I've been considering adding a few sat phones to my extended family for use in case of an emergency. Some of my family is in Alaska and their communications tend to be pretty marginal as it is. I work downtown Seattle and figure it could take several days to get home in an emergency.

I've got a couple of questions. I should point out that I was thinking of the Globalstar phones, but I'm open to other options.

Globalstar indicates their phone automatically uses cell if available and then switches to sat. Can this be manually selected? For example, what is cell service is available, but swamped?

How well do sat phones work indoors?

Any comments you might have about these phones would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-john

If cell is busy, it switches to satellite mode. Sat phones must have a clear view of the sky to work with the satellites, so don't plan on using it inside. Even heavy tree cover can create a problem. Ensure that your family in Alaska are within the Globalstar service area. Most of Alaska is a fringe service area on their maps last I looked.

Maybe you could consider ham radio gear instead. The equipment can be fairly cheap, there's no monthly bills, and the license exams are not that hard.

Hi Paulr (same Paulr as on CPF I assume :-),

I already have a Yaesu VX-5 3-band HT (5W) in my bag and am trying to get around to getting my license. However, I don't think the little 5W with a little whip (swapped out the stock) is going to make it home w/o repeater. Certainly it doesn't give me any options for contacting my folks in AK.

I wouldn't likely take the VX-5 out of my kit. I see the sat phone as giving me another option and heck, I carry a cell phone already (although not as big!).

Certainly, the little HT is likely to come in handy no matter how you dice it. Good idea.

Thanks,

-john

Thanks for the info Doug! BTW, they are in SE Alaska which looks like it is in their primary coverage area. I see what you mean about the coverage in Alaska prime tho!

-john

Yes, same handle as on CPF. By ham radio I meant HF ham radio, maybe using some low speed digital mode like PSK31, direct from Seattle to Alaska or through ham traffic networks at one or both ends. There are also the OSCAR satellites.

You could also look at Iridium phones. I've never used a sat phone but Iridium seemed to be about the most economical and manageable.

John:

I know a little about Iridium phones. They are the only service which uses the Motorola phones and no wonder if I am not mistaken they are still partially owned by Motorola. Iridium built an amazing 66 operational Satellite Constellation and 13 spares offering an amazing complete earth coverage. In fact Iridium is the only provider of truly global mobile satellite voice and data solutions.

This coverage and is why the US DoD chose Iridium for global communications. New phones and improved technology have made voice communication much better than what it was initially. However, like Doug said. Satellite phones ?must see? the sky to work correctly and offer the best signal. Think of your GPS unit and how if you go under trees the unit may stop reading, the same applies to Iridium. In fact, I know of no one who has used the phone inside of a brick building. I do know of some that have used this phone inside of a Cessna Citation (Business jet) with success.

A few public service agencies responding to needs within a community have purchased Iridium for their use in mobile communications centers, Today I know of four agencies that rely solely on Iridium for their mobile command centers. One of these agencies, the Idaho State Police, has 2 phones in their van. When I asked the communications guru for ISP why they did not choose Globalstar, he simply replied coverage problems with Globalstar. That was about 4 years ago.

Iridium offers the best coverage as far as I can tell. Looking at Globalstars webpage shows fringe coverage for the user in Alaska. If you are in downtown Seattle calling Alaska downlinking might be a problem.

Another benefit of Iridium is the so-called Iridium flares. During star parties where the public can view the stars using Amatuer Astronomer?s telescopes a passing Iridium satellite will turn and reflect the Sun?s rays briefly off of the solar panels. This produces a bright flare like streak across the sky. Wows the public every time. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Take care,

Stargazer

ASAP = Always Suspicious, Always Prepared!

Hello,


I just want to add some minor information to the topic. The satphones (any types) should have a clear view to a satellite, which means a canyon -or canyon-like city enviroment- could limit your possibilites, or stop you to switch to an other satellite out of sight.

Almost every dual (cell-sat) mode phones have the ability to choose the mode you like.

The indoor use of the phones in sat mode needs either a relay, or external antenna connection. Of course one could have some luck to connect a passing satellite through his/her window. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The satphones are great for emergencies. But for larger catastrophies you should be aware, that calls will be prioritized, if the needs arise. Which means in case of an earthquake only emergency calls and/or official services' calls will be able to make through in a busy segment.

And don't forget the electricity to feed these hungry devices. Most of them have "below-than-average" talk time due to the high output. (I don't have any idea about the solar cell results in Alaska wintertime.)

A last word of caution about coverage. The nicely drawn lines in a map are no guarantee at all.

So wheather it is Inmarsat, Iridium, Globalstar (or even Thuraya) they're fine. Just don't forget to clearly define your expectations.

Best,

Zerge

Has anyone done a cost comparison of the various satellite phone options out there? I think most of us would be looking for a "just in case" / "pay as you go" type option for trips to the wilderness or potential disasters.

Maybe a non-use monthly rate that would jump up to an active rate when the phone was used.

Everything I've seen keeps one of these out of my budget. I hope someone has had different experience.

Craig.

I never saw any reply to the question of cost comparisons involving satellite telephones. If anyone has experience with this, I would love to learn about it..

Best wishes.

Craig.