Satalite Phones

Koko · Member

Satalite Phones

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Rather than lashing out for a full-fledged sat-phone, praps this would be an idea?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/turn-your-iphone-or-android-smartphone-into-a-satellite-phone/

cheers - John

Koko · Member

Hi John
Have had a look at this, the problem I have is if I upgrade my phone Id probably have upgrade this as well. Will have to do some more investigation. Also Im with Telstra and not sure if they have this network.

KFT · Guru

G'day Koko

I purchased a pre owned Iridium satphone which came as a complete kit for around $800. The phone was in excellent condition and had been owned by the education dept. I chose Iridium because Telstra own quite a bit of that network and by inserting a $20/mth casual sim with international roaming enabled I have a satphone with an aussie mobile number.

Calls to and from the phone cost around $2/min but emergency calls are free and being on the Telstra network 000 works fine.

the whole thing came in a watertight case with 230v & 12v chargers and an external magnetic antenna.

have a bit of a search around and see what you can find.

Frank

Koko · Member

Thanks Frank

PeterInSa · Guru

My experience, definitely do not buy an Isatphone, I have the previous version the Isatphone ie the Pro and to me the call cost was a lot cheaper previously than now. I suggest you go Franks Method above with a Pre Owned Iridium, so what if your say make 2 calls costing $2 a minute for 5 minutes, using the Isatphone and using the voucher once I make the first call it will cost $99 for the month, even if I only make another 2 minute call.

Would also talk to the people below. Note I did not buy my phone from them.

https://www.satphonesales.com.au/

Regardless of your sat phone purchase, I suggest a Telstra Blue Tick phone ( Probably a Lo Teck unit that an aerial can plug into) that can be connected to a Broom stick aerial, on the roof of your Tug or on top of the Winegard TV aerial on the caravan for data and comms when remote.

Peter

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Saturday 3rd of February 2018 12:57:43 AM

Yuglamron · Guru

I wonder about Satellite phones. I hear time and time again that they are purchased for use only in an emergency.

Why then buy prepaid air time if emergency calls are free?

Barboots · Senior Member

The Triple Zero service is for life threatening situations only. Depending on the interpretation, some other's "emergency use" may fall below this threshold. When travelling I keep my Iridium SatPhone at hand without a SIM in it... just in case. If I wanted to make an urgent call on it, I'd just pull the SIM out of my mobile, put it in an adaptor, then whack it in the SatPhone. I would not consider a plan unless using it regularly.