We are going on an extended outback trip. Question; are Sat Phones worth the money and trouble getting one? We already have a Telstra mobile but i think that will have a limited availability (also a Vodafone mobile which will be usless outside main cities).
Yuglamron said
09:31 PM Feb 9, 2013
The old adage about staying with your vehicle if you break down miles from nowhere is still the best thing to do.If you have logged in and told people of your plans and where and when you expect to arrive there can be problems in getting help.
A Satphone kept charged can be a life saver and get help much more quickly.
There is a Govt subsidy for Sat phones I think is still running and is a godsend for remote travel.
PS I have no affilliation with any of these companies.
villatranquilla said
06:19 AM Feb 10, 2013
also remember that the sat phone does not work 100% of the time - we have one and only used it once in 15 mths - our plan costs about $1 per minute and has just gone up to $35 per month - very expensive - but gives us peace of mind that we are contactable in an family emergency - cost about $600 after gov't subsidy.
KFT said
11:04 PM Feb 10, 2013
G'day everyone, It is not my intention to hijack this thread but I was wondering about a satphone that is compatible with the australian phone network like the Iridium. If you had one not on any plan could you still call 000 without a sim card like you can with a mobile?
would seem to me to be an economical way to have one for emergencies only.
frank
Freebee said
08:00 PM Feb 13, 2013
Hi Frank
I have spoken to a dealer in Sydney and he told me the reason you can't get 000 is that to call you have to dial as if you were overseas eg. 612---- ---- for a NSW land line and 614 --- --- --- for a mobile. He has prepaid for $1.30 per minute and text for 0.65. No plan costs. A 100 minutes has an expiry date of 6 months.
Would like to hear from sat phone owners if this is correct.
Alan
KFT said
11:58 PM Feb 13, 2013
Hi Alan thanks for the info. I will follow that up with telstra I think as they sell iridium satphones and their marketing says they are capable of calling australian emergency numbers.
I will post my findings
frank
PeterD said
07:49 AM Feb 14, 2013
KFT wrote:
If you had one not on any plan could you still call 000 without a sim card like you can with a mobile?
It's an international system not an Australian one. 000 is not available.
KFT said
08:23 PM Feb 14, 2013
I had a search around the Telstra website this morning and found this info with respect to the telstra supplied satellite phones(iridium)
it appears to answer my question and for PeterD it should update your knowledge and mine.
Emergency services 2.10 You need an active SIM card in your handset/device to access the 000 emergency services number using the Telstra Mobile satellite service from inside Australia. 2.11 You do not need an active SIM card in your handset/device to access the 112 emergency services number using the Telstra Mobile satellite service from inside Australia and from selected other countries where satellite handsets/devices can be lawfully used and which also use the 112 emergency services number.
It would seem from the above that a handset only without a sim card and not on any plan would allow you to access the 112 emergency number from within australia at no charge.
We are going on an extended outback trip. Question; are Sat Phones worth the money and trouble getting one? We already have a Telstra mobile but i think that will have a limited availability (also a Vodafone mobile which will be usless outside main cities).
The old adage about staying with your vehicle if you break down miles from nowhere is still the best thing to do.If you have logged in and told people of your plans and where and when you expect to arrive there can be problems in getting help.
A Satphone kept charged can be a life saver and get help much more quickly.
There is a Govt subsidy for Sat phones I think is still running and is a godsend for remote travel.
Check out this link.
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/mobile_services/the_satellite_phone_subsidy_scheme
I have one and luckily have never had to use it.
There is another alternative though and that is Spot Connect.
Check out this link
http://www.findmespot.net.au/Shopping.html?gclid=CO6pmvCWqLUCFQZcpQodTkcAIA
Hope this gives you something to check out.
Cheers
Trevor.
PS I have no affilliation with any of these companies.
It is not my intention to hijack this thread but I was wondering about a satphone that is compatible with the australian phone network like the Iridium. If you had one not on any plan could you still call 000 without a sim card like you can with a mobile?
would seem to me to be an economical way to have one for emergencies only.
frank
Hi Frank
I have spoken to a dealer in Sydney and he told me the reason you can't get 000 is that to call you have to dial as if you were overseas eg. 612---- ---- for a NSW land line and 614 --- --- --- for a mobile. He has prepaid for $1.30 per minute and text for 0.65. No plan costs. A 100 minutes has an expiry date of 6 months.
Would like to hear from sat phone owners if this is correct.
Alan
thanks for the info. I will follow that up with telstra I think as they sell iridium satphones and their marketing says they are capable of calling australian emergency numbers.
I will post my findings
frank
It's an international system not an Australian one. 000 is not available.
it appears to answer my question and for PeterD it should update your knowledge and mine.
Emergency services
2.10 You need an active SIM card in your handset/device to access the 000 emergency services
number using the Telstra Mobile satellite service from inside Australia.
2.11 You do not need an active SIM card in your handset/device to access the 112 emergency
services number using the Telstra Mobile satellite service from inside Australia and from selected other countries where satellite handsets/devices can be lawfully used and which
also use the 112 emergency services number.
It would seem from the above that a handset only without a sim card and not on any plan would allow you to access the 112 emergency number from within australia at no charge.
frank