Some
people move out to the boonies to avoid communications with humans!
Others, like us, can live in a lovely, remote spot only because of
such technologies for business, emergencies, information, and
personal connections. Below is a list of equipment we have bought or
built, with price points, organized from least to most sophisticated
(and power dependent). Some worked beautifully from the start.
Others required several iterations to get right.
If you
are at the point of comparing and contrasting several different
remote properties, two prudent considerations might be to assess which
communications products and services will work in one location vs.
another and how much power various options will draw. For example, a position on this or that side of a mountain,
or high or low in a valley, can influence reception. Every telephone
company we called said that we would be unable to receive phone
service at our location. However, an antenna that my husband
installed high on a 120 foot power tower (solar/wind) proved capable of
receiving line of sight signals from a cell phone tower about 45
miles away.
Hand
cranked radio ($20)
(for
incoming communications during power outages)
We
bought a used, hand cranked radio on E-Bay to use during Houston, TX
hurricanes and have kept it for many years since. What a cheap,
small, useful purchase! This is a no brainer to keep at home or in
your vehicle.
Walkie
talkies ($79)
(for
two way communication in line-of-sight, limited ranges)
We love
our walkie talkies (about $79 at Sportsman's Warehouse).
