The phone has normal Optus mobile when you are in a town that has Optus coverage. When you start to travel out of service where the phone does not work, the mobile switches to Satellite service, all on the same phone number.
We absolutely love it. The normal price is $1780, but we got a government rebate that brought the price down to $700. The calls are cheaper than our old sat phone as well. Our old one used to cost about $1.80 for every 30 seconds, this one is 65 cents every 30 seconds, and we dont get charged for people calling us.
As you can see I found a huge benefit with this, and that is why I have posted on this because I always hear in the parks we stop at people moaning about their mobile reception.
NOT US ANYMORE.
The people we bought this from were brilliant as well. Their on the Vic NSW border, but we bought it when we were in WA and it was sent to us. Nothing was too much for them.
If you want more info about our phone, reply to this post as I check it every few days.
Bob The Trekker!!!!!!
dave06 said
12:39 PM Oct 17, 2008
sounds like a good'un trekker, bit steep for me so I'll stay with just cursing our old phone and wait ti'l we get back in range again
Trekker said
12:43 PM Oct 17, 2008
We were lucky cause we got the rebate.
I have heard some of the people we spoke to spend $2000 on a sat phone and still use their other phone as well?
dave06 said
01:39 PM Oct 17, 2008
yep they sure do, I've seen them and a fantastic bit of kit they are too, seen a bloke having a very intense discussion up at the ampitheatre in the kimberleys, they were talking up a storm about fuel prices in perth and the price of watermelon in melbourne, real important stuff, me it's just not that important, I'm looking in to getting one of them fancy uhf gizmos, been in touch with a dozen "experts" and got a dozen different "must haves" I think if one just wants a chin wag or has a medical problem or perhaps a breakdown then that will do me, had one of those useless little cb's in the old days when "breaker breaker 1-9" was all the rage, travelled all over australia with that, range of about ten yards I think, didnt ever need it, thank christ, but if you need a reliable phone then this would be one of the better ones but my knowledge is very limited on these things, ask me about travel, then I'll have the answer
Trekker said
02:03 PM Oct 17, 2008
Well you must admit that the price of watermellon in Melbourne can effect so much in the world economy. In fact I think that when it went up 8 cents a Kilo that sent the banks in America to the wall. I am sure that was the story, or am I being sarcastic.
Anyway the UHF should be a good safety measure, another reason why we went with this is the GPS, as it also gives us a reference point to give when and if we ever need help.
I suppose though a normal GPS will do the same.
dave06 said
02:11 PM Oct 17, 2008
no you are quite right, dont get me wrong I am not knocking your purchase, I think it is a very good investment and will return it to you if ever, and god forbid that it should, things go wrong, I know of quite a few people who have uhf and the phone as well as the flying doctor radio, I guess one cant be too safe, I have even heard of people who carry an epirb, and on board flares, guess that would be a great way of telling people where you were if problems arise, it just hasent happened to us in our 25- 30 years of travel, touch wood
Trekker said
02:40 PM Oct 17, 2008
I realise you were not knocking the purchase, I was litterally joking about the price of the mellons.
It is so hard to portray humour over a written word.
I actually think you do have a safe form of communication with the UHF. I just shudder with the people we meet on the road that think when they are in trouble they can rely on people passing or they can find a phone booth somewhere, not even have a mobile phone at all.
These are the people that end us dingo food on a remote track that has one 4x4 drive down it every 3 months in NT.
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:43 PM Oct 17, 2008
Trekker, tell us some more details about getting that subsidy.
It is my understanding that getting a subsidy without a 'remote' address or business is pretty difficult now. Although the guidelines still suggest (indirectly) that it is possible for 'Grey Nomads' to get it, I have heard that generally, their applications are being refused.
On the subject of UHF, I dissagree strongly that it is a safe or reliable form of communication in remote areas. It is not. There are many areas where there are no repeaters and where range may be limited to other stations within 10 to 30km. In these areas you need a sat. 'phone or an HF radio, or an EPIRB if you need reliable emergency communication.
Cheers, Peter
Cheers, Peter
dave06 said
06:23 PM Oct 17, 2008
didnt say it was safe or reliable, just said I'm gonna get me one, because I want one and they are shiny, whether we use the damn thing or rely on it is another story, done the rough stuff, mostly highway for me from now on, dont see anywhere that I stated it is a safe or reliable form of communication, if you are going to keep correcting me on everything that I DONT say peter then you have a mighty big job ahead of you
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:23 PM Oct 17, 2008
dave06 said:didnt say it was safe or reliable, just said I'm gonna get me one, because I want one and they are shiny, whether we use the damn thing or rely on it is another story, done the rough stuff, mostly highway for me from now on, dont see anywhere that I stated it is a safe or reliable form of communication, if you are going to keep correcting me on everything that I DONT say peter then you have a mighty big job ahead of you dave06, you really do have a chip on your shoulder, don't you?
It was Trekker who said: I actually think you do have a safe form of communication with the UHF.....and I am also entilted to my view.
Cheers, Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret at 22:17, 2008-10-17
twobob said
09:51 PM Oct 17, 2008
My twobob's worth.
I have stated that I lived in Kakadu, where we relied on HF and UHF. What a waste of time. Sometimes you could get through AND be understood, most times, it was something to throw at the wall. The radio tech were working on it all the time I was there. No complete answer was ever found, other than having repeaters everywhere.
We started to use Sat phones, at $15,000.00 a piece, and $5.00 per 30 seconds.
When I left, I had a company "promising" a normal anolgue mobile that would switch to Sat, when out of range. I left before following it up. What Trekker is saying is, they now are real.
Only when you are in real remote stuff, is this an issue, more so, when someone is not keeping tabs on you daily.
HF and UHF, can be used on the main routes as the truckies do now. But it is an art to getting on, and have understanding. Lots of fun, but unrealiable.
Bottom line, rely on no one but yourself, and have an EPIRB, when the proverbial hits the fan.
Last word, all those intending on travelling "outside" the surburban area, DO A FIRST AID course.
dave06 said
10:12 AM Oct 18, 2008
HAH!!! HAH!!! HAH!!! thats rich coming from someone who is carrying a sleeper around on his, chip on my shoulder, hey I'm not the one correcting everything and then trolling through the net to find urls to bignote myself, I merely said I am buying a uhf, I too, as we all are, entitled to our views, I have travelled extensively all over remote areas of aus. and I know what does and doesnt work, I dont need your input, you really must climb down from that self made high horse of yours, if I choose a uhf, then its my decision, what you choose is yours. uhf is still the main means of communication throughout the outback, its not perfect but its not expensive either, if you venture in to areas that are so remote then you must prepare yourself accordingly, safety is with the individual, even with the best of communications one can die in the blink of an eye, preperation as always is the key to survival, we did the kimberleys, cape york, kakadu, and a lot of inland rivers with nothing more than a cb radio, dangerous, well thinking back now yes it was, but we PREPARED for the trip and thankfully nothing went wrong, the idea of this forum is to pass on good information and talk to other travellers, not hold yourself up as something you are most certainly not, you really should get a grip on your self
-- Edited by dave06 at 10:37, 2008-10-18
dave06 said
10:26 AM Oct 19, 2008
trekker I apoligise profusely for ruining your thread, the phone is a terriific device and I want to thank you for listing it, and if I was still travelling in to remote areas I would certainly look in to it, apparently to get the subsidy ( according to a mate) you need to be out of normal phone range for an average of 120 days in two years, dont know if that is correct but he seemed to think it was
Trekker said
09:55 AM Oct 20, 2008
Peter N Margret asked for more info about how we applied.
I just spoke with the people I bought the phone from and they told me that what people do is to be too specific with their reason for asking for the subsidy.
As the Grey Nomads are not that timetable orientated this should not be an issue.
Dont put in for example "21 days you are here" and "45 days you are here" and .......... This comes to a total of 121 days.
As the Nomads know you go where the road takes you, you stay as long as the money or the fancy for the place lasts.
What people that are getting the rebate have told them is that they put on the application that they continually travel between say Sydney and Alice Springs, and they would easily log more than 120 days out or service area per year over a 2 year average.
Ant to answer another posters question, it is 120 per year averaged over 2 years, not 120 days in 2 years. That part of the claim form is very confusing.
Hope this helps. The guy at TCS said to me if anyone wants to get info to call them on 1300850698, and they will definately help.
Again the trick is not to be too specific, as when we travel, be honest, who is on a timetable?
Trekker Bob
Peter_n_Margaret said
10:29 AM Oct 20, 2008
Thanks for that Trekker Bob, good advise, I am sure. Also, if you have an ABN, it is probably best if you quote it. We did and our application was approved as a business 'phone, even though we did not say that we intended to work! Dual mode sat/GSM is a good idea. Our Qualcomm was dual mode CDMA/Sat until Telstra switched CDMA off, now it is Sat only....and Telstra won't let other carriers use their NextG network...yet.... You can still get Globalstar Sat with Telstra GSM on a dual mode Motorola handset. I am amazed that Telstra have not offered a Sat / NextG service yet. That would be the best of both worlds. Maybe they wll in time?
Do you have a car kit and external antennae for yours Trekker Bob? This can be an important aspect when choosing a set, because unlike a normal mobile, Sat 'phones don't work very well at all inside a vehicle, except thru the windscreen, they have to 'see' the sky.
Cheers, Peter
Trekker said
11:23 AM Oct 20, 2008
I think this is the only one available at the moment with dual band sat/GSM
The good part is that as we continue along our phone seems to work better. I was told that Optus have improved their normal mobile coverage with a 900 band that was the old CDMA frequency.
We use a Bluetooth handsfree in the van and have a holder near the window where the phone sits, so it sees the sky. Works a treat, and it was only about $100 and we can both talk to the kids at the same time. Its like a speaker phone, we feel very business like. Haha
We dont have an ABN, but just did not go into great specifics on the application and it went fine for us.
Trekker Bob
dave06 said
11:34 AM Oct 20, 2008
to get an abn is a simple affair it is granted over the internet in about five minutes and it opens up all kind of goody trails, I have one for fence construction and also covers the saw sharpening business as well, phone coverage is improving all the time by both major parties but they still leave a lot to be desired
Trekker said
11:59 AM Oct 20, 2008
Totally agree with that.
That is why we got the sat phone.
All the places that are worth going to dont have coverage from normal mobiles.
My wife always says why dont they put the towers everywhere, when I say it is not economically viable to do that, she comes out with a pearler.
Why dont they all pool their money together and build towers they all can use. 3 carriers with a flood of towers all in the same areas, or spread those towers accross the country and all use the same ones. this gives all consumers a pure choice on price and not on coverage. Telstra do it with landlines, wht cant they all do it for mobile towers?
I hate it when she is right. and it is so simple and logical. Obviously that is why it does not happen that way.
Trekker Bob
dave06 said
12:26 PM Oct 20, 2008
ahhh! who can or would endevour to plumb the depths of a female mind, simple yet complex loving and yet so vengefull, understanding but come home drunk or forget the anniversary and look out, the reason they (the phone carriers) dont pool the resources is also a simple answer MONEY we got it and they ALL want it not to share amongst each other, one doesnt have to travel to remote areas, 20 kms out of pirie, where I am currently employed operating a harvester, guess what, no coverage on my 3g phone through telstra (hilly), uhf no problem the boss can still yell at me from here but I cant ring the wife, I'm sitting behind the wheel in the semi waiting for him to drop his next load using a complex array of wireless sat nav technology through the gps guidence system on the john deere 70 series harvester to be on the internet while he is working HAH!! HAH!! how cool is that, problem is we will swap over shortly and I will have no laptop so work becomes boring again as I watch the vans and campers and motorhomes go by, hell on wheels as I drive the highway with a load to the silos I curse the mongrels all day, but wish I was out there with them, lucky B@#$$%$#ds, beats sitting in the office, which is where I will return to once the harvest is done
Trekker said
10:21 AM Oct 24, 2008
Hi all
Just wanted to add a note. This company that I bought the phone from just gave us a call to ask how it was all going.
Now I give credit where credit is due, the only time I have had this is when I bought my Ford Territory to tow the van and they gave me a call about 3 weeks later to see how the car is.
I love this style of customer service, I dont know about the rest of you.
The people know that there is pretty much no chance that I will buy another sat phone from them in my lifetime, but they still call.
They dont know though that I like to praise these things on forums like this.
So if you want customer service, but Ford Territories and TCS R Direct Satellite phones.
And to a lesser degree Jaco Caravans, because they did send a letter rather than make a call.
Bob The Trekker.
dave06 said
10:27 AM Oct 24, 2008
makes a big difference with little things like after sales service and common decency, the vehicle yard where we purchased little blue still send us xmas cards every year only the cheap little ones and a computer generated note inside but the point of it is the card is always there, great people and as always good thoughts come from great people, makes a whole lotta difference, I have sent a few people their way so it also makes good business sense as well
Bridgee said
09:59 PM Oct 28, 2008
Hello I'm a newby here, just readng some of your comments on communications. We are planning on going around Australia next year, however this time around we will have a mobile phone, a UHF cb radio and a laptop, a bit different to our first trip around this wonderful country 35 years ago, no mobile (weren't invented) no cb radios and no laptop, no caravan and ...... no money!just our trusty Mazda 808. But hey! what a holiday. Roll on next year for trip No 3
Bridgee said
10:13 PM Oct 28, 2008
Trekker wrote:
Totally agree with that.
That is why we got the sat phone.
All the places that are worth going to dont have coverage from normal mobiles.
My wife always says why dont they put the towers everywhere, when I say it is not economically viable to do that, she comes out with a pearler.
Why dont they all pool their money together and build towers they all can use. 3 carriers with a flood of towers all in the same areas, or spread those towers accross the country and all use the same ones. this gives all consumers a pure choice on price and not on coverage. Telstra do it with landlines, wht cant they all do it for mobile towers?
I hate it when she is right. and it is so simple and logical. Obviously that is why it does not happen that way.
Trekker Bob
I hate it when she is right. Trekker Bob - ................has she ever been WRONG!!..............C'MON!!
dave06 said
10:19 PM Oct 28, 2008
a big welcome to you bridgee, different times call for different measures, what you are describing I think should see you pretty right UNLESS you are planning to go into areas that one would not normally go into, we took huge risks, thinking back now, but as I keep on rabbiting on about its all in the preperation and the backup that one prepares beforehand, if you take preventitive measures mechanically the trip itself should be a walk in the park, we will be preparing to spend the rest of our days cicumnavigating this great country and all we will have is a uhf and a mobile, we are not planning to do the rough stuff (been there done that) some of our best memories are when we had the least ammount of money, apreciated what we had a lot more, should be a great trip
Trekker said
12:29 PM Nov 18, 2008
I just spoke with a person that has a !!something!! star satellite phone, sorry cant remember the entire name, and they said they drop out heaps on the phone.
I was told that this phone uses satellites that pass overhead, and if the satellite that your phone is talking through passes over the horizon and there is not another one coming over then the call drops out. Sometimes it can be a few minutes before another comes over.
Wow, I would hate to be bitten by a snake when the last goes over the horizon, and have to wait for the next one to pick up the call.
If anyone has this same issue, get the Thuraya. This one calls through a satellite that stays overhead.
Hi All
I posted in another area that had the heading Mobile Phone, but I wanted to change the heading and couldnt, so I made this new thread.
We bought a phone from the company link below, and we can be in mobile signal anywhere in Australia. ANYWHERE.
http://www.tcsrdirect.com.au/TCS%20R%20Direct%20mobile%20offer.htm
The phone has normal Optus mobile when you are in a town that has Optus coverage. When you start to travel out of service where the phone does not work, the mobile switches to Satellite service, all on the same phone number.
We absolutely love it. The normal price is $1780, but we got a government rebate that brought the price down to $700. The calls are cheaper than our old sat phone as well. Our old one used to cost about $1.80 for every 30 seconds, this one is 65 cents every 30 seconds, and we dont get charged for people calling us.
As you can see I found a huge benefit with this, and that is why I have posted on this because I always hear in the parks we stop at people moaning about their mobile reception.
NOT US ANYMORE.
The people we bought this from were brilliant as well. Their on the Vic NSW border, but we bought it when we were in WA and it was sent to us. Nothing was too much for them.
If you want more info about our phone, reply to this post as I check it every few days.
Bob The Trekker!!!!!!
I have heard some of the people we spoke to spend $2000 on a sat phone and still use their other phone as well?
Anyway the UHF should be a good safety measure, another reason why we went with this is the GPS, as it also gives us a reference point to give when and if we ever need help.
I suppose though a normal GPS will do the same.
It is so hard to portray humour over a written word.
I actually think you do have a safe form of communication with the UHF. I just shudder with the people we meet on the road that think when they are in trouble they can rely on people passing or they can find a phone booth somewhere, not even have a mobile phone at all.
These are the people that end us dingo food on a remote track that has one 4x4 drive down it every 3 months in NT.
It is my understanding that getting a subsidy without a 'remote' address or business is pretty difficult now.
Although the guidelines still suggest (indirectly) that it is possible for 'Grey Nomads' to get it, I have heard that generally, their applications are being refused.
Here is where you go for the application and guidelines.
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_consumers/mobile_services/the_satellite_phone_subsidy_scheme
We were lucky and got a$1500 subsidy for ours very early in the scheme (about 2 years ago). I think they have now made it much harder.
On the subject of UHF, I dissagree strongly that it is a safe or reliable form of communication in remote areas.
It is not.
There are many areas where there are no repeaters and where range may be limited to other stations within 10 to 30km. In these areas you need a sat. 'phone or an HF radio, or an EPIRB if you need reliable emergency communication.
Cheers,
Peter
Cheers,
Peter
It was Trekker who said:
....and I am also entilted to my view.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret at 22:17, 2008-10-17
I have stated that I lived in Kakadu, where we relied on HF and UHF. What a waste of time. Sometimes you could get through AND be understood, most times, it was something to throw at the wall. The radio tech were working on it all the time I was there. No complete answer was ever found, other than having repeaters everywhere.
We started to use Sat phones, at $15,000.00 a piece, and $5.00 per 30 seconds.
When I left, I had a company "promising" a normal anolgue mobile that would switch to Sat, when out of range. I left before following it up. What Trekker is saying is, they now are real.
Only when you are in real remote stuff, is this an issue, more so, when someone is not keeping tabs on you daily.
HF and UHF, can be used on the main routes as the truckies do now. But it is an art to getting on, and have understanding. Lots of fun, but unrealiable.
Bottom line, rely on no one but yourself, and have an EPIRB, when the proverbial hits the fan.
Last word, all those intending on travelling "outside" the surburban area, DO A FIRST AID course.
-- Edited by dave06 at 10:37, 2008-10-18
I just spoke with the people I bought the phone from and they told me that what people do is to be too specific with their reason for asking for the subsidy.
As the Grey Nomads are not that timetable orientated this should not be an issue.
Dont put in for example "21 days you are here" and "45 days you are here" and .......... This comes to a total of 121 days.
As the Nomads know you go where the road takes you, you stay as long as the money or the fancy for the place lasts.
What people that are getting the rebate have told them is that they put on the application that they continually travel between say Sydney and Alice Springs, and they would easily log more than 120 days out or service area per year over a 2 year average.
Ant to answer another posters question, it is 120 per year averaged over 2 years, not 120 days in 2 years. That part of the claim form is very confusing.
Hope this helps. The guy at TCS said to me if anyone wants to get info to call them on 1300850698, and they will definately help.
Again the trick is not to be too specific, as when we travel, be honest, who is on a timetable?
Trekker Bob
Also, if you have an ABN, it is probably best if you quote it. We did and our application was approved as a business 'phone, even though we did not say that we intended to work!
Dual mode sat/GSM is a good idea. Our Qualcomm was dual mode CDMA/Sat until Telstra switched CDMA off, now it is Sat only....and Telstra won't let other carriers use their NextG network...yet....
You can still get Globalstar Sat with Telstra GSM on a dual mode Motorola handset.
I am amazed that Telstra have not offered a Sat / NextG service yet. That would be the best of both worlds. Maybe they wll in time?
Do you have a car kit and external antennae for yours Trekker Bob?
This can be an important aspect when choosing a set, because unlike a normal mobile, Sat 'phones don't work very well at all inside a vehicle, except thru the windscreen, they have to 'see' the sky.
Cheers,
Peter
The good part is that as we continue along our phone seems to work better. I was told that Optus have improved their normal mobile coverage with a 900 band that was the old CDMA frequency.
We use a Bluetooth handsfree in the van and have a holder near the window where the phone sits, so it sees the sky. Works a treat, and it was only about $100 and we can both talk to the kids at the same time. Its like a speaker phone, we feel very business like. Haha
We dont have an ABN, but just did not go into great specifics on the application and it went fine for us.
Trekker Bob
That is why we got the sat phone.
All the places that are worth going to dont have coverage from normal mobiles.
My wife always says why dont they put the towers everywhere, when I say it is not economically viable to do that, she comes out with a pearler.
Why dont they all pool their money together and build towers they all can use. 3 carriers with a flood of towers all in the same areas, or spread those towers accross the country and all use the same ones. this gives all consumers a pure choice on price and not on coverage. Telstra do it with landlines, wht cant they all do it for mobile towers?
I hate it when she is right. and it is so simple and logical. Obviously that is why it does not happen that way.
Trekker Bob
Just wanted to add a note. This company that I bought the phone from just gave us a call to ask how it was all going.
Now I give credit where credit is due, the only time I have had this is when I bought my Ford Territory to tow the van and they gave me a call about 3 weeks later to see how the car is.
I love this style of customer service, I dont know about the rest of you.
The people know that there is pretty much no chance that I will buy another sat phone from them in my lifetime, but they still call.
They dont know though that I like to praise these things on forums like this.
So if you want customer service, but Ford Territories and TCS R Direct Satellite phones.
And to a lesser degree Jaco Caravans, because they did send a letter rather than make a call.
Bob The Trekker.
I was told that this phone uses satellites that pass overhead, and if the satellite that your phone is talking through passes over the horizon and there is not another one coming over then the call drops out. Sometimes it can be a few minutes before another comes over.
Wow, I would hate to be bitten by a snake when the last goes over the horizon, and have to wait for the next one to pick up the call.
If anyone has this same issue, get the Thuraya. This one calls through a satellite that stays overhead.
Bob