FAQS
How do I know if my Bivy Stick is working?
There is a
satellite indicator (Signal) light near the top of the Bivy
Stick. When it is green, it means you are connected to at
least one satellite in orbit. If it is red, you probably need
to get into a spot with a better view of the sky or wait for
orbiting satellites to pass overhead. You can also see how
strong of a satellite signal you have on the map screen
of the app. On the left side there is a satellite icon. If you
see green, that means you are connected. Below that you
can see the battery life of the Bivy Stick as well. (Quick
clarification- Flashing green is obtaining GPS coordi-
nates. Flashing red is SOS.)
My Bivy Stick will not connect with my phone.
Make
sure you have turned on the Bluetooth on your phone.
More recent versions of Android OS require the user to
also turn on the GPS for Bluetooth to pair. Open the Bivy
app and choose Stick in the menu. Then push the Bivy-
stick power button and hold for 3 seconds to turn it on.
Your phone should automatically connect. If not, press
Connect Now and tap the Power button on the Stick. (It
works better if the app is running and then you turn on
the Stick.)
How do credits work?
When you activate your Bivystick,
you are given credits to use. Each credit is basically one
action of the Bivystick. One credit = 1 message sent. And
1 credit = 1 message received, or 1 location share, or 1
weather report, or 1 hour of tracking. Your credits are valid
for as long as your Bivystick is active. If you use all credits
and are way off-the-grid out of service, your device will
still work great and you will be charged $0.50 per addi-
tional credit used. If you do not use all of your credits by
the end of 30 days, and you pay the monthly Base plan to
keep the device active, all unused credits will rollover and
are available to use later.
Why do my messages not go through?
Sometimes
your friends reply quickly, but if you are not in view of
any satellites, the message won’t come through yet. Just
keep moving or get out to a more open area and they will
eventually show up. Also, make sure that your contacts
know to reply to the Bivy Stick number, as well as your
actual cell phone number.
Satellite messaging is not like cellular messaging. With
cellular, it’s almost always instantaneous when you have
service. With satellite messaging, we don’t maintain a
constant connection. We rely on brief connections to
send small bursts of data. Sending a satellite message
involves finding a visible satellite in the sky, transmit-
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