BajaNomad

Sat Phones

tripledigitken - 2-13-2007 at 04:21 PM

We are considering purchasing a Sat phone. Those familar will you please help?

Iridium is the one we rented a few years ago. Is it the prefered unit?

We are mainly interested in using it for Baja.


Thanks in advance.

Axel - 2-13-2007 at 04:26 PM

I dont know too much about them, but I think I saw them for sale on http://amazon.com

Barry A. - 2-13-2007 at 04:39 PM

I have a couple of kayaking friends that "rent" the Sat Phones when they make a trip. Do not know the details, tho, but they think it more economical to rent.

tripledigitken - 2-13-2007 at 06:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
I have a couple of kayaking friends that "rent" the Sat Phones when they make a trip. Do not know the details, tho, but they think it more economical to rent.


Barry,

Yes that is what we have done in the past for our 1 week trips. ($75 +- per week). We will be spending more time in Baja in the future.

When you start needing it for a month to say 4 months the economics change.

Ken

dug - 2-13-2007 at 09:12 PM

I've rented Globalstar from Discover Baja and had coverage down to Bahia de Los Angeles.(that was our destination) I have also used Iridium the full length of the peninsula with full coverage.

If I was buying, I'd choose Iridium because it has better coverage than Globalstar in other parts of the world.

Neal Johns - 2-14-2007 at 12:00 AM

Iridium is more financially secure.

Sharksbaja - 2-14-2007 at 01:03 AM

Whatever you do don't go with Globalstar. For multiple reasons.

Bruce R Leech - 2-14-2007 at 07:31 AM

Sharksbaja give us the reasons, that is the info we need to make a good Nomad decision.

Desertbull - 2-14-2007 at 07:51 PM

We have used Iridium handhelds for the past year without one single problem...prior to that we used Globalstars a couple times and connections go down often and you have to be standing or sitting in the exact position ...

In our prerunner truck we have a MSAT hardwired system that is a phone and radio combined...Roberto, Baja Xplorer, WB and others have them and they are absolutely the best for fulltime use...

but in the race car and handing out to our chase crews with no hardwired systems...Iridium is the only way to go. They also provide an In-Car system that is used while driving...reception was great and the phone was simple to use.

Globalstar told a buddy that his Sat phone would work in Africa at the Dakar Rally---Guess what? Nada and he was sort of screwed to do what he went there to do...without good to go communications.

I have no affiliation to this company--but we intially rented phones for the first use from All Road Communications in Santee and they provided great service, competitive pricing and I'd recommend them to Baja dudes like Stevo...who needs a Sat Phone but won't buy one....LOL


:lol:

Iridium

gringorio - 2-14-2007 at 08:07 PM

I've also used (and still have and hope to have the opportunity to use in Baja again soon!) an Iridium. In my experience, it is reliable and always has had great reception. Just remember to keep your batteries cycled! :yes:

gringorio

sat phones

bonanza bucko - 2-14-2007 at 08:19 PM

We have had an Iridium for the last four years and love it. It costs us about $30/month for the service and $1.25/minute for calls to landlines anywhere on earth. We get free voice mail and email. There are a lot cheaper alternatives...see below...but none of them work anywhere on earth! We have a friend who ran the power plant at the South Pole a summer or two ago and he called home every day from there with an Iridium.

We use it at our place at Alfonsina's in Baja but only for flight plans and checking in with friends and relatives...we don't call up an chat for hours at that rate.

We fly in Baja and the Sat Phone is a requirement in our view because it is the only way you could notify anyone if you went down in the boonies there....just about everywhere.

If you want cheap telephoning get a lap top and a wi fi connection to the net....we even have that al Alfie's now...and log on to Skype or other internet telephone services for about 2.1 cents per minute world wide...good quality too.

In case the facts have escaped you on this....do not buy stock in ATT or Sprint.....unless they get their acts together for small percentages of their current prices world wide they are toast. (ps: I'm a retired telephone man)

Bajagypsy - 2-14-2007 at 09:11 PM

We take a Globalstar sat phone on every trip. Not becouse we like Globalstar, its becouse its our only option. In our small city in Canada, there is very limited places to rent, and thats all they have.
Globalstar is an absolute piece of crap. (I am being nice and would prefer to discribe there service with a long list of profanity).
I take it for emergencies, and if I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere it works (kinda) in a pinch. But to get it to work, you had better get out your lawn chair, sit back, have a good supply of beer, and try try try again. As you might get 5 - 10 min. total use per hour.
I say they should be shot.:mad: but thats just my opinion.:moon:

Bajagypsy - 2-14-2007 at 09:19 PM

god....I'm still not done ranting....they charge a fortune for absolute terrible service, and becouse I'm worried about my families welfare I keep using these guys and supporting there dog and pony show of a buisness time after time.
I really have to find an alternative than Globalstar.