Interesting satphone option

Submitted: Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 09:56
ThreadID: 111027 Views:3119 Replies:7 FollowUps:15
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Saw this today which I think makes sense if it works and it could do with being a bit cheaper that $899, but it's early days and an interesting concept.
Dick Smith gadget turns your iPhone into satellite phone. Never quite sure whether the links work so if not go to bit.com.au and search satsleeve.

Grateful the benefit of anyone's experiences.
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Reply By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 10:08

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 10:08
I have a sat sleeve and it works fine, Iridium have a different set up using WI FI hot spot and are dash mounted, they are removable as well.
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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 10:59

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 10:59
Paul, a quote fromyour link, "At $899 for the hardware, on top of a subscription plan, it's not cheap - the upfront cost for the SatSleeve is more than double the cost of what you would typically pay for a dedicated satellite phone."

At double the cost of a dedicated sat phone, what's the point of it?

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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 11:15

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 11:15
Yes Peter,........a bit like slipping a 'sleeve' onto the Camry to take on the Canning Stock Route?
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 11:37

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 11:37
So what you are saying is that you can buy a brand new sat phone on a plan for $450 ?? please show me a link.
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:17

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:17
I didn't see anything about him saying you can get a phone and plan for $450 - he is talking about the phone alone. You can buy satphones around the $500 without a plan and that is a lot cheaper than the add on for $900 without a plan.

I would be getting a dedicated satphone rather than the add on.
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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Vic - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:37

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:37
Myself and others have written about Sat phones, do a search.
A Business member Satphonesales will sell you a sat phone for $340 delivered. I have one its great, a basic phone but it will make a call from anywhere which is all I want. A plan with Pivotel is $15 per month which you can suspend if you like. Calls $1 per 30 secs but calls in are the same cost as a normal mobile to the caller. No SMS or data. Just a phone.
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:44

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:44
Chris is that a brand new phone or a revamped second hand one ? Just asking.
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:54

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:54
garrycol I got my sat sleeve for $499 with a plan through the subsidy scheme, ( now not available ) it works just as good as my Iridium sat phone phone.

Are these $500 phones new or second hand, because I simply would not buy a second hand phone.

The great thing about the sleeve is it fits my I phone my wife's I phone and my sons I phone, it also works without a phone, via an emergency call button that dials 000, so you can talk to 000 without a phone attached.
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 15:16

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 15:16
The subject of the thread is not what you have got for $499 but the Dick Smith high priced special. Yes - you can buy new satphones for $500 and refurb for much less.

I googled and here is the first entry up Satphone
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 16:50

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 16:50
The original price for the sleeve I bought was the same as above $899, as I said I got the subsidy.

The cheap phone you are talking about is A: a Qualcomm and B: from Globalstar, I went down that road years ago and you could not give me one as a gift.

Comparing a Qualcomm to a Iridium 9555 is the same as comparing a great wall to a Landcruiser, and the sat sleeve well that would be a hamburger with the lot Hilux. LOL

Anyway I am not trying to start a bleep fight, but seeing as I actually own a sat sleeve and an Iridium I decided to make an informed comment. :-)
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 17:19

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 17:19
Allan, you reckon that Camry idea has teeth? I guess i'll be seeing you on Shark Tank next week!! Michael
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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Vic - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 17:58

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 17:58
Steve you will start a "fight" when you claim to make "an informed comment" when it is simply just no true. You bag the Qualcomm with no explanation. Both Alan H in Qld and myself in Vic have this phone and as Alan said it works fine. Last year I travelled through Vic. SA, NT, and WA and everytime I turned in on I always had signal and in using it I have never had a drop out. You are sadly misinformed old son.
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:48

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:48
Ok Chris I will make my point, I had a Qualcomm sat phone from Globalstar, I had three life threatening incidence, three times the phone didn't work, luckily my first aid training and someone else with an Iridium phone came along, otherwise the lives would have been lost.

I would rather pay the price for something that works than buy cheap, this kind of decision needs to be taken seriously, if you are happy well good, I wont take that chance.

Steve.
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:59

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:59
By the way if the sat sleeve didn't work I would certainly let you know.
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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Vic - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 20:45

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 20:45
People asking questions on this Forum want contemporary answers not history lessons. A number of years ago Globalstar had problems with their satellites which rendered their phones unreliable, I suspect that is what Steve is referring too.
Those issues are long gone and as I and many others will attest these days Globalstar it is a VERY reliable service, at a really good price.

These are no frills phones and at their current cost, every remote traveller has no excuse for not having a Satellite phone. If you intend making lots of calls, need a SMS facility, or want to use it as a modem then look elsewear. If someone knows of a cheaper basic and reliable satellite phone I would like to hear about it.
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Follow Up By: Sat Phone Sales - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 20:54

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 20:54
Bit of a clarification on the Globalstar network.

Users, of some years ago, were affected by the permanent failure of satellites in the Globalstar network. This caused major periods of service outages. The failure of the satellites was due to them not being radiation hardened sufficiently for passage through the "South Atlantic anomaly"

Once it was realised what was happening Globalstar launched their constellation of Gen 2 satellites. Since then the network is back up at capacity.

However, we do NOT recommend the Globalstar network for areas heading north of Townsville / Broome etc. Think Darwin, gulf country, Cape York etc. Due to the configuration of the network, service availability reduces. Whilst calls are still possible it can become an exercise in frustration. For these areas we recommend other networks. Incidentally in the far north Iridium will also suffer from call drop out, availability etc. albeit to a much lesser extent.

In the less high latitudes Globalstar will give great coverage and by far, the best audio quality of any satellite service.

The SatSleeve uses very different technology than Iridium and Globalstar (which both use a constellation of moving satellites). Thuraya (SatSleeve) and Inmarsat use geostationary satellites - a fixed point in space. If you can see the bit of the sky where the satellite is located you can make and receive calls.

Hopefully that clears a few queries.

Kev
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Reply By: DiscoTourer - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:30

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 12:30
I have been using satsleeve for almost two years and it works extremely well.

Have used it in Tasmania, the Nullabour, Israelite Bay, around the centre, in the Kimberley, the Pilbara.

Calls are clear with about a second or so delay. Excellent for texts, and will also work with a flat iPhone as it also charges the iPhone. Even works without iPhone for incoming calls, and for emergency outgoing calls.

Have had 4 sat phones over the years and to date this is the best, initially starting with a laptop size unit.

Brett....
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Reply By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 13:16

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 13:16
I have a refurbished sat phone on a $15 plan and it works fine. $2 a minute to make a call and nothing to receive calls as it has a mobile number. The sender is charged for a call to a mobile.

The phone is factory refurbished with full warranty

http://www.satphonesales.com.au/Globalstar?zenid=1ad9bf60a4ba23b80e94ed01f99ea7f0

Just a happy customer

Alan
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Reply By: Sat Phone Sales - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:26

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 19:26
Hi Paul, normally we wouldn't pass negative comment about another supplier, however here we'll speak up.

If you go down the DSE route you will get no help with setting up your account, and no after sales service. The floor staff are just not trained in this stuff. They simply sell too few to be familiar with the network and technology.

Buying through us, you WILL get assistance in setting up your account AND after sales service. We're just a tad cheaper too! :)

If you'd rather deal with another retailer / store there are several around who also provide good service and customer care. Google is your friend here..

The SatSleeves do indeed work very well. Bringing satellite voice, SMS and data comms to your smart phone. At the moment the sleeve has adapters for the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, Galsxy S3 and Galaxy S4. There are adapters for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 on their way.

My only criticism of the SatSleeve is that it is not "rugged". Around the same money will get you a ruggedised satphone that'll handle knocks, dust and water. However, stick the sleeve in a pelican case with your smart phone and that criticism is solved.

The competition to the SatSleev is the Iridium GO! Effectively a mobile satellite phone tower. It connects to the Iridium satellite network and allows up to 5 smart phones, tablets etc. to access voice, SMS and data via wifi. The data speeds, however, are MUCH slower than the SatSleeve.

If fast data, with voice and SMS is your thing I'd direct people to the IsatHub. A truly amasing bit of kit!

If anybody has any questions we're more than happy to share our real life experience here on the forum or just give us a call.

.

Kev
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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Vic - Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 22:23

Saturday, Feb 07, 2015 at 22:23
Kev is the man. Great service.
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Reply By: richard - Sunday, Feb 08, 2015 at 16:10

Sunday, Feb 08, 2015 at 16:10
Seems it on supports IPHONE 5 and above unless you buy another adapter worth over $100.

I guess this is because Apple changed the adapter plug.

Could you use an apple adapter which converts the two plug sizes instead as you may already have one of those.

Richard
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Reply By: Member - Paul B (WA) - Sunday, Feb 08, 2015 at 18:50

Sunday, Feb 08, 2015 at 18:50
Thanks very much for all the comments. Some interesting, some not! Never ceases to amaze me the things that cause arguments these days :)
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