Satellite phone rental? Truk/Chuuk Odyssey Jan. 2012

[possumdiver]

Howdy Scubaboard,

Does anyone have experience renting a satellite phone? From my brief research, it seems like this is all done online. Any positive or negative recommendations of specific sites or retailers would be appreciated. Cost is an issue, but far secondary to dependability and ease of use.

I am lucky and excited to be booked on the Odyssey Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2012 with my father and brother. It is our first trip to the pacific. Due to family and business concerns, we want to stay in touch with home on a daily basis.

 

[Mossman]

I have experience renting and buying and using. Renting gets expensive if you plan on using it more than once a year. I ended up purchasing a refurbished phone, a 9505A, but the 9555 is the new model for Iridium use. The prepaid contracts were getting expensive, my travel became less frequent, and cell phone coverage expanded over the world, so I haven't used mine in a few years. Are you sure there's no cell phone coverage in Truk outside of Weno? Don't forget that satellite phones have to have line of sight, which means you're sitting on deck when you're making the calls, which means you're competing with engine noise, wind, etc. When I ran into another sat phone owner on my last liveaboard (Galapagos), he had the smart idea to use a headset plugged into the phone, which he claimed made it much easier to hear.

Since it's cheaper to buy minutes packages instead of paying per minute, I often found I had unused minutes that would expire at the end of the period (some plans let you rollover a certain number of minutes, some don't), so I'd let others use my phone to call home, which was often sorely appreciated (and I'd usually let them buy me beers in exhange). When we were stuck on a liveaboard during the tsunami, I'd never seen so many people happy to call home and assured their loved ones that they were unharmed (that trip earned me lots of beer).

My last dealings were with Outfitter Satellite. They seemed reliable.

 

[possumdiver]

Thanks Mossman, this is just what I was looking for. I have reached out to Outfitter Sat for a quote. Your response is very helpful, and greatly appreciated!

 

[Mobal]

Hi possumdiver

You're right to go for an Iridium phone - they're the best devices available.

If you get in touch with us, we will be able to provide you with a competitive quote.
Satellite Phone Rental | Iridium Phones from Mobal or email us on satellite@mobal.com

Sorry, for the commercial email, but I thought you might find it useful.

Cheers

Al

 

[diversteve]

And if you really want to make friends on the boat bring one of these:

Iridium Axcess Point: Iridium is also introducing new products and services that will allow Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops to connect anywhere on the Iridium global network. -- Iridium AxcessPoint -- Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops will be able to connect anywhere through the Iridium network. Iridium AxcessPoint is a portable and lightweight Wi-Fi hotspot accessory that easily connects BlackBerry and Android devices to the Iridium network using an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, and Windows and Mac laptops, will need to download the new, free Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web application. Iridium AxcessPoint is expected to be available in fourth quarter of 2011 with a suggested retail price of less than $200 (USD). -- Iridium AxcessPoint Connect -- Created for Iridium phone users travelling with laptops, this downloadable application for use with the Iridium Direct Internet software connectivity tool turns any Windows laptop into a global Wi-Fi hotspot when connected to an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. Iridium AxcessPoint Connect enables Wi-Fi compatible devices, such as smartphones, to synchronize and respond to email or use the Internet over the Iridium network. Users can download Iridium AxcessPoint Connect and Direct Internet applications free of charge. Standard airtime charges apply for use over the Iridium network for the solutions listed above.