Thread: reliable sat phones

The sat phones that you currently hire are rubbish, I'm wondering if anyone here that uses one regularly and has a reliable one could comment on which to go for?

Cheers

Originally Posted by Freezer

The sat phones that you currently hire are rubbish, I'm wondering if anyone here that uses one regularly and has a reliable one could comment on which to go for?

Cheers

What reason you have for the "rubbish" comment?

Iridium is better than Isat (more satellites and not geosynchronous like Inmarsat ones so you dont have to point the antenna to the North West

Inreach works OK if you only need test. Spot is one way only

Thanks Mikee, I use other iridium devices for work so understand the provider. I guess the rubbish comment comes from very poor battery life and poor connectivity. Texting via the phones I've used has been unreliable and calling impossible. I've only used the 9555 and looking for others that have had better experience with an alternative. Do the inreach messages send easily?

Originally Posted by Freezer

Thanks Mikee, I use other iridium devices for work so understand the provider. I guess the rubbish comment comes from very poor battery life and poor connectivity. Texting via the phones I've used has been unreliable and calling impossible. I've only used the 9555 and looking for others that have had better experience with an alternative. Do the inreach messages send easily?

Yep they do send text well, Unlike spot they are able to tell if the message got thru to the land station and if it did not will resend it. We register the units we sell via and aussie company and any text you send to a mobile can be replied to in the normal way.
The in reach user does pay for both sending and receiving messages the mobile phone user pays for whatever their text messages cost.
You can pair your inreach to a mobile app for easier texting but I have never bothered with the one I have used
If you need to talk to someone then an iridium is the way to go but if text will work then in-reach s the way to go. Battery life is quoted at 100 hours for the in-reach.
I lent one to a mate this roar for his trip to George Sound, fiordland. He spent 10 days there and sent about 50 texts. Turned it on / off when he used it. Battery was still 3/4 full when it came back. I had set it up so when he sent each text it also sent his position so I could see where he was. It also has the ability track the operator if left on.

Shit I sound like a salesmen.......................................... ...

They work best when you don't leave them in the car @Freezer