Thuraya Satsleeve

Submitted: Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 10:30
ThreadID: 134986 Views:4381 Replies:6 FollowUps:4
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G'day all. Just wondering with the wealth of knowledge available here, has anyone had the experience of the Thuraya Satsleeve device. I'm considering the purchase of a sat phone and this seems to be a good option as in , it is not another device to carry around in the car and can be used as your normal smart phone when in a mobile coverage area. There is certainly a lot of Iridium vs Inmarsat discussions but the idea of this unit appeals to me.

Thanks - Bruce
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Reply By: Mick O - Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 10:56

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 10:56
Bruce, a fairly common thread of late. Have a look here;Thuraya and you'll probably find what you're looking for.

Cheers,

Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Reply By: Member - Tony H (touring oz) - Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 11:07

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 11:07
Hi Bruce,
As Mick has mentioned this is a fairly common 'ask/question' on this forum.
Follow Mick's leads.
I have a Thuraya Sat Sleeve myself, it works for me $15 month (Pivotel) & $1 per minute to use.
Draw a line from the NSW/Vic border across to Perth....further south of that line you go quality & reliability drops off.....anywhere north of that line NO dramas as long as you can 'see' the NW sky
Hope this helps
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Follow Up By: Member - TonyV - Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 14:22

Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 14:22
I have the Thuraya Lite handset and live in FNQ where is works really well.
I would put the line a little lower but it can get very patchy in hilly areas.

The best thing is 99c per minute calls and 50c SMS. with an Australian mobile number.
If travelling I arrange her in doors to call me at a set time from her mobile which has free mobile to mobile calls. Or I SMS her if I have a change of plans and arrange for her to call me.
There is no expensive calls to and from the Sat Phone.
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Reply By: member - mazcan - Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 11:47

Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 11:47
hi Bruce
pat callinan has one that he sprukes about on his 4wd show
its a different brand but he swears by it cheers
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Reply By: Member - TonyV - Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 14:13

Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 14:13
Personally I would also look at the Hot Spot, same price etc.

The difference is that you can leave it in the vehicle with the car kit and wifi to your smart phone. Its the same connection you do with a sleeve. It works well for around 30 mtrs of the base.

The problem with with Sat phones is ensuring reception. Parking the car with the car kit (external antenna) simplifies using the phone.
Driving you can use bluetooth to speak.

Like the sleeve, if the smart phone has a flat battery you can make an SOS call from the base or answer incoming calls.

AnswerID: 611592

Reply By: Michael H9 - Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 22:25

Thursday, Jun 01, 2017 at 22:25
I'm a bit wary of apps that do any sort of telephony over wifi connections on smartphones. In theory, great, but in practice the applications tend to be buggy with freezes and lost connections pretty common. I tried the Optus one at home because we had no Optus signal. They said install our app and your calls will come through via the internet into the app on your phone when you phone is not in service.....well it worked sometimes when the app hadn't crashed plus the call quality was questionable even though our internet is good. The satellite hotspot or sleeve would be relying on a similar app to do the talking on your smart phone. I'd want to see a lot of positive reviews before I'd commit.
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Follow Up By: Jarse - Saturday, Jun 03, 2017 at 14:38

Saturday, Jun 03, 2017 at 14:38
Michael,
I have the Satsleeve/Hotspot, and it works fine. No bugs, dropouts or anything like that.

It just works :)
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FollowupID: 881687

Reply By: b1b - Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 17:00

Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 17:00
thanks to the answerers (?) plenty of thought for my brain....
1) Mick O - certainly a good read and probably gave me a few answers that I hadn't even questioned. Read it and its ensuing threads a few times and will probably read them again.
2) Tony H - I liked your line drawing plans, we're in Adelaide so most of it is looking good. South of the line is pretty good normal big T(elstra) as thier coverage is almost with peer... (I said almost, Oodnadatta, William Creek in sa are with Optus, any body who has been there will know of trevors' thoughts )
3) Tony V - like the idea of leaving the "hot spot" thingy in the car with an external antenna and that is the way I've gone.
4) Michael H9 - certainly threw in a good point or two with the WiFi and apps discussion but I've gone with the hotspot sleeve.
the idea of cheapish rates, not another gadget in the car, and Australian availability of phone numbers was the final kicker.
thanks again - b1b
AnswerID: 611619

Follow Up By: b1b - Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 19:00

Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 19:00
Sorry - i forgot maz's reply.... regarding Pat C. I would like to see a Russell Coight review of this device.As for Pat C..he gets to run around in the bush, gets various forms of vehicles to play with and probably gets some form of sponsorship and maybe even paid. Who else besides me is just a tad envious
Thanks - b1b
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Follow Up By: Member - ACD 1 - Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 22:11

Friday, Jun 02, 2017 at 22:11
I'm not so much envious...

...just a tad dubious.

Cheers

Anthony
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