FAQ

Anywhere! The Flare is designed for remote travelling to places with limited to no cellular connection. Over sixty-six operating satellites orbiting the globe will connect with the Flare to send messages to anyone in your contacts.

The purchase price of the Solara Flare is $499.99 (CAD), with a set-up fee of $29.99 (CAD). The set-up process includes a telephone number with the area code of your choice, specifically attached to your Flare device. There are four monthly plans available and are based on how frequently you use the Flare.

Base ($34.99/month): includes 100 satellite texts/month with an overage fee of $0.50 (CAD) per satellite text.

Moderate (54.99/month): includes 300 satellite texts/month with an overage fee of $0.25 (CAD) per satellite text.

Extreme (79.99/month): includes 1,000 texts/month with an overage fee of $0.15 (CAD) per satellite text.

Unlimited ($89.99/month): includes unlimited satellite texting.

You can put your Flare monthly payments on hold when not in use. There is a monthly fee of $9.99 to keep the phone number associated with your Flare device. If you keep your phone number when the device is not in use, there is no set-up fee to reactivate your device after an extended period.

No! The app for Android and iPhone devices is free to download through their respective online stores.

The power button’s location is under the flapper door. Hold this button for 3 seconds, or when the five green LED lights all turn on. If you hold the power button while the device is on, the LEDs will flash twice to indicate the unit has been successfully turned off.

Download the Flare Messaging app from one of three places: The Apple store, the Google Play store, or the Solara website. Once installed, go through the “getting started” guide. Make sure to give the app permission to use location and Bluetooth services. The app should automatically connect to the Flare.

There is a pairing code to connect the Flare to Bluetooth. The code is either 000000 or 123456.

Android device: on the main page, select the text bubble on the screen’s bottom right. From there, select the contact you want to message. A new messaging screen will open where you can send and view messages with that contact.

iOS device: select the pen and paper icon in the top left corner to compose a message. From there, choose your contact and then create your text message. You can always select an already started conversation to send more messages.

Select the arrow icon in the bottom left corner of your messaging screen. It will send a hyperlink of your GPS location to your selected contact. Make sure the app has permission to use location services before using this feature.

Log in to the Solara web portal with your customer ID and select a plan that suits your needs. Once completed, the Flare is activated and ready to use.

You can deactivate your Flare using the same web portal that you use to activate it.

You can charge your phone by connecting to the Flare using either a standard USB to micro-USB cable or using a proprietary Apple cable.

Your Flare phone number will be provided to you by Solara at the time of activation. You will be able to find this information on your portal.

The Flare is rated for IPX6, which means it can handle the average outdoor experience but should not be submerged under water. It can withstand rain, water splashes, snow, and other outdoor elements. We highly recommend keeping the flapper closed when using the Flare.

With Flare firmware version 3.0 or higher, press the power button quickly five times to access the Flare SOS mode. The middle 3 LEDs will begin to blink. To send an SOS message, you must then hold the power button down for approximately 3 seconds. This two-step process prevents accidentally sending an SOS. After pressing the power button, the five LEDs will blink in an SOS pattern (x0x0x to xx0xx) to indicate that the Flare is now attempting to transmit an SOS message. When the message is successfully sent, the Flare will go back to blinking the three LEDs. To exit SOS mode, click the button quickly five times while in SOS mode.

Note all messages currently on the Flare will be erased when switching between SOS and regular operation. This SOS message will include the battery information, time the message transmitted, and a very rough GPS estimation.

The look and feel of each app are like other messaging apps on their respective operating systems. There is a Full Feature Android application available exclusively on the Solara website that allows users to send messages seamlessly through either cellular or satellite data. This feature saves the user from using their satellite data when they are in the cell tower range. The app store for Android and iOS uses satellite data only. Regular texts should be sent through the default messaging application.

Yes, all satellite messages to and from the Flare count towards your data limit. Texts sent from the application over your cellular network do not count towards your Flare data plan. Charges may apply based on your current cell service provider.

No, you do not need the Flare mobile app to send a text message to a Flare user. The Flare has its dedicated phone number, making it simple to send a standard text over cellular service. Make sure you send the text message to the Flare number and not their regular cell number.

The Flare only requires a plan provided by Solara. A cell phone plan is not necessary when using a Flare for dedicated satellite communication. A cell phone plan is only needed if you wish to take advantage of the seamless network transition features on the Full Feature Android app.

Your device will continue to work until you decide to deactivate it. If you go over your data limit, there are charges per text, with the rate determined by your active base plan.

The battery in the Flare is a 5200 mAh lithium-ion battery pack. Essentially, the Flare has almost double the power capacity of the average cell phone. It allows your phone and the Flare to have long battery life.

The micro-USB port on the Flare can charge the device. You can have both the Flare and your phone charging at the same time. The charger will prioritize charging your cell phone over the Flare battery.

Note, the Flare itself will always choose to use power through a charger (when available) rather than from its internal battery. In the case where both the Flare and phone are charging, the Flare will still operate normally and draw most of its power from the charger. Depending on the charger’s amperage, the Flare may need to use battery power even with a charger plugged in.

If the Flare battery is almost empty, the phone charging port will be inactive. It is done to preserve the Flare’s charge and ensure the regular operation of the Flare is at low power levels.

The satellite LED flashes yellow to indicate an incoming message has been retrieved from the Flare. Typically, if your phone is on, the app will grab the message instantly, and you will not see this indicator. This feature allows you to disconnect your Flare from your phone to conserve precious power while still being notified of received messages.

If the LED is flashing yellow then green/red, then the Flare battery monitor may be misbehaving. All other features of the Flare will continue to work. However, we recommend resetting the Flare using the power button if this does happen to ensure accurate battery measurements.

The Flare requires a phone to send out location and custom text messages. If you are running version 3.0 or higher on the Flare firmware, you can access an SOS mode through the Flare’s power button.

There is a software reset button located in the settings menu of the mobile applications. Holding the power button on the Flare for ten seconds will hard reset the electronics in the device. Note, when holding the Flare for ten seconds, you may see the lights blink after three to five seconds. Ignore these lights and continue pressing for the ten seconds. The five LEDs should blink once to indicate a successful reset of the Flare.