Sat Phone Positive!

Submitted: Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:01
ThreadID: 43269 Views:2733 Replies:9 FollowUps:8
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Hi All,
After reading recent negative posts regarding Globalstar and their service, which I admit I found contrary to my own experiences, I would like to comment from the dark side.
I have a Telit GSM/Satphone with a car kit which I have had for over 4 years. I have travelled through NSW, Vic, SA, NT and extensively in WA and have never been without reception. After recent comments, I just re-tested it from my home in regional WA and it picked up sat reception within 20 seconds and maintained it till I turned it off some 20 minutes later. It has confirmed my feelings that my $25 per month is still worth the investment.
I have had call to use it twice in anger and both times from remote locations where I would have had no other speedy means of communication.
It seems from the posts that most comments are from owners of the CDMA /Sat variation.
I am happy with mine and Globalstar.
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Reply By: Footloose - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:09

Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:09
Fair enough, you've had a good experience.
When was the last time you used it away from the coastal fringes ? I believe that the majority of their problems have manifested themselves during the last year.
Mine worked from home (on the east coast) but NOT...and I mean definitely and irrefutably, from almost anywhere west of the Gold Coast to 80 mile beach on the west coast. This was last July with the R290 handset.
AnswerID: 227546

Follow Up By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:23

Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:23
I used my sat phone on Globlestar at the end of January from Lamberts centre of Oz with no problem, in fact I've used it around Oz anywhere any time without a .My wife even rang her mother in Germany with out problems,.don't realy know what all the fuss is about.
Cheers Steve.
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Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:16

Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:16
Phantom,

When you sat that you have a car kit, does that include a external aerial on the vehicle some where.

I saw a vehicle on the Canning last year and it had a big growth on to of the snorkel. It turned out to be the aerial for the sat phone.

I have often wounder if the external aerial might be the solution to the drop out of the signal.

Wayne
AnswerID: 227552

Follow Up By: Footloose - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:03

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:03
Wayne, a higher gain aerial would of course be advantageous. But having put my handset in every location and polarization , and with a 360 clear sky and still getting "no service", I wouldn't bet that a bit more gain would help. Some of my problems included no service, intermittent service, drop out (stationary with no cloud etc) and tones interrupting.
Feedback from CSR travellers around that time with similar handsets indicated similar problems.
Now maybe, just maybe, they were shifting sats around and didn't tell me. After 4 phone calls, they didn't even do me the courtesy of returning any of them. Frankly, their lack of service was appalling.

Recent posts on the degredation of the S band aerial on the birds tends to indicate a major problem that they do not want to admit to the public. Moving the sats around to get over spotty coverage isn't going to do much as all of their current birds appear to be suffering.
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Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:58

Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 23:58
I have been following the previous post with interest as well, we haven't had much problems with ours, it does drop out sometimes when we are travelling but we don't have a car kit (the phone cost enough without paying almost as much for the car kit), we sit ours up on the dash and get good coverage there almost all the time. We have never had problems when we stop and get out of the vehicle.
That by the way is up to three weeks ago, we went to Albany and I kept a good watch on it because of the information on this site.

D


Simba, our much missed baby.

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Follow Up By: Footloose - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:05

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:05
Take it a bit further north, say Well 33 :))))))
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Follow Up By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 01:10

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 01:10
Yes will agree with you there, I'm concerned about taking it out on the GCR in later this year, hence my interest in all the posts relating to this matter.


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Reply By: Battlecat - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:07

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:07
Hey all,

I am a G* user in the Pilbara - based in Port Hedland (WA) and I travel extensively around the area and into the more remote areas of Oz. I must admit that there are times that I have trouble getting and holding reception. Having said that I can say that this only happens now and again and I am happy with paying my $30 a month - no contracts for this level of service as I can connect eventually. If I was paying big $$$$ and it wasn't there all the time I might be a little bit pi55ed. EPIRB on standby for any big emergencies.

Cheers
AnswerID: 227566

Follow Up By: Footloose - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:11

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 00:11
Thats interesting, what handset are you using ? I had NO coverage just north of you along the Kidson track.
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Follow Up By: Im.away - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:36

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:36
I work in the area from Bunbury up the Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline to Karratha, between Hedland and Karratha, Hedland and Marble Bar and Telfer. My G* phone is so useless, even with the external antenna, that I don't even bother taking it with me anymore.

I read the riot act to G* and they are refunding 3 months rental and giving me half priced calls, but that's useless to me when the thing barely works at all.

I have told them that I want my money back for the phone and car kit. They are scared, very scared.

I'm going to the other company. I MUST have a reliable phone as under my contract I have to call-in every two hours and let the control room know that I'm OK. If I don't, they initiate a search!
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:44

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:44
I'm Away, I can understand your frustration. Yep, you sure need one all right :))
When I bought mine I would have bought another 5 if the service was Ok. I desperately wanted the service to be OK, and the guys here seemed to think, at that time, that everything was hunk dory.
I'm glad I didn't find out the hard way, alone and in need of medical help in a remote area. Thank goodness for HF radio.
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Reply By: CLC50 - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 08:12

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 08:12
Well all I have to say you must be blessed by the Gods,
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Reply By: Andrew from Vivid Adventures - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 10:00

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 10:00
I too have the Telit GSM/Satphone but no car kit.

I had some troubles in April last year across as far as Israelite Bay, but then, it was still usable.

It really started getting problematic from then up North and just got progressively worse. It no longer works in Adelaide - unless perhaps in the last few weeks the service has improved, which is possible.

Perhaps in WA it is better, but given the satellite orbital structure, I can't see that it would make a lot of difference.

Cheers
Andrew.
AnswerID: 227615

Reply By: Member - Phantom (WA) - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:11

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 11:11
I'll try and answer all the questions in one go so apologies if I don't get full coverage...excuse the pun.
The antenna is a very small black tube that mounts up near the windscreen on a bonnett bracket.
Last year in May, I lent the phone to my brother in law (with no car kit) who rang daily from Karajini, Exmouth and Kalbarri. One one occassion I heard of the death of a family member whilst watching the sunset on Eighty Mile beach.
I also used it myself in July last year from Tom Price, Karajini, Coral Bay and back down the coast.
I admit it sits in my drawer for 9-10 months of the year and is only used on my annual hols each year.
Steve
AnswerID: 227629

Reply By: patto - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 13:58

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 13:58
I work for a Government Department and we have 6 Globalstar Sat phones some with car kits and some without . It has been our experience over the last 18 or so months that the satellite reception has been progressivly getting worse. It has become so bad that we have now returned to using HF radio for all of our communications when in the field as the phone service is to unreliable. The phones are used mainly in the north of SA eg: Simpson Desert, Birdsville Track , Strezlecki Track Oodnadatta Track and most of the pastrol land in between
AnswerID: 227647

Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 18:54

Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 at 18:54
Patto and Footloose,

That is my experience. I have the Qualcomm 1600 with car kit for the last 18 months. The ability to get a signal is deteriorating in that time. Even when I have a signal it can drop out as soon as I dial. Frustrating. Soon no CDMA either.

I continue to use HF as my main daily login service in the desert.

Ian@Mt Dare
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Reply By: whyallacookie - Friday, Mar 16, 2007 at 11:43

Friday, Mar 16, 2007 at 11:43
So it would seem that perhaps the money would be better spent buying a HF set and then if you want the "freedom" of a phone system perhaps hire it for your trips.

A bit nieve but why not just use the HF for calls too, for the few made it would probably be less than the hire on the SAT phone or the $30 month fee.

AnswerID: 227824

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