Sat Phones

Freebee · Member

Sat Phones

Yuglamron · Guru

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.

villatranquilla · Guru

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 · Guru

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 · Member

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 · Guru

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 · Guru

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 · Guru

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.

frank