Satellite Phone Rental

[Sam]

Was thinking of buying a satellite phone. Prices soon put an end to that!
Was thinking of renting a satellite phone. Deposits soon put an end to that!

Looking like an average of £500 deposit and £150+ for a months rental.

If I had £500 I'd "buy one of these" or "maybe these" (yeah I know you get it back - but I'm going to need to eat it)

So, before I abandon the idea, anyone got a lead on something cheap? - or want to buy a 5th of a second hand one ... of course I don't really neeeeeeeed one... just kinda... well, you know

 

[warrenpfo]

Hmmmm you have me thinking. How about you buy one, and ill buy it back from you afterwards less £150 and you can use it free of charge there after whilst I am still in the UK (rest of this year).

Just a thought and I would need to do some homework as to which phone would-be preferred.

Your thoughts??????

 

[Chas]

What is the cost of running a sat phone, (Price of calls) is it on a par with mobiles?

 

[warrenpfo]

Nope it is a fair bit more expensive when it comes to cost per minute but then you are able to make a call in theory from any where in the world. Your minutes also expire at some stage if you have not used them.

Its one of those devices that could save your life one day but like wise you might never ever need it kind of like insurance I guess.

 

[karl webster]

I brought a sat phone Sam. It was a cheap second hand one off the bay and works with a normal pay monthly sim

 

[warrenpfo]

Just remember:

If in a boat on the ocean or to keep in touch with friends Isat is wonderful, but Isat needs a clear view to the equator where all Isat satellites hover (or circle; don't know) in a single place over the euquator. Anything that blocks the view, will also block the connection.

Juts imagine when you're in an emergency and there is a mountain blocking your view towards equator . . .

Where as the more expensive Iridium that uses satellites that circle the earth everywhere. Much easier to find a spot with clear view to the sky, than one with unobstructed view to equator.

 

[Sam]

Costs are coming in at between 80p - £2 per minute - depending on if you get a "pre-pay" bundle or pay-monthly style package - and of course depending on who you get them from.

Satphone that i found here for IsatPhone, seem to be changing their rates from 1st June. Better rates but the credit runs out much much sooner (its still 2 years for now).

I just read the Iridium had more chance of getting a signal - which would be explained by roaming satellites I suppose.

I was joking about the joint buy idea warren - but could be something in it - I'll have a ponder

 

[Chas]

I was joking about the joint buy idea warren - but could be something in it - I'll have a ponder

You could always go into the rental business yourself, buy one and rent it out to other members

 

[SpinDrift]

I bought one off the bay as well. There are a few on there at the mo

Mine is a Thuraya ... but a word of warning, their coverage is not world wide and you cannot buy a phone and change servic provider

http://www.thuraya.com/coverage-map

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Don't forget that having a sat phone is great if you have the number of someone who can help you but dialing 999, or 911 etc doesn't work with a sat phone and will not connect you to the 'local' emergency services.

Why do you want a sat phone Sam? I went to rural France in 2010 and through the Pyrenees in 2011 and I think we lost mobile phone signal once each trip for a very short time. The GSM infrastructure in France and Spain puts this country to shame.

The places my sat phone was most useful are in this country! (Derbyshire and Wales)

 

[Gav Peter]

I would second what Jon posted - we were astonished at the places we were getting signals on our mobiles!!!

 

[Chas]

I got a signal and made a call to the UK in the Western Sahara miles from any town on an ordinary mobile phone

 

[Gary Stockton]

Wot they said. Was on both trips Jon was on and had no issues at all.

Cheers

 

[Sam]

SWMBO asked me the very same question Jon - apparantly she's not coming to get me either

I know I don't need one. I'm just getting wrapped up in the whole trip prep thing. You know what it's like - once you start thinking about all the toys and gadgets you "could" take, it gets harder and harder to reign it in and be sensible. I did try to justify it for a few moments with the argument that the injector seals might go while I'm [strike:1489p5q9]playing[/strike:1489p5q9] ... cough... searching for photo ops half way down a track off the E9, stuck at precisely the required angle to be blocked from GSM signals and surrounded by bears... but I couldn't make it stick. Surely if I decided I didn't need the winch yet then I don't need the sat phone... or the stand-by recovery helicopter... and I should probably tell Ray Mears he's not coming after all!

My last defiant childish stand was the one-in-a-million shot that someone had a lead on a ridiculously cheap one.

It's all new and exciting to me. I just wanna say I've got one. Hmph! Dammit - now I've really got to plan a "proper" trip to warrant it

Out of curiosity though - how many of you "don't need one's" carry one anyway? Is it just me?

 

[Gary Stockton]

Rather spend the pennies on some other decent mod / change - like a fridge - Waeco, Nat Luna or Engel - that way you won't starve or die of thirst after activating your ePirb

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Sold mine, you only really need one if you're going green laning in the UK, everywhere else you can get a mobile signal (ok, not quite everywhere else but nearly).

 

[Sam]

True Gary, true. There's something to be said for taking extra beer and treats instead

Or in my case - making sure I've got enough money for diesel. How funny would that conversation be from my shiny new satellite phone? ....

"Hi - I'm calling from my new Satellite phone - glad I had it cos I'm stuck"
"Whats up Sam? Engine failure? Accident? Serious Injury?"
"Erm... not exactly...."

Ok - idea abandoned - cheers fellas

 

[wobbly]

If you are lookinmg for a glamorous sexy bit of kit, have a look at Spot Tracker.

Its on my list, but only when I have a trip booked.

Pete

 

[SpinDrift]

I was frequently out of mobile phone range in Morocco and Western Sahara. You can pick up a signal when close to villages and towns but there were long stretches out in the desert or even on the beach when there was no signal, and especially when wild camping, you can be out of signal for a few days. There were probably times when we drove through some areas where there was signal and didnt realise it. Also, both times I was in Morocco I had bought a local SIM and both times the SIM would allow me to contact some numbers and not others. Apart from for emergencies, the sat phone allows you to let the folks back home that everything is OK.

 

[karl webster]

SWMBO asked me the very same question Jon - apparantly she's not coming to get me either

I know I don't need one. I'm just getting wrapped up in the whole trip prep thing. You know what it's like - once you start thinking about all the toys and gadgets you "could" take, it gets harder and harder to reign it in and be sensible. I did try to justify it for a few moments with the argument that the injector seals might go while I'm [strike:auh6u173]playing[/strike:auh6u173] ... cough... searching for photo ops half way down a track off the E9, stuck at precisely the required angle to be blocked from GSM signals and surrounded by bears... but I couldn't make it stick. Surely if I decided I didn't need the winch yet then I don't need the sat phone... or the stand-by recovery helicopter... and I should probably tell Ray Mears he's not coming after all!

My last defiant childish stand was the one-in-a-million shot that someone had a lead on a ridiculously cheap one.

It's all new and exciting to me. I just wanna say I've got one. Hmph! Dammit - now I've really got to plan a "proper" trip to warrant it

Out of curiosity though - how many of you "don't need one's" carry one anyway? Is it just me?

I have one,Ask myself do i need it??? Prob not! but, i do quite a few miles on my own collecting trucks etc and as alot of the green lanning lads know wales area you can drive a fair few miles with no signal.
Phone cost 170squid i think,my orange sim can just be put in if i ever need to. I look at it as if i break down in wales at 12oclock at night with little traffic around and its chucking it down with rain and no signal on my mobile..... would i be happy to have my sat phone...eeerrrrrr yep.