I phone sim in sat phone.

OK, tried typing the query into the search function in a different way and got a few dozen different posts.
Why does "international roaming" have to be activated if I am not roaming internationally?
1900 numbers some say have them barred, some say having them barred will cause other problems.
One guy seemed to have trouble with sending after being told by Telstra that all should be working.

Anyone tried the old "blanket over a smoky fire trick"???

A confused but still hopeful
Pop

Hi Pop,

Definately not a cunning plan, many people do that. My advice from personal experience is go to a Telstra shop and add a $10.00 month post paid plan to your account, they will issue you with a new sim card with a new mobile no. Use this card in your sat phone and give the new no. only to people that matter to you. This way you won't get calls all day from every Jo that has your current mobile No. and costing you a fortune.

There is no contract on that $10.00 plan so you can cancel it at any time, you must have international roaming enabled or it wont work. This is what we have been using for years in our Motorola 9500.

Regards
Peter

Yes thats all good agree with PoP I have used this method for 7 Years and yes the calls in and out are mega expensive but for an emergency who cares??. Make sure you dont buy the older style Motorola as they have the old credit card size SIM the 9505's are OK

Cheers

Try on of these,I just got one and it work well.

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Hi Pop

We ended up buying an Iridium (yes expensive - but so is hiring) and last time used the standard Telstra SIM card - as said, global roaming needs to be activated, and it needs to be a "full service" SIM as Telstra put it. Calls are horrific - they charge you for incoming and outgoing calls. We needed to use it to change our travel plans last year, and I think the few calls we made cost about $120.

This time, I've signed up for a $33 plan with ClientSAT (www.clientsat.com.au) for 12 months as they seem to have the cheapest call rates. No affiliation - just seemed like reasonable value to me. Now we have a phone to take anywhere, have the same number, and calls are quite reasonable. I did a bit of research and number crunching before signing up - and the difference between having the 12 month contract was offset by the higher call charges of the previous plan.

Anyway - that's my 2 bob's worth!

Chris

Hi Pop,

I researched this not long ago and decided what was best for me. I wrote it up in Thread 103932.

Iridium Extreme on Pivotel classic plan $22 per month.

People can call you at normal mobile rates and outgoing calls aren't too bad. As you say though, in an emergency, who cares about the cost.

Skull

Not directly related to your initial query but MAY be of interest.
Post from New Aussie Caravanners site.

http://aussiecaravannersnew.proboards.com/thread/1941/satellite-phone-subsidy-ends-soon

Peter

friend tried the sim from his Iphone in my basic Nokia and the sim was too small so it wouldn't have been any good in our sat phone.

As a previous member suggested consider a Sat Sleeve.
It is made and designed to take the iPhone, it's just a matter of slipping/fitting the iPhone into the sleeve & then you iPhone becomes a satellite phone.
I recently purchased one of these myself & it works like a charm.
The only negative I have with it is.....it uses the Thuraya satellite system as opposed to the Iridium satellite.
What does this mean?.
If u draw a line from the NSW/Vic border across to Perth, reception may be difficult or non existent BELOW that line..... above that line NO PROBLEMS at all or if there are the Iridium system would have the same problems also.
The sat sleeve uses or can use blue tooth technology........so you can leave the sleeve outdoors with the antenna extended & turned on with your iPhone with you inside all nice and warm out of the s..ty weather if need be OR if in an emergency and you needed to be indoors to use the phone say a medical situation, your inside a building giving first aid or assisting someone who is you can be using the sat phone..... This is something YOU CAN'T DO on the iridium system.
I'm with the Pivotel network with my phone it costs me $15 month and call are charged out at $1 minute.....I BET YOU ARE PAYING about that now with your ordinary mobile!!
One other thing to consider is that with Pivotel you are given an Australian mobile number AS OPPOSED to an international number........so if anyone calls you it is not going to cost them anymore than calling any other mobile.
If you have family members who have 'free time' on their phones they can call you FREE as you have an Australian mobile number!
One more thing to consider.....IF YOU ARE SERIOUS about buying a sat phone (Iridium or Thuraya) you MUST APPLY BY THE END OF THIS MONTH (March) as the government subsidy is ending that the end of June and ALL applications MUST BE IN BY THE END OF THIS MONTH to qualify for the subsidy.

Disclaimer. I have NO association with Sat Sleeve or Pivotel....... other than being a happy customer

Thanks to all who took the time and trouble to reply to my query.

The wife and I had a very "interesting" day chasing up a possible purchase of a Sat phone.
The wife rang Telstra and was told to just go our local Telstra shop and they will sort it all out.
First port of call the aforesaid Telstra shop in our local shopping centre.
Young bloke approached us with his Ipad, tablet, organiser or whatever and informed us that they don't sell sat phone handsets or plans.
Not sure why but there was another Telstra shop just down the fairway a bit so called in there. The bloke behind the counter had much the same story to tell but at least looked on his computer and showed us the screen that laid out all the sat phone plans and costs, hey just like the one on our home computer, but other than that couldn't help but suggested we try Dick Smith.
The young lad behind this counter said he would have a look on his computer and asked me how to spell "satellite"..... I kid you not! My comment was to the effect that maybe we shouldn't waste any more of each others time. He however did suggest in an attempt to help we try Jaycar.
The Jaycar man could not help either but gave us the name of a company some k's away that did them but by now time and patience were both in short supply.

Ye Gods...who would have thought it would have been so bloody hard.

Anyway, thanks again and I have sent an email to those Thuraya Satsleeve guys so will see what they come up with. As an aside I did read the article on this site regarding the 4 sat phone network suppliers that operate in Oz. Sounds like the Telstra system is most effective in the more southern parts of the continent while Thuraya give better results in the more northern latitudes which for the moment suits our next trip just fine.

Thanks again
Pop

Hi Pop

Looking at doing the same thing due to the subsidy coming to an end.

Here are a few links that may help.

Telstra Customer terms-Telstra Mobile Satellite Service-Section 7 in particular.

http://www.telstra.com.au/customer-terms/download/document/mobilesat.pdf

Information on the Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme-includes a link to dealers registered for the scheme.

http://www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/the_satellite_phone_subsidy_scheme

Hope this helps.

Regards
Rowdy