This $20 Gadget Makes Backpacking More Fun

Product reviewed

A tiny ~$20 portable amateur radio for backpacking—described as a lightweight, wireless “walkie-talkie”-like device that enables long-distance contacts and trail-based radio activities.

Overall positioning: backpacking gear usually optimizes for distance/sleep; this one optimizes for fun/interest.

Main features / what it can do

Participate in Summits on the Air (SOTA)

An international, point-based activity/game using pre-registered summits.

Points can be earned by:

• transmitting from a summit and contacting others, or
• transmitting from lower ground up to a summit contact (i.e., working “up” from below).

It also emphasizes a large online community, awards, and a summit database.

Access repeaters to dramatically extend range

Repeaters are often located on mountains/towers/buildings.

If the repeater frequency is programmed, contacting the repeater can extend range hundreds of miles.

It recommends using Repeater Book to find nearby repeaters.

Use on-trail information / connectivity (not as primary emergency tool)

Suggested value:

• getting weather or other information when cell service is unavailable, and
• contacting people “on the ground.”

Emergency guidance is framed as a “third tier” behind:

1. checking cell signal
2. using an inReach/SOS device
3. then this radio

Talk “through space” via space infrastructure (ISS)

Claims contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) using similar equipment.

It also mentions using the ISS as a repeater when it passes overhead (assuming line-of-sight).

Receive SSTV (Slow Scan Television) images

The device can receive satellite/ISS transmissions that sound like “garblygook.”

An app decodes the signal into an image on your phone.

It mentions SSTV events where the ISS transmits continuously for ~4–5 days, a few times per year.

License required

You need an amateur radio license, but the speaker says it’s now easy to obtain and can be taken online; children often pass.

Pros (as stated)

• Makes backpacking more entertaining/fun, adding a “nerdy hobby” dimension to downtime.
• Long-range performance for the price, especially from ridgelines/summits.
• SOTA experience is engaging: people respond even from distant summits; there’s a community and awards.
• Repeaters can extend range massively (hundreds of miles).
• High “wow-factor” demonstrations, including:
  • extreme-distance contacts (examples mentioned below),
  • ISS contact/repeater use,
  • SSTV image decoding.

Cons / limitations (as stated)

• Not reliable for emergencies: backpackers aren’t on ridgelines/summits all day, and valleys/vegetation can block signals.
• Requires an amateur radio license.
• Range gains are strongest when elevated (summits/ridgelines); performance likely drops in dense terrain/vegetation.

Numerical / rating-style details mentioned

• Price: about $20
• Power: a “small 5-watt radio”
• Range examples:
  • 50–100 miles achievable even with a stock antenna
  • ~200 miles: direct contact from Virginia to Boone, North Carolina (approx.)
  • ~4,000 miles: contact to Slovenia from a summit in Maine without a repeater (speaker notes it was HF, but still framed as similar lightweight/portable concept)
• Repeaters can extend range by hundreds of miles
• ISS repeater use described as potentially reaching about “half the United States.”

User experience / workflow (how it’s used)

• Use it during backpacking downtime
  • on summit lunch breaks
  • around camp
• For SOTA
  • mark/track SOTA summits before/while hiking
  • transmit from a registered summit to call others
• For repeaters
  • pre-program nearby repeater frequencies using Repeater Book
• For SSTV
  • listen to a frequency
  • detect SSTV “noise”
  • decode using a phone app to display an image

Comparisons made

Not directly compared to specific consumer radios by name, but functionally compared to:

• inReach/SOS devices: positioned as higher priority for emergencies
• cell phones: first-line for emergency/help when signal exists
• HF radio: speaker notes a 4,000-mile contact was made on HF (while still emphasizing portability)
• ISS repeater vs mountain repeaters: same general idea—small radio + “relay-like” coverage

Unique points mentioned (consolidated list)

1. ~$20 lightweight portable amateur radio for backpacking
2. Not a walkie-talkie; uses amateur radio capabilities
3. Works with SOTA (Summits on the Air) for points and community contacts
4. SOTA summits are pre-registered; database exists
5. Points earned by summit-to-summit contact or ground-to-summit contact (transmitting upward)
6. DIY antenna building possible (MYOG), e.g., tape measures/wires to extend range
7. Stock antenna works; range can reach ~50–100 miles
8. Example: Virginia to Boone, NC (~200 miles)
9. Example: Maine summit to Slovenia (~4,000 miles) without a repeater (using HF)
10. Accessing repeaters can extend range hundreds of miles
11. Repeater Book recommended to locate nearby repeaters
12. Practical use: weather/info and reaching people when cell signal is absent
13. Emergency guidance: use as third tier, not a sole emergency comms tool
14. Limitation: vegetation/valleys reduce access when not on ridgelines/summits
15. “Talk through space” via ISS - contact with an astronaut (using similar tech) - ISS can act like a repeater during passes
16. ISS repeater use described as potentially covering ~half the U.S.
17. SSTV support: receive slow-scan images from satellites/ISS
18. SSTV decoded using a phone app from received garbled audio
19. SSTV events on ISS occur a couple times per year for about 4–5 days
20. Needs amateur radio license; easy to obtain and online; children can pass
21. Overall thesis: optimizes fun/interest rather than distance/sleep

Speaker perspectives

• A single main speaker/host provides the overall review and personal anecdotes (SOTA, repeater usage, emergency “third tier,” ISS/astronaut contact, SSTV).
• Mentions “hearing it down in the comments,” but no distinct second speaker’s separate viewpoint is presented.