No Cell Signal? This Can Help When You Wander Off-Grid!

A new accessory for phones with no reception might be a life-saver, or at least a link back to civilization. The GoTenna establishes a direct radio connection to other GoTennas up to 4 miles away, so you can send text messages and even share your location with family or friends. Sold in $200 pairs, the device is less clumsy than walkie-talkies, less pricey than satellite phones.

I tested a pair around San Francisco and in some wilder stretches of California. I found GoTenna’s radio tech has some serious range limitations over rocky or urban terrains. Inside the dense, hilly City by the Bay, it was only able to beam a message only over half a mile. But along a relatively flat stretch of beach it eked out a signal across 3 miles.

Still, the GoTenna is a worthwhile tool for people who go off the grid but don’t want to totally disconnect, including campers, skiers, hunters, emergency preppers and cruise-ship voyagers. I’d use one to keep my brood in contact on our next overseas adventure, if only to avoid international roaming charges.

Don’t think of the GoTenna as a fix for patchy cell service. If calls drop a lot where you live or work, you’ve got options, including Wi-Fi calling or installing a mini cell tower.

I also tried a new range-extending iPhone case called the Reach Case R79X, from Antenna79, sold by Best Buy and AT&T. My experience was mixed: In some countryside areas it strengthened a weak signal by as much as two times. But it didn’t do so consistently in different locations. Nor did it pick up signal in areas where the phone alone couldn’t find one. The $60 R79X is worth trying—and returning to the store if it doesn’t help.

The GoTenna is designed for situations where there’s no signal at all. It was born after superstorm Sandy, the 2012 storm that knocked out cell service in parts of New York and New Jersey. In the aftermath, company co-founder Daniela Perdomo, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based tech entrepreneur originally from São Paulo, wondered if there might be a way to let people still use their smartphones without being susceptible to infrastructure failure. The GoTenna began shipping in October.

ENLARGE

Like its name suggests, the GoTenna is a radio antenna. Just about 6 inches long, it’s small and light enough to clip onto a backpack or jacket—but noticeable enough that people stopped me to ask what it was. It connects via Bluetooth to an Apple or Android phone, where the GoTenna app can send and receive data through the antenna when it’s extended to 8 inches. The rechargeable battery lasts about 24 hours, or long enough to send 700 messages.

The GoTenna operates on some the lowest frequencies (151 to 154 MHz) available without a radio license. Those frequencies allow digital signals to travel longer distances. But due to limited bandwidth, GoTenna’s technology doesn’t send voice or photos. It only sends text messages and GPS coordinates—sufficient both for telling a buddy you’ve found the perfect campsite…or flagging a helicopter to come get you off that godforsaken mountain.