Cheapest <span class="highlight">Satellite</span> <span class="highlight">Phone</span> options

Pivotel swapped my Globalstar crap phone, with the new Iridium phone FOC, and I couldn't be happier.

Cheers Steve.

Hi Steve, I understand that you got your Globalstar swapped "free of Charge", how did you get that? Is it because you are a tourist operator or did you threaten to go to Consumer Affairs?

Cheers

D

That is new to me. When i went overseas in November last year, Telstra said absolutely no way to international roaming on a pre paid (reason given is that other countries can take quite some time to bill back to Telstra, and by that time credit can be exhausted, or phone not even in use).

I had since read somewhere where they had opened it up to allow international roaming to certain countries and that you had to apply for the particular country you were visiting, however the link given says prepaid automatically has international roaming.

We paid $2,000 for a Sat phone and opted for $30 per month plan (cheaper monthly means dearer calls, but it was for emergency only use), which included up to $10 in calls per month. They said we could suspend the plan when we got home and reactivate it when going travelling again - but now Telstra say they don't suspend, although they acknowledge we were told that when we purchased the sat phone. They of course never got back to me, and ringing them again means getting transferred to the wrong section for about three days.

When i looked at cost of hire, the cost for a few months was about the same as purchase.

Motherhen

Thats the one thanks Mike

Hi Mike. I tend to use Google for my exploroz searches - just add "exploroz" to your Google search string. Cheers

Thuraya is great in the desert, but there is only one fixed satellite at 20 degrees above the horizon at 292 degrees.

If you need help when there is a mountain or cliff between you and the satellite, you will NEVER get satellite access.

With Iridium, the satellites are moving all the time. If you're in a deep valley you will not have satellite access for a while, but you should always get access within 30 minutes.

That must be for a brand new phone.......but now it looks like you can buy a pre paid plan...and stick the sim into a phone you buy second hand

Many Telstra staff -

- don't know about satphones at all
- don't know about being able to use a cellphone SIM in a satphone
- don't want customers to know that they can use a SIM card, so they don't miss out on selling a $30 a month contract.

I did wonder about that, I asked the employee to double check, her superior came over and told me the same thing she did.
Will have to do some investigating.

Thanks
Mat & Caz

"We do have a UHF (5 watt) not sure how far we would get with that "

- 500 metres to 50 km - depending on terrain, height etc

Ok Thanks - we have a medium sized aerial

Cheers
Matt & Caz

We have been dealing with a girl at ATS Australia in Osborne Park here in Perth, she has been wonderful with us and very truthful with the pros & cons of the Thuraya phone. We like the look of them but not sure if it will cover what we want.

Cheers

D

That is how it works with a couple of proviso's,

1. The SIM card MUST be Telstra with International Roaming enabled. (it's the same SIM you have right now with a new feature turned on)

2. The satellite phone MUST be an Iridium capable unit, such as the Mototola's ie: 9500, 9505 & 9505A

Hope that helps,

Geoff

Geoff,

Do you know if the pre-paid with international roaming will work as well?

Take a peek at one of my webpages ...might help you to visualize it.......Doing the Telstra thingy

Thanks for that Geoff, much clearer now, much appreciated.

Cheers

D

Thanks Footloose, fantastic, it is always good to have step by step instructions, for me anyway. Another option.

Cheers

D

Hi Troll,

I've no idea on the Telstra pre-paid and International Roaming.

My guess would be no as it will take time for Telstra to receive the bill from the overseas carrier and by that time there'll probably be no credit left on the pre-paid and the user will have no intention of buying more.

It'd make a great lurk if going overseas though! Buy a cheap pre-paid, get minimum credit and toss the SIM when you get home!
Repeat as needed!

Geoff

Geoff,

That's what I thought but from reading on the Telstra site they have changed that now and I don't see any difference in international roaming on pre paid vs. post paid?

Guess there is only one way to find out. I am busy sourcing a sat phone and once I have that I will try the pre paid first and if that doesn't work go for a plan I guess

Will post the results once I have the phone...hopefully in the next month or so

Hi Troll 81,
That's interesting regardig the pre-paid SIM.

I would be very interested in how you get on with it and International Roaming.

Please do keep us informed.

Geoff

"We didn't meet the criteria anyway."

Hi Motherhen, we are in the same boat as you there, after paying a couple of grand for our phone a few years ago and now having to fork out again hurts more when there is no subsidy to go with it.

Cheers

D