My new Somewear Global Hotspot arrived and it’s time to see what came in the package and to get it setup.
Out of the Box
The Somewear Global Hotspot was delivered by Priority Mail and it seemed to be a really small box, but then again, it is a small satellite messenger.
It looks like the package was well packaged, especially when you consider that it was inside another box and foam protection.
The Somewear Global Hotspot comes with the USB cable, tips for best performance, the website URL to activate the device, and two stickers. It doesn’t seem like much, but as I will soon show you, it is all you need.
You will see when you flip the Somewear satellite messenger over that it has a flexible cord that you can hook to your backpack. This is also where you will find the serial number that you’ll need when activating your Somewear Global Hotspot.
On the side of the emergency satellite messenger you will see the power button and the cover to the USB cable.
On the top of the device you can see the blue S.O.S. cap. Take it off and you will discover the actual S.O.S. button and two indicator lights. One of the lights is to show the S.O.S. call is sending and the second light is to show the message has been delivered.
Somewear Account Setup
Now is the time to log into Somewearlabs.com and setup your account. The steps are extremely easy to follow as I will show you below.
First, go to www.somewearlabs.com/getstarted
Select “GET STARTED”
Next, you’ll be asked how you want to sign in. I personally sign in to everything with my Google account.
They ask for your phone number next and then will send you a code to verify your number.
Next you will be asked if you own a Somewear Global Hotspot, followed by your serial number. The serial number is on the back of your new satellite messenger
Now it’s time to enter your contact information and emergency contacts.
It’s time to pick your data plan. You can save money per month if you plan on using is a lot, by going with an annual plan. I am reviewing the Somewear Global Hotspot and am not sure if it will be the satellite messenger I use as my primary device so I selected the least expensive monthly plan.
Now it’s time to pay up. I selected the $15/month Plan 1 but my initial bill came up to $40 as they have a one time activation fee of $25.
Your account is then activated and you will receive a message to download the Somewear app.
This is where things slowed down for me a little. I downloaded the Somewear app easy enough and placed it on my home screen.
After you Somewear app has downloaded it will ask you to connect your phone to your Somewear Global Hostspot.
Make sure your Somewear Global Hotspot is turned off and then depress the power button for 5 seconds or until you see the light begin to flash on the device.
This is where things slowed down for me as It seemed to try to connect for a half an hour or more. I eventually got tired of waiting and turned of the Somewear Global Hotspot and turned it back on. As far as I can tell it did connect and I believe I am ready to hit the trail tomorrow to try it out.
Somewear Global Hotspot Test
I did check a few things and was able to confirm that I could get weather forecasts. that worked perfectly.
Next, I checked to see if I could send and receive messages. That worked as far as I could tell, but I made a mistake and sent it to my son’s cell phone while we were within cellular coverage. I will have to test it more in the mountains when I send it to a Garmin inReach device.
You can see that he received the message and sent a message back. So this seems to be working at this point.
Lastly, I checked to see if I could see the topo map and the trail we were planning on hiking.
The topo maps seem to be working well, but I do have to admit one thing I like about the topo map over the Garmin inReach Topo maps, is that the trail automatically shows up in yellow, as do all the other trails in the area. I’m not sure if Somewear has all the trails, but it is an improvement over the Garmin inReach topo maps, where I have to create the trail path or import it from another software.
Final Thoughts
The account setup and test went smoothly, other than the long wait for my phone to connect to the Somewear Global Hotspot.
Next Up… The real field test on a hiking trail near Leadville, Colorado.
You can see a short video when I received the device and setup the account.
I would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you own a Somewear Global Hotspot. Send me an Email or leave a Comment Below.
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Somewear Global Hotspot
Pros
- Compact & Lightweight
- 2-Way Messaging
- SOS Distress Call
- Location Tracking
- Global Satellite Network
Cons
- Must be Synced with Smartphone
- High Initial Purchase Price
- Must Rely on Phone Battery
What an amazing and interesting device! Recently, I have been really into exploring my island a little more and hiking has been on the top-to-do list ever since I started this journey. Though, I try to not go in too deep because I’m still not fairly familiar with this whole concept but this device seems like a perfect tool to carry around while you’re out there opening up to new experiences. Thank you for the information and the follow-up directions. That truly is a life-changer.
Thank you. Anytime you venture off grid and may potentially be out of cell service, it’s best to have a backup if you need to communicate with others or call for help.
Rick