Any sat phone experts here? I was looking at the Thuraya XT-Lite and wondered if anyone has any experience with them?
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Any sat phone experts here? I was looking at the Thuraya XT-Lite and wondered if anyone has any experience with them?
Hiring may be better than outright purchase of one,
A friend of mine brought Iridium years ago lol
@10G I have owned an Irridian for quite a few years, the reason I bought it (2nd hand) was the sim card in my post paid mobile phone worked in the sat phone as they were both on Telstra networks.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10G
So when in need of comms away from normal service just swap the chip to the other phone and as long as it was set on roam we were sweet. Also we had to have a clear line of sight to the satelites, bit like a GPS between tall trees on a cloudy day the can take a while to latch on.
Telstra also did a $20 post paid card and sometimes we bought one of them for a bigger group and split the bill later, it went up to $650 on one trip as one woman had to talk to all her family every few days!
At the time Tharasa was just being introduced to Australia and only had one satellite available, bit hit and miss with signal and had to be outside the vehicle. Ron Moon did a story about them then outlining the limitations but as with all things technical it would have moved on from those days.
Today there is a clip on sat phone adaptor that fits to the back of your mobile, know nothing about it but sounds simple. Pat Kallanan was spruiking it on one of his TV shows.
I have a Thuraya SAT/GSM phone and also a couple of Iridiums.(9505A and 9575)
The Thuraya is a geostationary satellite which is always parked in the same position and hence you don't get the coverage drop out - albeit small- that you get with an iridium. Iridium is a constellation of overlapping satellites.
I would say the Iridium seems to have better quality audio than the Thuraya in steep country - Vic High Country, probably because you are able to catch a direct overhead signal, but for a short time. The Thuraya is best out in the open country where obstructions are minimal. My wife used the Thuraya in Nepal, with the correct SIM without issue. My neighbour recently bought a Thuraya and he is a grey nomad and away a lot up north - full coverage. The draw back with the Thuraya is that for GSM you need to be linked to OPTUS. For Satellite only or using it as a dual satellite/gsm phone you need a different SIM. I find the coverage in Vic high country with the Thuraya patchy to non existent except on clear ridge lines.
I use the Iridium by choice as it runs off my Next G SIM from Telstra, and all you have to do is activate global roaming before you swap the sim from the GSM to sat handset. Be aware of differing sim card sizes, especially if swapping from an Iphone to Iridium - just need to buy the adapter card. I used the iridium when in Antarctica with total success, whereas the Thuraya does not have cover - just depends on the style of service you want I guess. Iridium is very cheap to run with text, but expensive for voice on post paid via Telstra.
If the 'lite is sat only, then perhaps a prepaid plan would work, depends on usage. I think the Iridium gives ultimate flexibility, but in the outback or flat country the Thuraya provides total 100% call connection. I would say from experience the iridium is maybe 90%+ coverage in the Vic High country - can't comment on up north too much.
I've got the thuraya xt lite and seems to be ok. Great up north and in the Vic deserts it was great but high country if your in a valley it's a bit hit and missQuote:
Originally Posted by 10G
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
Great thread guys. Some great info here. Keen to get a few more re come in here too please. I'm going to make this s Stickie in this section. I'll certainly come back here when I need to buy one.
We have just recently bought the Thuraya lite , have not hooked it up yet , but when we do we will pick the $15 casual plan , it seemed to suit our needs , phone calls are same as mobile phone but text are a bit dearer .
I can ring and freeze account at any time , then activate again when needed , so if I wasn't going anywhere for 6 months plus I would cancel service which then costs nothing till I reconnect .
When connecting it cost about $35 to connect initially and then $15 per month plus calls or texts or data , we will probably only use it for emergencys and for people to contact us so it will only be $15 per month remembering 000 costs nothing to call .
The sim that came with the phone although not activated still allows me to ring 000 , other feature I liked is the gps function .
Lots of forums lots of conflicting advice on which one to buy , some don't work up north some are patchy down south etc etc , was able in the end to select Thuraya because it suits what we will use it for and most importantly the price .
Who is the SIM plan with you have? I like this feature for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by GQtdauto
I think it's Pivotel ?
One thing I did find was trying to get up to date and current info was hard , all networks constantly change .
Did not go satsleeve because it was dearer to buy and I don't have a smart phone .
the phone was$699 with SIM card and epirb was $248 but realised after buying the phone can be used to call 000 anyway and you can auto text your exact co- ordinates .
Was speaking briefly with a guy who is selling a lot of 2nd hand XT Lites on eBay. He said that the voice quality of the Thuraya is very good. He said that the Satellite is based 35,000 ks above Sumatra, so the further north we go the better and easier the coverage. He also said that you could get signal in the high country if you were to stand on top of a hill or ridge. I must admit I'm not too worried about the high country as it's a popular and busy place, plus, last time I stayed at Talbotville I listened to online music on my Galaxy S6.
Here's a link to a very useful thread on Whirlpool that I read - https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/foru....cfm?t=2221946
I'm happy to carry 2 phones, 1 normal mobile and the other a sat phone. I don't like the idea of swapping SIMs and I don't really understand it I must admit, I guess folks do it so they only carry one phone when away?????
I think from memory that the XT Lite allows you to text your GPS co-ords. This is a great idea. Personally I'd use this to show people where I am so they can follow me on a map. Which leads me to ask, does anyone know of a web site that you can wander up to, throw in some GPS co-ords and it brings up a display of where you are? Does Google Earth allow you to do that?
@macca I'll email Ron and get his thoughts on sat phones in 2017
EDIT done
Like you 10G I don't mind carrying two phones , our mobiles are used only rarely , in fact only carry it when going out somewhere and it's usually flat .
So if you're like me and not a heavy mobile phone user anyway yes the Thuraya may suit , we have long life prepaid mobile phones and find $30 usually does us for up to six months so not a very heavy user .
Did look at the second hand units but decided last minute to go for a new one .
Me and tech stuff don't seem to get along , I bought a VMS a few years ago and had nothing but trouble with it , my brother in law bought one because I had one and he too has trouble , ended up with a Hema which was better off road but the street function is hopeless .
Sorry yes google earth I'm sure does allow coordinates .
Ok received a reply from Ron and he says " he uses an old Iridium sat phone connected thru Telstra,
and when needed buys access for a month or whatever"
He's used all the other sat phones with varying degrees of success,
it's the package that sets them apart. It depends on how much you
use it 1,2,6 or 12 months a year and actual call time.
Calling a sat phone on the same network is cheap but to another
network can be VERY expensive. Calls to fixed lines and normal mobile vary.
Instead of relying on a sat phone Ron now uses a service called "SPOT"
cheap to buy and a lot cheaper monthly access. People can track your travels on their computers
[updates every 10 mins or so] And you can send one of 3 messages at any time
such as,,,, OK,,,,,,Have an issue, but can work it out,,,, and we have an emergency send help
Am looking for a tracking device for the camper trailer and maybe the GQ , I did have a look at the spot system but I'm a cheap barstard and that system has more extras and add ons it made my head spin .
Some cheap sat tracking devices can be used for the same purpose as spot but still looking into how reliable they are , starting price is under $20 and don't think I've found the upper limit yet there are thousands of company's selling them .
Some have no ongoing costs some do , but exactly what the difference is between the cheap and the expensive I have no idea , maybe someone here has used this new tech .
That SPOT thing sounds interesting. I think I'll widen my field of investigation.
We have these for our Linehaul drivers that drive all over the state. Great system that just run off aaa batteries. You can leave it on for people to track you, or can even send an sos if shit got real.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10G
I've recently been looking at sat phones too. Main use will be solo northern & desert travel - for emergency use only. I've decided on a Thuraya XT lite - would like a Satsleeve but I'm not going to buy one AND a new phone to suit! A friend who has travelled overland extensively put me on to Thuraya pre-paid, an alternative to the Pivotel plans which I hadn't come across. Usage pattern will determine which represents the best value.
Here's what he wrote for me:
here's an alternative approach to the monthly plan through Aus telco to Thuraya.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Thuraya-Sate ... Sw5dNWh~2b
Thuraya have two sims, Nova and Standard. Nova is for the list of countries that have reduced call rates. Standard is the rest, like Aus (of course).
You'll have to do your own research on how much call time a unit provides and the recharge costs. You may still think a plan is worthwhile.
I'm about to buy another sim, I let the last one lapse as I wasn't traveling remotely enough.
My phone was second hand about 6 years ago. Of course I didn't need it, but if I hadn't taken it I would have ....
PS 10 units is 6.5 minutes,
here's the recharge prices, 39 units is the annual renewal
https://www.thurayarecharge.com/prices/
recharge by phone is possible - ie recharge when really needed .....
https://www.thurayarecharge.com/Recharge-By-Phone/
Big advantage (for emergency only use)is that it costs about $45 a year (after buying the sim) to have it & air time can be bought/topped up instantly when needed via a free call & the airtime you buy remains valid as long as you keep the phone registered for the $45 a year. ie. can roll it over.
We decided on a sat phone & an epirb. The Spot seems a bit limited for our purpose. It would be ok if you had someone 'following you' on it whom you could send an SOS to if needed, but we don't really have anyone to fit that bill & the ability to get advice in circumstances of ill health or vehicle breakdown with a satphone seems like a good idea.
I use an iridium 9575 and have it on a plan with Telstra. Costs me $35 a month which includes $10 of calls. There are cheaper ways to do it with prepaid sims etc, but I write it off for work anyway, so prefer to have it on a plan and always available.
Calls to mobiles or landlines cost me about $2.00 per minute, but I will usually send a text to the family and have them call me from their mobile. The caller pays the same costs as calling any other mobile phone, so this is the best way to keep in contact with family for me. Be aware that some of the other networks can charge exorbitant fee's, particularly if the caller needs to dial an international prefix to reach you. It is also expensive on any of the Sat networks to call from one network to another.
I went with the iridium 9575 as it is also GPS enabled and has an emergency button that is programmable and can send your co-ordinates to emergency services. I have mine programmed to voice call emergency services and to also send a text with my location to a pre-determined contact. There are various search and rescue groups that can be programmed in to be called when the emergency button is pressed. GEOS is one such example. Most of them will offer some form of paid subscription to their services on a world wide basis.
The Voice call quality can be patchy and there will be dropouts occasionally, but generally every 6 minutes there is an Iridium satellite in view, depending on how much horizon you can see. Iridium is the only network that will work anywhere on the planet, but it is still subject to having a good wide view of the sky, so if you're in a gully/gorge etc it may be difficult to get a signal.
They have just begun to launch 75 new Satellites as part of the Iridium NEXT project. The first 10 of these were launched into orbit on 14th January 2017, the rest will be deployed over the next 18 months. I'm not sure how much difference this will make to call quality, but it will have a big impact on data speeds for those that require it.
Anyway, it works for me and I don't go offroad without it. You don't have to be far out of a town or city in this country to lose mobile reception, and I wish I had the Sat phone with me a few years back when I had to hike 20km's through the scrub to get a mobile signal after a breakdown. I was only 100km's from town, but might as well have been in the middle of nowhere.
Which just goes to show there's that much out there to choose from it can be a little confusing ,
Casual
Prepaid
Opt in opt out
Some charge extra for certain services
Some cancel sim if use is infrequent
Some charge for incoming calls
Some charge like a wounded bull for calls
After reading the many comments I'm now positive I've picked the right phone ,network,and plan for me .
Now I just need to sort out the gps tracking device if camper gets stolen .
Absolutely spot on GQtdauto, that's how I feel about it as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by GQtdauto
I'm pretty sure I've got (or will have) the correct phone for my situation, the XT-Lite. Next is getting a service that provides an Aus mobile number for it so callers only pay Aus mobile rates. Then I just need to work out pre paid post paid, cancellations, infrequesnt use etc etc etc.
Did you now you can also buy sims and plans from OS as it's an international service and not an Aus based service.
The eBay link in my previous post should have been to the pre-paid sim from the USA, but something must have changed. Try this one (if it changes again try a search for the seller ‘orbitalsatcomcorp'Quote:
Originally Posted by 10G
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Thuraya-S...EAAOSw5dNWh~2b
Whichever way you go please let us know what you end up with & how it works for you. You are a bit ahead of me I think, so your experience will be of value to me when I buy later this year.
Just read the fine print, renewal fee after 1 year is equivalent to 400% of the original subscription, ie the original card comes with 10 credits, for $40, then to renew the same number/sim its the cost of 40 credits. No doubt you would probably just ditch the card rather than renew I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
That’s not how I understand it, & not what my friend who has used it told me.Quote:
Originally Posted by PBBIZ2
Look at the prices https://www.thurayarecharge.com/prices/
You pay $40 for the initial sim which comes with 10 credits.
You can then add however many credits you wish at the prices shown in the link. Ongoing cost is not $40 for 10 units
Annual subscription costs 39 credits (US$45.50)
They give you 3 months ‘grace’ past the annual renewal date to renew without needing to pay a new joining fee (i.e. a new sim or re-activate old one)
So essentially you can have the service available for US45.50 per 15 months & only ever buy extra air time if & when you need it from anywhere in the country using a free sat phone call. Or you can buy air time so it’s there to use without first needing to make a free top up call, & if you don’t use, it rolls over to the following year when you renew your subscription (also by free call).
I was going to go with Thuraya years ago, until I found out where they were based and who owned them. You can do your own research on this, but it is the main reason I refuse to hand any money over to them.
OK, I can see your point. My perspective is $31USD includes 10 points which equals 6.6 minutes of talk time (1.5pt=1min)(assuming the SIM is issued free), which effectively values the call rate at 31/6.6=$4.69/min. To renew your subscription to the service costs 39 units or 26 minutes of talk time @4.69/min =$121.94, but you don't get the talk time credit, you still need to top it up over and above the subscription. I am cant see a disclosure about the actual cost/minute of the phone call, assuming there must be a 'cost' for the SIM in the first place. I also don't see the bit about the roll-over of time - most pre-paid services finish at the expiry date whether you use the credits or not - maybe I just can't 'see it'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
Does this sound correct?
Anyway, if this works for your circumstances that's all that matters.
The 'cost' of the sim is effectively the 'joining fee'Quote:
Originally Posted by PBBIZ2
The 'roll over' bit is in their FAQ https://www.thurayarecharge.com/FAQ-...a-prepaid-SIM/
" How long will my Thuraya airtime recharge be valid?
Airtime that you buy from Thuraya Recharge is valid as long as you keep your SIM card active (see below). It will not expire separately to your SIM card. This differs from prepaid scratch cards which expire after 12 months if not used. We do not sell prepaid scratch cards.
So if buying for emergency use only & you don't have any emergencies the 'standby' cost for the first year (15 months) is the cost of the sim. If you renew the following year the cost is the 10 unused units you got with your initial sim, plus another 29 units to make up the 'annual fee' of 39 units /US45.50.
If you compare that to a the cheapest Pivotel plan - the 'standby' cost is $15 per month plus connection cost of $40. So $220 for the first year plus call costs & $180 per year thereafter plus call costs.
To my way of thinking if I have an emergency the call cost is pretty irrelevant. What I want to pay for is the 'insurance' of being able to make an emergency call for the lowest standby cost. If I were planning to use the phone to regularly call home or whatever, then the call costs would bear greater scrutiny in the decision making as to which way to go.
Our plan is costing $15 a month which just covers connection to service.
Cost to connect was about $40 , but there's no ongoing hidden fees , if you disconnect or opt out you pay the $40 again at time of connection whenever down the track , no time limit as long as you have contacted them to opt out .
If we make calls or texts we just get that direct debit along with the $15 monthly charge .
People calling in are calling a 0400 mobile type number so it's just like their calling a mobile not a satellite phone , outgoing calls are $1.99 , can't remember exactly if thats per two minutes .
No yearly fees , but I think there is a two year limit on the opt out .
Actually you're right Cuppa , but I know the phone will get used by she who must be obeyed to ring the kids occasionally, and when we're not up north or whatever we can park the service until needed again .
So it's probably the plan I need but personal circumstances are different and exactly how you use it depends on the plan you need .
That all sounds just like the deal I've heard about, it may be slightly dearer than other options but at least I can understand it ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by GQtdauto
Thanks everyone for all the info.
Just to confuse you even more , I liked Cuppa's setup if I was only ever going to use it for emergencys , but I know it will get used to see how things are going at home .
So now I know I'm up for standard mobile phone charges but texts are a bit dearer and I'm more than happy with that , if we were on the road full time I would ditch all the other phones and just use the sat phone , remembering we don't use the phone much at all .
Just a suggestion based upon the choice I made for remote Comms.
I looked at sat phones both new and second hand, and considered a spot device, as I wanted an epirb device too.
In the end I came across and decided on the Delorme Inreach unit. It works on satellite, to any number but not for calls, only for text, but is two way meaning you can also receive messages, so carry on a two way conversation if required. Additionally, when you send a text, it sends a pic of a map with your GPS coordinates to the person you are messaging.
My reasons for this choice were, minimal maintenance plan cost per month, the battery lasts ages on standby, cost about $550 to buy new (from memory, it was a while ago), and it also has an epirb like feature, where the user can unlock a button, hit the emergency button and the monitoring centre will contact local emergency authorities. (I haven't tried this feature as I guess they wouldn't be too keen if I summoned emergency services for a test run).....
I have sent and received many messages without a drama, and whilst messages aren't cheap, I primarily have it for a quick trip position updates to family when away and in case I need help somewhere (hoping not to have to use it for that though). Touch wood!
Anyway, just my experience, opinion, choice etc, but maybe food for thought.
A viable alternative for sure , not sure why I bought the epirb and satphone together when the satphone can call 000 anywhere in oz . Just backup for backup I suppose , the missus does pine for the kids when where away on a long trip so being able to talk to them in person will mean longer trips .
I've decided I'm going to hire a Thuraya XT-Lite for 2 weeks. I'll get an 04 number and tell people if they need me to ring me. Then when I want to contact them, I'll txt them (that's about half the cost of a call) and tell them to ring me.
I'm fairly sure I can also call a Thuraya number free of charge to buy more minutes as well, so you can even top up in the middle of nowhere.
I'm still looking & think I have discovered a reason NOT to go with the pre-paid Thuraya sim card I posted about previously. Not 100% certain as my source is potentially out of date, but have found nothing to contradict it.
The cost of someone calling your satphone is a very important consideration. Imagine you have broken down in the desert somewhere & want to seek advice from a mechanic. You are in the middle of the Simpson & call Birdsville. The bloke in Birdsville needs to check a few things & asks for your number so he can call you back. You give him your number which he recognises as one of those long international satellite phone numbers, complete with the whole international dialing code. He baulks, because he's been caught with these before, when his bill showed he got charged up to $20 per minute & a single call cost him $120. Now you have to keep calling him back trying to get him. Not ideal.
Bottom line is that in order for your Thuraya satphone to have an Australian mobile number, which costs someone calling you the same as them calling a normal mobile phone you need to get an Australian sim card & the ONLY way to do this is get a post paid sim (a plan). Thuraya do not do pre-paid in Australia.
The previous advice I received from a friend re the prepaid sim would suit folk planning to travel overseas. He had spent 3 years driving to the UK & back.
10G's idea to text folk & get them to call you back is by far the cheapest strategy, especially if contacting someone who has their mobile on an unlimited calls plan.
Having a phone number to call to 'top up' air time with Thuraya is only applicable to the prepaid sims, which wont be the case if you have an Aussie number as far as I can tell. Presumably with a post paid plan you can get billed to a credit card, so will work for folk who spend long periods out in the mulga.
Yep, that all sounds about right.
I signed up to hire a Thuraya XT Lite yesterday. $25 connection fee which is paid once, $1.50/minute talk time and $0.75 per SMS. I get $10 phone credit with the phone and once that's all gone, they bill me for all the calls & SMSs I do.
When I'm not using the phone I can ring them up and they cancel the connection for me. When I need it again it's another $25 connection fee. For me, this suits me down to the ground, It's simple, I can use the phone anyway I want, talk for as long as I need without worrying about running out of credit and so on, then when I'm home safe and snug I can whinge about all the fees ;-)
The ease of use (of all the connection/disconnection/plans etc) and unlimited use should I need it works for me.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it all goes, not used one before.
So the call/sms costs are higher when you hire?Quote:
Originally Posted by 10G
Who did you go with & how much is the hire fee? Is it a try before you buy deal, with the hire cost being knocked off if/when you buy? There is a mob on ebay advertising that sort of deal on some used XT Lite’s with 12 month warranty.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/142054796...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Will look forward to reading how you find go with the XT lite
Yeah that's them. ePIRBHire. Yep, they have a try before you buy option. The call & txt rates are little higher as they manage the plans so I guess they just add a bit on so they get something out of it, I'm OK with all that as there's less hassle for me to worry about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
They told me they supplied the last Census with 200 XT Lites for the remote Census workers to use in case of emergency and most of them were never unpacked, that's one in that eBay advert.
Cuppa , I know my incoming and outgoing calls are same as mobile phone , used to be expensive to ring a sat phone for sender and receiver but most company's now offer the 04xx number which is a mobile type number .
Tried my phone on weekend getting wood , I was in a gully and could not see the sky it was that overgrown and as expected no signal .