Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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Satelite Phone/Internet ?
I'm thinking about a Sat. phone rental for a few months in Baja. I would love to be able to connect the laptop as well to check e-mail etc.
Anyone know of a rental phone/system that will provide this service dependably throughout Baja Sur ??
I know, I hate the idea of being leashed to a phone but we've had some family health issues that we need to keep touch with this year.
My first thought was to get online to search but realized that the experienced input I get here ussually works better as a first step. Thanks !
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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We have rented sat phones many times. Great for checking in on things or if something goes wrong. We have NOT used them to connect to internet. We do
that when we go to town to do laundry and get ice cream.
http://forums.bajanomad.com/misc.php?action=search
They do offer connectability to internet. Reliability? You have to have a real clear view of the sky and I have had calls get dropped for no apparent
reason. Might be frustating and expensive time wise. We just check voicemail and hope there aren't any. 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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cascabel 6
Junior Nomad
Posts: 37
Registered: 8-28-2004
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I've had a sat. phone for some time now and it completely eliminates the worry associated with being out of touch.
I agree that you need an open spot to ensure reception. Haven't tried an internet connection, but it should not be a problem.
Regarding a rental, be sure to compare purchase with the rental. When all is said and done, it might be a wash. If you have a business or can
otherwise justify the write-off, it might be better to buy.
Good luck.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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I'm just looking to rent one for two months.
Anyone have any recommendations on who to call ?
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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http://www.satphonestore.com/rentals/
We have used these guys.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Anonymous
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http://www.outfittersatellite.com/iridium.htm
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Taco de Baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1913
Registered: 4-14-2004
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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Mood: Dreamin' of Baja
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I second
http://www.satphonestore.com/rentals/#9500
My sister had good luck with them. Phone worked well on the beach ~350 miles south of the border. Except, we assumed it would tell us when we had a
voice mail, like a cell phone does, but it did not. So we missed geting several voice mails. Apparently you have to call in to a # just to see if
you have any voice mails. Thus adding more airtime to your bill.
She went with the cost perminute plan, because apparently if you buy a 100 or 200 minute plan and use all your minutes, the phone stops working and as
you are in the middle of nowhere, there is no way to get more minutes....
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
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We bought an phone that works in the Inmarsat satellite system since it's the oldest, most reliable sat network and is the only one with worldwide
coverage. The phone is a "Mini-M worldphone". The antenna (in the lid of the case) is detachable, so once you set it up with a clear shot of the
southern sky, you can take the phone inside the car, house, or under a palapa. You can use it in steep canyons etc , and we've never had a dropped
call.
This phone allows full text messages and internet accessibility. Some of the handhelds are capable of only a few words of text.
The big drawback- extremely slow baud rates for downloading internet and email. We have a service plan without any monthly service charge so when the
phone sits in the closet between trips, we're not paying . But this has a higher per minute rate of $2.25 (for calls from Baja)which means that at the
slow speed, you would have spent a couple of bucks to read this post so far.
The Sat service provider is "Stratos." They give you an email box and their mail program is specially designed for satellite phone use and is able to
compress the messages for faster transmission rates. But internet downloading is still painfully slow.
You can find these phones for rent because Inmarsat is the only thing that will work for excursions to Antartica, or reasearch in the Amazon, etc.
This phone has worked great for us because we're located in the boonies in Baja (no internet cafes for a few hundred miles) and we can also use it in
Central America. But you'd spend alot less money if you had access to an internet cafe for your email / internet when in Baja, and could probably get
by with renting a handheld phone.
Inmarsat system provider "Stratos" net.
Phone rental, purchase, and Stratos service plans: Preferred Communications http://www.satstar.com
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