Is the Iridium the best sat phone to have and which model? "9555" or the "9505A"
Submitted: Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 15:10
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Member - G N (VIC)
Hi all
I know this has probably been done over before big time but i dont seem to have great sucess with past post searches.
Is the Iridium the sat phone to go for?
Is there any others worth considering?
Is the "955" the better option over the "9505A" ?
Whats the right price for these units?
Also what is the best plan for minimal use?
Kind regards
GN
Reply By: satman - Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 22:42
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 22:42
Hi GN
In response to your query. The real answer is it totally depends what you need and how your going to be using it. I will try to give you a quick Satellite Phone 101. Please however this comes to all those who read it, comes with a caveat. That is that all your circumstances are differnt and the most important thing you can do is get good quality advise to get the right product and service to meet your individual needs as it will save you a fortune.
If you are just using it for Australia and want it for emergency only, then I would buy a Thuraya S02510 .They are about a $1000 new and a car charger at $45 completes what you need. They are available with airtime contracts and pre paid. So if your are caravanning or 4WD for 3 months or 6 months or a year and only wanted it very occassionally I would buy this model with a pre paid 39 card. (this has no time limit on the card and will last about 40 minutes and can be increased with a phone call to our office whilst your travelling.
If you require it for more than the very occasional ( hey never said my spelling was great) chat then I would buy the same unit with a one year contract. Benefits are cheaper call rates for more talk time.
If I wanted a world wide Phone with outstanding durability and an awesome record of reliability I would buy an Iridium 9505A (not to be confused with the the 9505. (there are reasons that the previous model was upgraded) but as there is someone selling one in this
forum I have no wish to upset them.
The reason I can testify how good the 9505A is against any other model is that I dealt with a run a fllet of over 100 of them and have them out all over Australia and the world and have done for over 5 years.
Which should not be forgotten, that depending how long you are going for, that rental may be a low cost option. If that is the case
check out www.rentasatphone.com.au
It is true that the 9505a has been superseded by the vastly costlier 9555. However unlike other comments within the
forum discount is not the word. The reality is that I bought the last 32 ever made 9505A in the world. Simply because they are still $440 cheaper than the 9555 new and the 9555 has some dust issues in the mother board due to rubber seals not being as airtight as the 9505A.
There is also the option of a pre owned 9505A which can be purchased at just under $1500. Again a great a option dependant on use and time required.
If I were using the phone heaps and a company was paying I would go for the 9555 because its slightly smaller and a new toy. But if that's not your bag one of the other options are very sensible.
I hope this is of help to anyone who are looking for good communications thought Australia.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 23:39
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 23:39
However the one Thuraya Satellite is very low in the sky in South Eastern Australia.
If you're in a valley or behind a
hill and you can't get satellite access when you turn the phone on, you will NEVER get satellite access.
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Reply By: satman - Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 23:51
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 at 23:51
Hi Mike
Yes you are correct in that they have a lower satellite base and that depending where and the direction of the
hill is will depend on its signal strength.
It sounds like you have had a bad experience which is why we suggest finding out what the idividual requirements are.
As a point to note though, is that if you face the aerial to the north west its more likely to connect straight away. The other issues we have seen is that because the aerial is so small that if you turn your head you can also lose signal.
However with this knowledge, if your just using it for emergencies it can still make a good value alternative to nothing.
satman :)
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