We are living through a BC to AD communications epoch change…. Not one to change you calendar though, a Before Cellular to After Digital epoch change.
Back in the day… before we had cellular telecommunications, we went into the backcountry and took responsibility for our own wellbeing. Then we had cellular phones and we had the comfort of knowing that if we got into trouble we could phone someone - only some of the times we couldn’t as cell service wasn’t/isn’t as widely available as we like to travel.
Geopositioning satellites were placed in orbit and while initially they only enabled passive receptive devices to provide positioning information (GPS), they became able to provide uplinking communications by pairing cell phones with satellite SOS devices such as Garmin’s InReach and Zoleo’s er Zoleo.
In the very nature of things technological, the wheel continued to turn, new and more functional satellites were placed in orbit (for better or worse) and the provision of satellite communication began to be extended to all. Phone technology developed to enable smartphones to talk to satellites. That’s as technical as I can get!
Like many of my colleagues, I have carried a satellite SOS device with me when I have gone up country. I have never had to use it (thankfully) but I have been caught up in other people’s situations where the InReach or Zoleo has been used to summon help. It hasn’t been a particularly cheap piece of tech to have and never used, but I suppose if the sH1t had ever hit the fan I would have been grateful that I could have pressed the red button and had International Rescue flying Thunderbird 2 to come and save my sorry lardy arse…
So now I have an iPhone 16…. It can send sms messages via satellite…. Provided I don’t stray into the Arctic (fat chance!). My InReach is suddenly “old technology”. I have cancelled my subscription and wonder what Garmin and Zoleo are going to do next…?
I am also left wondering what the around-the-corner rally tech developments are going to be.
Staple apps and systems such as Rally Roadbook Reader, Richta, Terra Pirata and Rabbit Rally run on passive GPS signals. RallyComp (as I understand) runs on two way satellite communications to inform event HQ of the progress of each participant. Up until now this level of satellite telecommunications has been quite expensive and beyond the scope of local “club” events.
Are we about to see a further revolution in the functionality of app-based smartphone rally tech that is able to use smartphone satellite sms messaging to provide dynamic, two way comms with rally riders and drivers?
Truthfully, I don’t know, I’m only staring into my crystal balls - but if such systems are indeed in the pipeline, I hope they are straightforward and simple for the ordinary person to use…
I think I might like to beta-test one of these if the opportunity arises ;)
Bình luận