It is a sponsored put up delivered to you by ZOLEO. Save $50 off the ZOLEO Satellite tv for pc Communicator AND get a free six-month subscription to Gaia GPS Premium once you buy a communicator now by way of September thirteenth. Moreover, for a restricted time you need to use the code backpackerradio for a free machine activation (a $20 worth).
It’s now been over three years since I first reviewed the ZOLEO Satellite tv for pc Communicator for The Trek. On the time, the ZOLEO was new and was a relative newcomer to the satellite tv for pc communicator market. Since then, I’ve backpacked over 9,000 miles with a ZOLEO on my pack. I’ve noticed a large rise within the machine’s reputation throughout that point.
Three years is sort of a span for any piece of know-how nowadays. ZOLEO has rolled out new options, and I’ve had the possibility to hike all around the nation with it and see the way it holds up over time. So it’s excessive time for an replace on that unique ZOLEO assessment, accounting for my expertise with it over the previous couple of years in addition to all these updates.
My Expertise Utilizing the ZOLEO on the Calendar 12 months Triple Crown
The ZOLEO was my satellite tv for pc communicator of alternative in 2022 once I spent the yr mountain climbing an prolonged model of the Calendar 12 months Triple Crown (CYTC). I used to be out backpacking from January 1st in Key West to December 18th on the Mexican border on the PCT. The ZOLEO was with me each step of the way in which on that hike.
I largely caught to its major function, utilizing it to speak once I was too deep within the backcountry for normal texting. Having the ZOLEO meant I used to be capable of communicate with my household by way of the swamps of Florida. It made resort reservation logistics attainable from deep within the Sierra Nevada. I used to be even capable of talk with household coming by way of the house stretch of essentially the most distant sections of the CDT.
Throughout your entire nation, there was by no means anyplace I wasn’t capable of get a message out. That’s a very powerful function to me, and the ZOLEO proved true, time and time once more, with straightforward, seamless messaging.
Zoleo Satellite tv for pc Communicator At a Look
- MSRP: $199 (discounted to $149 by way of September 13)
- Weight: 5.3 oz
- Battery: Rechargeable
- Battery life: 200+ hours
- 2-way communication? Sure
Zoleo Satellite tv for pc Communicator Options
Listed here are among the ZOLEO’s important options, new and outdated.
Devoted SMS Quantity
I take into account the power to simply message folks to be a top-priority function in a satellite tv for pc communicator. The ZOLEO’s streamlined messaging is completely one of many elements that attracted me to it.
Whenever you arrange your ZOLEO, it’ll have an assigned SMS (brief message service) cellphone quantity that anyone in your cellphone can obtain texts from. Texts have a 160-character restrict, however they are often despatched to anyone in your contact record, ZOLEO app person or not. (Customers of the free app can ship for much longer messages as effectively; extra on that later.)
This quantity doesn’t ever change, so the oldsters you textual content most repeatedly from it will probably save this cellphone quantity to textual content your ZOLEO any time. It additionally makes sending messages to new contacts straightforward. As a thru-hiker, you can scan social media feedback for path angel cellphone numbers at an upcoming street crossing and shoot an SMS textual content to arrange a trip into city, cell service or not. On their finish, it is going to come by way of the identical as a daily textual content message.
Configurable Message Test Interval
That is one other helpful function that permits you to decide how often your ZOLEO checks for incoming messages. The ZOLEO could be set to test messages each 12, 24, or 60 minutes. It may also be left in “at all times on” mode to facilitate frequent communications, or in case you simply must scan for brand spanking new texts sporadically, you possibly can manually set off a message test on an as-needed foundation.
These choices (all of which could be adjusted on the fly) enable the person to continuously dial of their ZOLEO for optimum effectivity. I might often maintain mine set to “at all times on” whereas engaged in an lively dialog with somebody; the remainder of the time when not in use, I might save battery by protecting the machine totally powered off.
Lengthy Messages of 900+ Characters
Along with the SMS texts, ZOLEO customers can ship messages over 900 characters to anyone who has the ZOLEO app on their cellphone. The app is free: anybody can obtain it without having to buy something or open an account. This function makes seamless communication even simpler. Even from the path, you can use your 160-character ZOLEO SMS texts to inform an individual to obtain the ZOLEO app on their cellphone; as soon as they do you’ll instantly be capable to ship that particular person longer messages.
I had all my household obtain the app earlier than setting out for the CYTC; for the remainder of the yr we have been capable of talk by way of lengthy messages inside the app.
When on the town, you possibly can seamlessly stick with it communications within the app over wifi or cell sign even with out having the ZOLEO machine powered on. So, as a substitute of switching backwards and forwards between conversations in numerous apps, as soon as I’d get to a city, I may simply maintain the dialog going over wifi within the ZOLEO app, all with out burning battery on my machine so I may maintain it turned off and charging.
Progressive SOS
This function permits ZOLEO customers to remain “on the road” with emergency companies as soon as the SOS has been triggered. It should ship standing updates all through the method to make emergency response as clean as attainable. ZOLEO is even now providing to schedule SOS testing in order that customers can perceive what that course of appears like and make sure, for their very own peace of thoughts, that the button will certainly work when it must.
Sturdy Design
The ZOLEO is bomb-proof. It’s water-, shock-, and dust-resistant, and after three years of onerous use, I can attest that I’ve by no means had points with any of these issues.
I additionally love that there aren’t many buttons on the machine itself, making it easy to function and nearly eliminating the chance of urgent one thing by chance.
The SOS button is roofed by a protecting little bit of plastic, so it’s nearly unattainable to by chance set off it. This leaves solely two accessible buttons, each of that are troublesome to by chance press. These are the ability and check-in buttons. So principally, on the very worst, you can by chance energy in your machine and ship a check-in “I’m OK” message. And for the document, in all my hundreds of miles of carrying my ZOLEO, I’ve by no means as soon as by chance pressed a button whereas mountain climbing.
The flip facet is that even when one thing have been to occur to my cellphone, the ZOLEO can nonetheless talk independently — which I’m additionally an enormous fan of. You wouldn’t be capable to clarify you could’t textual content, however you can nonetheless ship check-ins and activate SOS, so even when your cellphone goes down you continue to have your lifeline.
Inexpensive Gadget and Plans
The ZOLEO itself is the least costly machine of its type available on the market proper now. Three years after my unique assessment, the value hasn’t been raised; it’s nonetheless simply $199 (and really solely $149 throughout their present fall promo), which is an unbelievable worth.
The ZOLEO’s corresponding satellite tv for pc messaging plans are additionally aggressive, beginning at simply $20 monthly for the essential plan and topping out at a nonetheless very affordable $50 monthly for limitless messaging. All plans embrace limitless free check-in and SOS messages.
Straightforward Gadget Sharing
ZOLEO makes it straightforward for a number of customers to share the identical single machine. The present person disconnects their machine and the subsequent person downloads the free app and connects their very own machine over bluetooth. That’s it — it’s significantly that easy.
So as an example, one particular person may take the machine out for a weekend after which go it on to their buddy to make use of the next weekend. Or, let’s say two individuals are thru-hiking collectively and one among them is carrying a ZOLEO. The ZOLEO service then will get harm or goes dwelling for a weekend for a marriage or any of the thousand causes hikers depart path for a brief or lengthy interval. The ZOLEO person may simply switch the machine to the opposite particular person of their absence.
It truly is completely designed for a clean transition from person to person.
Medical Help
This has received to be one of many coolest new options in a satellite tv for pc communicator I’ve ever seen. ZOLEO now presents “Medical Help,” a 24/7 non-emergency help service. It permits customers to talk with a medical skilled to get non-life threatening medical recommendation; find clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and dentists; and obtain assist in changing prescription or medical provides.
It is a huge profit for all customers and is particularly useful for folk with situations that imply they should entry medical companies repeatedly.
Remaining Ideas
The ZOLEO is a particularly environment friendly and easy-to-use satellite tv for pc communicator. Mine has carried out flawlessly over 9,000-plus miles and counting. Fortuitously, I’ve by no means wanted emergency assist in my adventures, however the communication options have been so clean and straightforward, facilitating numerous conversations and giving me and my family members nice peace of thoughts.
My family and friends have rested a lot simpler realizing that I’ve had a trusty communicator helpful all through all my mountain climbing over the previous couple of years. And from what I’ve seen from the corporate, they’re solely on the rise, staying on the prime of the aggressive discipline with new modern options and persevering with to carry out when it issues most.
And proper now is a superb time to affix the ZOLEO group, as they’re operating a fall promotion of $50 (25 %!) off a brand new machine, in addition to a free six-month Gaia GPS Premium subscription. It is a improbable time to check out probably the greatest satellite tv for pc communicators available on the market.
Test Out the ZOLEO Satellite tv for pc Communicator
The Zoleo Satellite tv for pc Communicator was donated for objective of assessment.
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