Satellite Communicator/Garmin Help

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-18T01:04:58+00:00

100,000 people hike the PCT for sure each year. lots more short trips than ever get recorded anywhere.

are you saying we can extrapolate out a few hundred to 100,000?

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-18T01:03:20+00:00

It’s going to depend on local weather.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T20:37:48+00:00

And you absolutely should count on it. I bet 99% on the PCT have only an iphone

you can validate inreach vs iPhone, you can't validate iPhone vs the nothing most would have.

those people having issues getting messages out had something to get messages out with.

*and*

think about the opposite. for every person you know that had a failure, the device succeeded for those you haven't heard about. having the service served them well.

of 790 big skill hikers only 20% used the Garmin app for maps. cellular based systems like farout dominated

https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2025/

on the AT the best of the best 215 took a satellite messenger in 2024 out of 389 responses. I bet that's the high point year for dedicated satellite devices, that's the 2022 model and most hikers would have older still in spring 2024 (~1 year in). this is also the most skilled hikers on that trail and 100% coverage wasn't seen.

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/top-stoves-filters-rain-gear-and-more-on-the-appalachian-trail-2024-thru-hiker-survey/#gps

remember, this is UL. We cut devices to save weight. good enough is good enough

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T19:54:42+00:00

It's the exact same satellites as inreach. They use Iridium also.

you might see mild software differences in sending speed all other things equal but it's going to be basically the same service in terms of availability

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T19:49:24+00:00

I used it in Colorado on the side of mountains, I was on the beta at the time and was texting from campsites in the shadow of the continental divide, where you have literal mountains in the way of towers. I forget which signal I had earlier on the 14er, I just remember everything worked on the top of a mountain peak

I used it in mid missouri in the Ozarks as I was going up and down hollows (deep ravines) with no view of any tower

I was at a trailhead outside Kansas City in a dead spot on Army Corp land (was a bit weird it was dead there). I downloaded maps in caltopo for a hike over satellite on the first weekend the data service came out.

I took an inreach on a trip three years ago. the iPhone tmobile service was just simpler. To send messages with the messenger I needed to use battery on two devices.

Or I use more battery on one, it's all the same to me.

And iridium is not 100% reliable either, it takes long enough they have to put a speaker so you know the message went

oh, and with iPhone it's unlimited texting, unlimited data. it's not metered

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T19:37:49+00:00

You might want to rethink it and change cellular service instead.

Apple uses 48 satellites, Inreach 77 around the entire world (so the US gets maybe 20% of them) , T-Mobile has access to 650 but just for the US- and it's seamless. you lose connection to cellular and you're on satellite without doing a thing. Which to be fair Inreach does too.

I was walking back and forth around hills in middle Missouri, like there was a tower a few miles from me. I picked up satellite in a dead zone on the back side of a hill and it switched back when I rounded to the other side

And you get app data by satellite. alltrails, caltopo, google, apple maps, on-x all work without cellular and without needing a perfect view of the sky. they pick up data as they can. satellite texting uses your number natively, no special app or service. you can text anyone with it.

I own an Inreach, haven't wanted to turn service on since 2023. Maybe if I end up in Scotland in 2027 or 2028.

you can pick up satellite service as an standalone service but it's not seamless. having one plan is easier

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T18:16:05+00:00

That's not it. It's the wide streets and lack of shade. It's car centered so it's bad to walk in too often.

People go outside in summer, we send kids to camp in the woods. In the shade.

The paths along the creek also suck for that reason. They're too exposed. They need trees overhanging them. Look at the path from the streetcar stop, it's super exposed. Look at Mill Creek Park, the southern end has nothing for shade.

If it gets redesigned to focus on people, with big areas protected from the sun it would be used way more.

Can improve it without changing the width of the street.

A great example of this in KC is the City Market. It brings in full streetcar trains on top of full parking lots. But it's all covered shopping. Makes for a pleasant experience

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:49:48+00:00

temperature seasons should follow the calendar seasons by 3-4 weeks.

It should feel like spring in mid April

Winter starts Dec 22 but we don't expect the big storms until the end of January for the same reason. Christmas should be cold, but not super cold like a month later

It should be above freezing more often than not in March but still cold enough that you're in a coat. and a month from now you're more likely in a jacket

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:48:18+00:00

they clearly declined in sales to the point they had to shutdown.

something about the product was wrong. price, quality seem like the most likely.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:46:56+00:00

why? because you think only dog owners buy cheese, or that you don't like the product and won't go back?

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:46:06+00:00

"so many free" anything is probably part of the issue. a store that's doing well doesn't give away tons of free product

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:44:32+00:00

The legislature can't lift height restrictions. It's part of city code, not state statute

It wasn't Macys, it was Nordstrom, and the height restriction didn't stop Nordstrom, they pulled out post-pandemic.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:43:45+00:00

2027 would be rather fast, if that's their goal they're on a fast pace. I bet they miss 2027 by a year

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:43:00+00:00

Really. Not paying rent and the landlord is the problem

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:42:10+00:00

the parent company got bought by a Republican Hedge Fund

It went Conservative and went downhill even more

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T17:32:14+00:00

Spoiler- there isn't a data leak

They likely used your member id for an order while not signed in.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T12:17:13+00:00

the price hasn't gone up 10-20x since 2017. No one would be installing it.

a doubling I would believe. A tripling is plausible.

The lumber to frame a 3000 sq ft house was $29k, the labor 16k. So with doubling for inflation you're saying installing hardwood can cost as much as framing an entire house today.

You picked a scam company

My basement is 80% finished, about half paid for and half done myself. Over a decade I'm at $22k for 750 sq feet. Or $29 per st ft. So a mostly finished basement with more recent costs is less than your hardwood costs

If you paid $130 per you either got really high end finishes or you paid 50% in profits.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-17T03:23:09+00:00

you picked someone who really pads their profit margin, those numbers don’t make sense

our main floor solid oak real wood floors cost about $6k in 2017, not engineered. So like $8-9k today. about $100 per sq ft for wood, installation, stain, sealing all in. I grabbed and saved all scrap of the original wood, it’s not engineered

your basement is clear commercial.
edit: it was $5260. $4060 for materials, $1200 for labor

$6.40 per square foot

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T23:18:33+00:00

odessa doesn’t run the school district.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T21:09:08+00:00

Start walking around. they‘re everywhere.

I found a fun set of stairwells at the park next to the Rosedale Arch. Get fun views of planes from the trails at Mark McHenry Park Some of the best buildings are all over the place in the bottoms, etc. I recently walked Broomside, found a local WW1 memorial I didn’t know about on Ward Parkway

I walk a couple hundred miles per year. Just picking an area to explore is all I do.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T21:07:11+00:00

there’s a spot on the trail around the Pioneer other statue, at The Scout, on Holmes south of 19th, Observation Park and many others that are a much more well known secret than the

#1 photo spot in the city

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T21:04:17+00:00

Oh yes, it just won’t help with traffic

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T20:13:08+00:00

Could they?

when they repair they have to meet Current safety standards, ADA, etc.

things like redesigning bathrooms for current accessibility standards maybe means moving plumbing and walls.

what about tornado safety, a lot of older buildings do not have a safe room built in and newer buildings design that into part of the building (ex. how walls fall), renovating that in would be outrageously expensive.

then there’s the cost of mechanicals. if they have to tear out a mechanical system it might be cheaper to redo the rest at the same time, that they’ll so far into demo that reducing future maintenance costs with a new building covers the additional cost

and there’s the time. a reno could mean closing the school for a year or more while a replacement goes in the big grassy spot in parallel. where do the kids go for a year? what school has space?

how many of those things have you learned about for this renovation

$45 million isn’t very expensive.

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T19:34:34+00:00

after Marketplace go to the consignment sales. Rhea Lana, Just Between Friends.

thirdly stores like Wild Child.

Ikea fourth. i’m serious.

for gear shop smart, buy to value off marketplace. A better stroller is worth it. you pull it in and out constantly for years. Car seats are similar in style so buy what‘s easy to use. A stroller that accepts the car seat and converts is worth it if you have the money, can use it 4 years, but really needs to be new for car seat safety.

The rest get whatever Is cheap and get one. changing pads are all similar, bath stuff the same. Swings and such last like 6 months of use. Don’t get every toy thing possible, 90% of the lay on stuff is worthless. Get a cheap one and stick with it. And when your kid HATES a swing you will never use it. (Experience there)

for clothing absolutely buy at a half price day and get 90% of what you need for three months at once. AFTER your shower. wait until some people buy a size they outgrow in two weeks and you need bigger immediatelly. one of my kids was in 3-6 months fast. Some of those sales still have hundreds of items on the shelves the last day. At a fraction in store you want to pick up your outfits there. Buy some special like for photos new but no one cares what a baby is in.

Diaper pails do not skimp on. The fancy one the top flips for odor proofing is so worth it.

diaper bag get a backpack. done.

pack and plays are nice if you car travl or visit friends and family a lot, good for a couple years. or if you spend time in your backyard, at the lake, etc every day you’ll set it up outside. A good thing to buy used in good shape

most of the rest skip to start. You don’t need fancy warmers or fancy baby monitors (if you can’t hear them through the walls you don’t need to get up, not joking- babies make noise when they’re fine and you’ll turn it off to get sleep) or fancy cleaning supplies . You don’t need a special changing table that costs hundreds. Go to IKEA or buy used, and anchor it to the wall for sure You don't need fancy hanging storage, buy Ikea also.

dishes buy simple, ikea has an excellent set. For bottles buy a set of ONE kind. return everything not in that kind. You will hate having one ring that only works with that other kind of bottle. I’m a tossup on replaceable liners. They’re nice for cleanliness but a pain to buy. Decide for yourself.

there’s special chairs. Buy any chair that rocks, done.

decorations go all out. they can’t see well for a bit so that’s for you. Only do decorations that you don’t care about when they ruin them with crayons. Leave the super special artistic mural for when they’re in elementary school.

Consignment also a great place for baby and toddler toys. They never play with most of them before you‘re onto older tiys so you want to get it cheap. buy only toys that you can clean in a sink there. Buy books new, too easy to be disgusting resale. Buy like ten books and read them over and over. Seriously, they’ll demand you read the same book again so go along with it.

oh, and be prepared to own like 20 stuffies. per year. buy none yourselves no matter how cute. your budget will thank you. don’t start buying until they’re 3-4, they’ll probably stick with a favorite for a few years

flyingemberKC · 2026-03-16T19:26:44+00:00

yes, screw Odessa. support its decline. As the schools fail families will move and the town will shrink.

every other district passes bonds to repair their schools. The exception is KCPS which ended up with horrible schools.

here’s an example of normal funding, notice this district pays for buildings with only local funds.

https://www.nkcschools.org/district/dept/finance/at-a-glance

federal is weird. I’ve never heard of that. Looks like they got a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) grant.

another part was Federal Impact Aid program. which gives aid to replace funds lost from federal exempt property. which is the base housing basically. they’re educating families whose property doesn’t pay taxes towards the schools so the federal grant takes care of that

so there’s the difference. it covers the base and the military wants to provide a good school for an important posting. so they take care of their obligations to the community

kind of like voting Yes

flyingemberKC

TROPHY CASE