BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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Iridium and GlobalStar Satellite Phones - Who Has the Better Deal?
We're looking to buy a satellite phone. Doing a lot more setups lately at remote sites and we need to call the satellite operators by phone to get the
services turned on.
Seems like Iridium and GlobalStar are the main choices. As near as I can tell, with Iridium you can simply buy minutes but with GlobalStar you need to
get a contract and pay each month plus minutes?
If you buy a used GlobalStar phone, do you still have to buy a contract with them in order to use their service?
Any experiences with either you'd like to share?
Where to find the best deals on minutes?
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3812
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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We bought a used Iridium phone. We buy our minutes as we need them, however they have other options available for those who would use their phone more
often than we do.
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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BigWooo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 579
Registered: 1-2-2007
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
We bought a used Iridium phone. We buy our minutes as we need them, however they have other options available for those who would use their phone more
often than we do.
P<*)))>{ |
I had no idea Iridium had a pay-as-you-go plan now. That's great  . Our
16 year old Inmarsat has seen better days.
We have the Inmarsat Mini-M and have been very happy with it. When we bought it, Inmarsat was the only sat provider that didn't have a montly fee.
Phone was more expensive, but over the long run it's been much less costly using the pay as you go service. Inmarsat coverage has been 100% for us.
If Iridium has a pay as you go plan now, I think they're the best option. We had an Iridium before their bankrupcy long ago and never had coverage
problems. I've been with others, and know racers with Globalstar and they seem to experience a lot of dead spots.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4349
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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Iridium.
MAGA
marooons Are Governing America
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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DON"T DO GLOBALSTAR. They suck imho. I used them for 3 years.
Bad customer service. Overcharges. Poor reception and coverage. Mucho dinero. Giant phones. What did I miss?
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1628
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
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We just ran tests on our Sat phones and couldn't get the Globalstars to work. After contacting them they advised their sats were down until possibly
fall. Iridiums worked fine
[Edited on 6-26-2009 by Alan]
In Memory of E-57
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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We have rented Iridium phones twice. Worked great in Baja.
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bill erhardt
Super Nomad
Posts: 1376
Registered: 4-2-2005
Location: Loreto, BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
We bought a used Iridium phone. We buy our minutes as we need them, however they have other options available for those who would use their phone more
often than we do.
P<*)))>{ |
I fish alone and often fish offshore on or beyond the fringe of vhf communication. Several people have suggested that a satellite phone would be a
good idea. I agree (this from a guy who has never owned a cellphone), but have always become bogged down in the details when I've looked into it.
How would one go about buying a used Iridium phone and time on it only when it is used? And, would such a phone remain active if not used for long
periods of time, maybe never?
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3812
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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I've gotten a few u2us on the subject, so I'll just post the info I've been sending out:
We deal with GMPCS personal communications. 954-973-3100.
www.GMPCS-US.com
We buy 75 pre paid anywhere minutes that are good for 30days after activation of the sim card. If you don't keep using it, let the card expire, then
after 90 days you will need to be issued a new sim card. The last time we bought minutes (last summer) it cost $165.00
When we started to get low to our minutes we would call them and have them add with our debit card.
We take ours out on the panga with us in a dry bag.
Sometimes we'll buy our minutes, but ask that they not activate our card for x amount of days. That lets us get out in the boonies without using up
any of our days in transit.
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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bill erhardt
Super Nomad
Posts: 1376
Registered: 4-2-2005
Location: Loreto, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Paulina........Thanks.
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Here is a question for you well traveled Nomads. Has anyone every tried either one of these phones in Alaska? I spend around 30-45 days a year in
Baja and will be taking a trip to Alaska next month. Any of these phones work up there? Last time up to the last frontier I noticed that the TV
satellite dishes were at a radical angle trying to pick up the
satelittes that as I understand orbit near the equater.
Any suggestions?
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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