High Sierra Topix

It really hurts to agree with Russ but why? I carry a spot because Kathy requires it. Yeah once when a cell phone worked I got the parts I needed to fix my fishing rod but I really prefer to minimize my contact with the world when in the backcountry.

Mike

maverick wrote:Are these new players in the sat phone industry, or the same companies, with new products?
If new companies, can you shed some light on this, or even better, any other upcoming
products worth keeping a eye out for that look promising.

Here's the plans of the different companies, inasmuch as they are public:

Iridium: will launch a new phone later this year (expected to be a nicer phone at a high price point, but then they will make the 9555 cheaper). Also lots of people working on two-way messaging devices (ACR Electronics who make distress beacons is one to watch), though the DeLorme one is the cheapest I've seen so far.

Globalstar: will have two-way service fully restored by the end of this year. At that point expect good offers on the existing GSP-1700 phones (probably comparable pricing to the ISatPhone Pro for a smaller, nicer handset). They have an agreement with Hughes to make a new chipset for two-way service (though that contract still has 12+ months to run), so expect a two-way SPOT and a next generation phone at some point (2013 is a decent bet).

Inmarsat: don't expect much to change on the handset, possibly some new two-way messaging devices, but not much focus on consumer oriented devices.

LightSquared: plan to do a 4G terrestrial network and have to offer satellite service as one of the conditions. Not clear yet how good the handset will be or if all of this will come off (they are the people being accused of interfering with GPS, so there are efforts to stop the network being built), but if it does happen then they have to start selling a satellite-capable (dual mode) phone by about this time next year.

Thanks Tim

rlown wrote:not sure i ever dug the whole, always connected thing when i'm in the back country. When things go bad, that's when electronics tend to fail. Looks like a great phone, but why?

you ever had a daughter faint while sitting next to you on a rock about a mile above Woods Creek and almost two days away from civilization? Kind of the time you wanna call a doc and ask what to check for. Otherwise, yeah, I've done it dozens of times without any of that junk. But just because you can do it without and have lived, I don't need to be helping Darwin out. Let the herd thin itself, but I am trying to stick around a little longer, or maybe help others to remain part of the overpopulated planet, just because I'd feel bad if I coudln't help, only because I felt like going old school.

never had that situation, Fish. I can see the benefits in your case. There have been times I wanted a sat phone, but In most of those situations, it wouldn't have worked due to weather; SPOT wouldn't have either. Very informative thread on phone tech.

what exactly is the issue with weather and satellite communications? Lightning interferes? I tried to google an answer and came up empty. My Spot seems to send tracking info during rainstorms, but then we were really never in the thickest stuff, where sparks fly everywhere and your hair stands up... (Darwin's best shot at me so far, but he came up empty)

There is no meaningful impairment of satellite phones in bad weather (people get confused because higher frequency satellite TV signals can be affected). The main problem is people think their satellite phone isn't working well because they try and stand out of the rain (under a tree, on the porch of a building, etc.) and that blocks the line of sight.

You wouldn't believe it but there were complaints during Hurricane Katrina about satphones not working - but when asked where the users were located, it turned out they were inside the Superdome. I imagine the conversation went something like this:

"These ****ing satellite phones don't work"
"Did you go outside to use it?"
"Of course not, there's a ****ing hurricane outside"

Hi Fish,

We, Inmarsat, have read your blogs about satphones with interest and wanted to contribute to your discussions in the hope that we can answer a few of your questions.

Firstly, IsatPhone Pro operates on our Inmarsat-4 network, which comprises three satellites and will be operational well into the 2020s. You are right to mention that these three satellites are in geostationary orbit (36,000 km above the equator), meaning the satellites are synchronised with the earth’s rotation so they will always be in the same position relative to earth. Satellites that are in ‘low earth orbit’ do not rotate with the earth and are not nearly as high as geostationary orbit, which is why typically, more satellites are needed to cover the globe in a low earth orbit network. What this all means is that call connections over the Inmarsat network are very reliable and robust (the phone is too btw!), with significantly less possibility of calls being dropped. Severe weather conditions should not interfere with connection either, because of the spectrum band we operate in.

Secondly, in terms of coverage, our network is global, with the exception of the poles, so you will be fine to use it in the Sierra Nevada...or on any other trip you go on. As it is a global network, no roaming costs will apply – it’s the same wherever you go.

IsatPhone Pro is really easy to use and has very good voice quality, which some say is better than a cell phone. It also has the market-leading battery life too with up to 8 hours talk time and up to 100 hours standby time. IsatPhone Pro has many other great features and services and if you can spare the time, you can find out all you need to know on our IsatPhone Pro website http://www.isatphonelive.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Check out the product page for all the info. We also offer a free web message-to-IsatPhone Pro service via our website too, so when you’re out and about on a leisure trip, your friends and family can message you for free!

Why not ask your local retailer for a demo of IsatPhone Pro? If you do end up buying one, we hope you find it extremely useful and a key addition to your travel kit - and we hope you tell everyone about it!

Hopefully this has helped to clarify some of your questions but if you need any more information, it’s all on http://www.isatphonelive.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

isatphonelive wrote:Hi Fish,

Why not ask your local retailer for a demo of IsatPhone Pro?

local retailer? made me chuckle.

closest retailer to me is probably Dallas, which is only 1200 miles from here. Woudl really help to include the states where the vendors listed on your site are located. City names like "Battle Ground" and Kathona are not really household names around here.

I will most likely have to buy the phone unseen and untested, which is why I am trying to find info online.

And while we apparently have Inmarsat's attention - one thing I can't find is any info on how the "data capability" actually works? How do I get data from for example a camera sent to somebody via the phone? Are data rates = minutes it takes to transfer data?

Hi Fish,

thank you very much for your response. As we are a wholesaler, our services are delivered to market via a global network of distribution parthers and service providers. So on our Find a retailer search, we only list our service partners that are accredited by us. These accredited partners may well have their own re-seller channel that may be closer to you, so it still may be worth giving them a call or having a look on their website to see what they can do for you.

Regarding your data capability question, I have forwarded that to our customer services so if you can bear with us for little bit, we will post a response to it before long.

Thanks again!