Any experience with Motorola Defy?

[azhiker96]

I’ve been busy with work life the past decade but will have a lot of time and hiking opportunity opening by the end of the year. Previously I used a Spot messenger to send premade messages to ease the mind of my wife at home. However, I did use the SOS one time when I got disoriented in some canyons in Utah. Two way communication would have been very valuable and saved me a couple of grand on a helicopter ride. I was just out of water and a hundred yards off trail. I could have waited for a Ranger with a liter of water but had no way to communicate that to my wife.

Anyway, I’m now checking into two way messaging devices and the Motorola Defy looks like it would fit my needs. Anyone have one? Love it? Hate it? Thanks in advance.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

I've read some good reviews/comments discussing the Defy, and the 2nd point comes from a satellite engineer.

First, I'm a bit prejudice because I worked at Motorola summers in high school. It's not fair - or even rational - to believe, 50 years later, that the same "rush it to market" mind set still exists at Motorola. But I'm hesitant to buy the Mark 1 model for that reason.

Still, the free year for the needed app is appealing.

But second, and more fact based, the Defy communicates with satellites way up high in geosynchronous orbit. One problem with that is simple geometry. You have to have an unobstructed view to the South.

https://www.satsig.net/maps/satellite-t ... ng-usa.htm

Now, here in AZ, the angle might not be that low. (Look at the way that DISH antennas are pointed here.) Still, in the few trips that I've done so far, I can recall plenty of times that mountains blocked my view of a geosynchronous satellite.

[LindaAnn]

@azhiker96
I don’t have any experience with the Motorola Defy, but I carry a Garmin Inreach 2 nearly all the time, and have used an Iridium GO satellite link as well. Both have some similar features and similar concepts as the Defy.

I have never had a message fail using either device. The Inreach sometimes has a lag of a few minutes, but that has not bothered me since I’ve never used it in an emergency. Obviously, I had to make sure I was positioned to connect to a satellite (open area, clear view to the south), but the device told me when I had connection. I imagine the Defy would indicate connectivity as well.

I do a lot of driving thru the western US, in a lot of areas without cell coverage, and having the Inreach with me gives some extra peace of mind. Once, I had a tire blow out in an area with no cell svc. No way I’m changing a tire on my own. Rather than drag my kids along the side of a highway who knows how long to find cell svc, I used the Inreach to text a friend the situation, and he was able to relay the info to a tow truck driver. My tire was changed within about an hour. Huge relief.

It’s up to you to decide how much you want to invest in your safety, but a device that only costs $149 with a free year of basic service, then pretty cheap after that, I would say the Defy is definitely worth at least trying for a year.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

I'm guessing that you've already seen this. But in case not,

[ youtube video ]

The first comment is the one from the retired sat engineer that I cited above.

Update: And a few weeks ago, the Zoleo was selling for $150. (It's back to $200 now.)

Some of the Influencers are "ambassadors" for Zoleo. Sometimes they have a discount. (Although not as deep.)

[azhiker96]

Thank you both for your replies. Reliability is more important to me than cost. Since my hikes do often take me out of line of sight to various directions I’ll pass on the Defy for now.

Interesting point on the Spot. When I triggered the SOS it sent a signal every 10 minutes I think, Those coordinates were never the same though. It looked like I was running around in my canyon. I guess based on signal echos from the rock walls it thought I was moving even though I had laid down to take a nap in the shade.

At least my wife assumed I was able to walk/run which was correct. She just couldn’t figure out why I was moving so much and you know how the imagination works. She thought I was desperate and to please hurry. Two way messages is pretty much required now for future adventures.

[seaboy03]

Having reliable communication while out on the trail definitely provides peace of mind. The Motorola Defy seems like a solid option for lightweight 2-way messaging capability.

While I don't have direct experience with that specific device, I do use an InReach Mini and love having true two-way messaging via the satellite connection. Being able to directly communicate my status and coordinate if needed is invaluable.

The Defy's combination of radio, cellular, and satellite connectivity seems versatile. The calendar 2024 is an essential organizational tool that delineates the 12 months of that particular year,I like that it can integrate with smart phones for enhanced mapping/GPS capability too. Having redundant systems to relay messages is smart.

The only downside may be shorter battery life compared to a unit solely focused on satellite comms. But being able to send quick radio texts to other Defy users nearby is cool.

Let us know if you end up with the Defy and how it performs after some real-world testing on trails! Reliable backcountry communication is a game changer. Appreciate you sharing info on this option. Safe travels when you get back out there!

[xsproutx]

The Defy uses the Inmarsat network which is widely considered to be the worst in the community for something like this, especially when mountains and canyons are expected. Could be part of the reason that it's cheaper.
I personally wouldn't use anything not on the Iridium network. The two biggest at this time are Zoleo and Garmin. I'm a zoleo guy because I like it how it switches between cell/sat automatically and the app to app communication gives you 1000 character messages. Since it's mostly my wife I'm communicating with, it's good for longer form messages at the end of the day for updates on our days/kid/etc.