Best Budget Satellite Communicator: Motorola Defy vs. Zoleo

For several years I've trusted my Zoleo Satellite Communicator to keep me safe and in communications while on trail. Recently Overwatch x Rescue and Bullitt reached out to me to review the Motorola Defy Satellite Link which runs only 25% of what the Zoleo costs (and weighs half as much!). So I compared these two budget-friendly emergency devices to see if the Motorola Defy is worth the considerable price and weight savings.
---- LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO ----
Motorola Defy Satellite Link - amzn.to/46BZHko
Zoleo Satellite Communicator - amzn.to/399VR6e
In Reach Explorer+ Satellite Communicator - amzn.to/3RoOv6m
Iridium Satellite Network - www.iridium.co...
Skylo Tech Satellite Network - www.skylo.tech/
Global Rescue - www.globalresc...
Focus Point International - www.focuspoint...
Overwatch x Rescue - www.focuspoint...
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[@overwatchxrescue]

Thanks for the shout out, Doug, and appreciate you taking the time to learn more about Overwatch x Rescue benefits! Our Team appreciated your professionalism and thoroughness. When a signal from a satellite device DOES make it through to our Overwatch x Rescue Response Center, we're there 24/7 on the other end as you experienced. Glad you were able to test that function. Since our emergency SOS subscription is not exclusive to any device, outdoor enthusiasts can look for Overwatch x Rescue compatible devices to have our benefits.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

You guys did great thank you!

[@Captain-Scott]

Thanks for the great review. After 11 years of backpacking, I have been thinking of getting a satellite device. You were in Red Hills for the test hike! I live in Sonora.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Glad it was helpful! Yeah, interesting area. :) Living in Sonora must be nice.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Nice comparison, Doug. I went through the Bullitt website and was pretty quickly turned off by some fine print in the coverage information."...services may become limited or temporarily unavailable without notice from time to time...". That is a no go for me when it comes to reliability on getting help when you need help. Im also not a fan of the receiving person having to have the defy app to reply to the person in the backcountry. Just isn't a finished enough product for me to feel confident in it. Solid work flow through the pros and cons of the two devices.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Thanks Devin! Yeah I REALLY wanted this device to knock it out of the park and save me several hundred dollars a year but...it just isn't there yet (in my area at least). :)

[@TheFraziers]

I really wanted to go with the Defy for the cost savings, but after hearing quite a number of reports of inconsistent performance and general unreliability, I figured a potential life saving piece of gear shouldn't be the "cheap option" and went with the inReach messenger and really like it. Its very reliable.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

May it do you well!

[@BobBob-il2ku]

They released it to soon & didn’t have the bugs worked out I’m hoping in 6months it will be GTG

[@ainschuntayleuhn1147]

Thank You, best review on the Defy and I really like the Service offered by Overwatch as well.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@catchusoutside4884]

Excellent video with great information I have not found anywhere else. Thanks!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Glad it helped!

[@justjonoutdoors]

I went with the inReach back when they were the only ones doing tracking (time interval automatic location reporting) - it gives my wife great peace of mind to be able to know exactly where I am, see that I am moving, and able to communicate in areas where cellular signal is non-existent. I got a Mini & upgraded to the Min2 when it came out. My running cost is ~$12/month, and I haven’t seen anything else with features/pricing compelling enough to make me switch…

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

The new Mini looks great! Greater initial investment but over time it'll equal out.

[@justjonoutdoors]

@@BackcountryPilgrim I really like it, and they recently upgraded the Garmin Communicator app to work with it, so messaging is even more seamless.

[@MarkGoesHiking]

The $5/month seems legit. Zoleo and Garmin are massively overpriced when all you need these for is the SOS feature. Good overview though! The test issues are super concerning.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Yeah I really wish my experience had been more trustworthy, I'd switch in a heartbeat!

[@justjonoutdoors]

@@BackcountryPilgrim Even @ $5/month & reliable, it’s missing the primary feature for me, which is tracking. (Not just for my wife’s mental ease, but when I’m out with our church group, most of the parents appreciate being able to track progress and know that immediate communication is available if needed.)

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

You can track it just isn't automatic yet.

[@justjonoutdoors]

@@BackcountryPilgrim Yeah - the wife being able to pull up a web page and see my location & track in near-real-time is THE feature for me…

[@CrowMagnumMan2024]

Thank you for the video, do you have any performance info on the Garmin inreach mini......is it much more reliable?

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Only anecdotal but consistent stories of it working fine. Garmin and Zoleo use the same satellite network so that has a lot to do with it.

[@dustyroads834]

I don’t think they are on the budget side of communicators it’s just that Garmin devices are so over priced.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

They're also the standard. :) And this one is even less expensive than Zoleo so I think it qualifies. Too bad it doesn't work better.

[@justsumdad3185]

One thing I would like to see is how these two devices would work in the wild with no phone link. I would like to have the safty of one of these but want to leave the ph behind. I like the sat light on the Defy as it at least lets you know you have sat connection and that would in theory not have you wondering if the cavelry is comming after you press the SOS button... I just imagine laying there thinking your going to be saved and no one has a clue because it just did not go thru... How do these devices tell you that emergancy services are alerted if you dont have a ph with you?

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

First, neither would be very good without a phone because all you could do is send an emergency ping and wait without being able to communicate anything else. So I would not recommend doing so. If you don't want to carry a phone too, go with a more advanced communicator like one of the high-end Garmins. Second, they can alert you that your ping has gone through with lights or sounds but they are minimal. Third, the comparison should follow what I did here because both use satellites for their emergency signal as well as comms - so if you don't have one, you don't have the other. Hope that helps!

[@DaddyBusAdventures]

Really on the fence with this. Costco offers it at slightly below MSRP and has extra messages included, they call it Essential+. Though if this really is suppose to be used in a real emergency where the circumstances of the affected person may limit their movement this would be a big concern given the trouble you had. Maybe wait it out a little longer in hope some of these issues get resolved as otherwise this appears to be a great product.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I don't think the issues I had can be resolved as it is not a product defect, but an issue with the satellite system arrangement. Unfortauntely you really won't know until you try it in the areas you hike. Plenty of people have had good experiences with it, I just felt like there were too many times it had trouble hitting the satellites from where I was. :/

[@DaddyBusAdventures]

@@BackcountryPilgrim For a 130 and 1 year free service I might just give it a whirl. One of my buddies I go remote overlanding with has a garmin, so we have a backup in case of a real emergency.

[@NotchingTags]

Did you try putting your phone on airplane mode, with wifi off? another video said this seems to fix the connection issue.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I restarted the phone but I don't think I tried airplane mode as it seemed to me the restart would be equivalent. Or do you mean running it in airplane mode? My airplane mode shuts off my Bluetooth so that wouldn't work for me.

[@NotchingTags]

oh that's interesting. Yes, the video I watched said to run the phone on airplane mode because if there is any cell service at all the app will constantly try and default to use the cell service rather than satellite. @@BackcountryPilgrim

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

@NotchingTags Oh, yes I did make sure that wasn't the issue. Thanks!

[@baldmi3603]

I bought one and find if I allow it to use my location at all times as it suggests (otherwise it will not allow the SOS feature to work) it drains my phone fast about 4 to 5 percent an hour. I have it in airplane mode as well. So it is not searching for wifi or cell towers. Having to recharge a phone everyday in the backcountry is a bit much.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Oh wow. Yeah, definitely some kinks to work out.

[@baldmi3603]

@@BackcountryPilgrim I was wrong. It will allow me to use SOS in the 'allow location only when app is in use' which is a minor drain on the battery. However if I go that route I will have to deal with a pop up in an emergency. It gives me two options. Either tap 'Start SOS' or tap ' Allow all the time' for location.

[@ianmacfarlane9454]

Great video thanks,👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@shawnr6117]

Maybe you got a faulty unit, if they see the video they might send you a replacement.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Actually I've been in touch with Bullit and OnR. They dint seem to think it was faulty. I think there was a connection glitch and then just not a great spot for the satellite. But if they want to replace I'd try again. :)

[@justhereforthalolz]

To bad Motorola's satellite service went belly up. I probably would have bought one.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Agreed. :/

[@martinstasiak5622]

@@BackcountryPilgrim I thought it still works as a another company took over the unit and service?

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I believe that was the idea but I haven't followed the story.