GoTenna, a one-of-a-kind device that allows hunters to communicate wirelessly through smartphones without cell service or WiFi, is officially available at gotenna.com.
GoTenna’s ability to allow text messages to be sent and received and GPS locations to be shared via low-frequency radio-waves has won awards, including “Gear of the Show” from Outside Magazine and “Best in Show” from Gear Junkie at Outdoor Retailer. The device connects phones via long-range radio waves and offers consumers a private, subscription-free way to communicate up to one mile in urban scenarios and between one to four miles in most outdoor scenarios.
A pair of goTenna is $199 and comes in purple and orange or green and blue. A four-pack, which includes all four colors, is listed for $389. A current promo will give readers $10 off by using the code WELCOMEOFFGRID. The promo ends March 10.
“Communication and safety are priority, and we’ve spent the past year refining our product so that goTenna devices are reliable, even when central connectivity is now,” goTenna co-founder and CEO Daniela Perdomo said in a press release. “In this day in age, there’s simply no excuse not to be able to reach someone — whether that’s in a leisurely environment like hiking or camping or an emergency situation such as Hurricane Sandy. We want our users to be assured that they can stay connected whenever, wherever.”
GoTenna launched in late 2014 and exceeded its $50,000 campaign goal in less than three hours, creating the largest community of early backers of any communication device to date. Of those early supporters, a large portion came from rural states, including Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Hawaii and Alaska.
Perdomo's example of Hurricane Sandy being a good time to have goTenna was all too real for the device's inspiration. Brooklyn-based siblings Daniela and Jorge Perdomo came up with the idea partly during the devastating hurricane that hit the northeastern shore in in 2012 and took out more than a quarter of cell towers and power, which also cut WiFi. Beyond natural disasters, goTenna is also idea for hiking in remote areas, traveling abroad, attending sporting events or concerts or any time cell service could fault due to reliablity on central connectivity.
