 'rescue'. It is very arthritic (text communication through an intermediary), but it beats what I had in the back country in the '70s (no way to summon help).
 
R

Rando

Explorer
Bravo30 said:
No activation fee or contract so if you only need it for a month, you pay for a month. This can also be paired with your cellphone so you send your text messages through there and you can also view maps via the app on your phone. I’m still undecided myself.
Click to expand...

Garmin/inReach also has a no contract option monthly plans as well and can be paired with a cellphone (although unlike Bivy it is still fully functional without a phone). True dat on the activation fee, but given the price difference between the inReach Mini and Bivy, the activation fee is a wash.
 
DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Adam_Cole said:

ZOLEO® Seamless Connectivity Beyond Cell Coverage | ZOLEO

ZOLEO® provides seamless global messaging connectivity beyond cell coverage, learn more about the ZOLEO Satellite Communicator, the app and more.
www.zoleo.com

This pairs with your phone with an app, unit is only $199, has cheaper contracts, and uses Iridium network when no cell or WiFi network.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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This seems like a better deal than the Bivystick.
 
B

Bravo30

Well-known member
My main concern is the van breaking down and needing to contact a service shop. The vans in great shape but I just don’t have the skills needs work on a Sprinter van on the side of a trail. Our other concern would be an SOS for a broken leg or something along those lines where we couldn’t move. We carry tons of gear in the van so we’re pretty much covered for any of the other issues that pop up when off grid.

Any recommendations?
 
DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Bravo30 said:
My main concern is the van breaking down and needing to contact a service shop. The vans in great shape but I just don’t have the skills needs work on a Sprinter van on the side of a trail. Our other concern would be an SOS for a broken leg or something along those lines where we couldn’t move. We carry tons of gear in the van so we’re pretty much covered for any of the other issues that pop up when off grid.

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Recommendation for what? What functionality are you expecting to have?

The two main features here are (1) to have a way to send a few of texts to people you know or (b) to punch a button to get as close to 911 as you can get off grid.

The SOS function with a two-way device does have some ability for the coordinator to assess your situation before making the call on a full-blown search and rescue.

But the SOS option isn't there really to help you with flat tires. GEOS and Global Rescue aren't going to want to Google mechanics for you. They are there to get you safely out when your life is currently or will soon be threatened. Global Rescue will, I think, sell you travel insurance and assistance but I doubt that's covered in the basic subscription for any of these devices. What the subscription is paying for is search-and-rescue coordination.

Break downs and such things are what the SMS features are for. So you have to know contacts ahead of time. You probably should have a list of people you can trust to help you, either directly or can coordinate what you need.
 
B

Bravo30

Well-known member
DaveInDenver said:
Recommendation for what? What functionality are you expecting to have?

The two main features here are (1) to have a way to send a few of texts to people you know or (b) to punch a button to get as close to 911 as you can get off grid.

The SOS function with a two-way device does have some ability for the coordinator to assess your situation before making the call on a full-blown search and rescue.

But the SOS option isn't there really to help you with flat tires. GEOS and Global Rescue aren't going to want to Google mechanics for you. They are there to get you safely out when your life is currently or will soon be threatened. Global Rescue will, I think, sell you travel insurance and assistance but I doubt that's covered in the basic subscription for any of these devices. What the subscription is paying for is search-and-rescue coordination.

Break downs and such things are what the SMS features are for. So you have to know contacts ahead of time. You probably should have a list of people you can trust to help you, either directly or can coordinate what you need.
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I’m not worried about flat tires. I drive a Mercedes Sprinter van and these things can go into limp mode and leave you stranded or any number of DEF issues can you leave you high and dry as well. We travel cross country so having contacts ahead of time isn’t going to happen because most of the time we have no idea where were at or where we’re going.

I guess short of a satellite phone I’m going to have to settle on 2 way messaging from my contacts list and have a friend or family member make the proper arrangements. I just though maybe there was some type of non emergency dispatch I could communicate with that’s all.
 
DaveInDenver

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Bravo30 said:
I’m not worried about flat tires. I drive a Mercedes Sprinter van and these things can go into limp mode and leave you stranded or any number of DEF issues can you leave you high and dry as well. We travel cross country so having contacts ahead of time isn’t going to happen because most of the time we have no idea where were at or where we’re going.

I guess short of a satellite phone I’m going to have to settle on 2 way messaging from my contacts list and have a friend or family member make the proper arrangements. I just though maybe there was some type of non emergency dispatch I could communicate with that’s all.
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These device aren't quite perfect if you don't have people you can call on to do some back end work with Google and making phone calls on your behalf.

Probably a sat phone and a subscription to some sort of travel assistance is what you may be thinking?

Such as this: https://www.globalrescue.com/personal/travelservices.html

Edited. This is not correct, they will apparently coordinate tow trucks.
The SOS function on a SPOT/InReach/Zoleo/Bivy is a pared down version of travel assistance for medical assistance and extraction. It's not intended to be a general purpose, full-service assistance service.

SPOT (and probably InReach, not sure about the others) do offer an additional package called Save Our Vehicle, which is some sort of road-side assistance. That may be closest to what you've in mind?

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/pr...nal-services/spot-x#SPOT-SOV-Save-Our-Vehicle
 
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