Iridium is one of the phone our "Black Ops" guys use. Of course they're hitting a different set of secured sats.

Sandy, thanks for the update. Please post back in a couple of months and give us your impressions then.

Nice little gift.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Those that cross oceans have both SSB and Iridium or Globalstar or all three.

I rented one out of Boston that came next day and was reasonable and easy at 75 bucks a week
International SIM Cards from $5, International Cell Phones from $19, World and Satellite Phones
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

OK...Here goes...

Well I had made a few calls when I first got it and sent a few texts back and forth to friends and it seems to work but not as good as I thought it would and not nearly as slick as the reviews made it sound.

One of the key features is that it has a built in GPS and you can easily send your position in a text, email etc. The primary feature though is that the phone knows where it is relative to the communication sats and is able to exploit this info to get a clear(er) signal and really lock on the sat .

Well, my phone never could obtain a GPS fix. I have tried everything. All my other devices seemed to work OK but this didn't know where it was. It could not find any gps sat. Even 30 miles offshore with nothing around. It eventually timed out and was able to get some basic voice service but the voice quality was not great, very digitized. Texting was OK. IMO it was not working correctly.

I called up my sales guy and got the kind of help I really didn't want to deal with...questions like, did you extend the antenna? Is it on?
WTF?
Eventually I got to a tech guy and after some Q&A he said...send it back to us, it is not acting right, something is wrong. I sent it back and got this email:

"Your equipment has been sent to the factory for repair. The expected turnaround time is between 8 and 10 weeks. We will let you know when the equipment is ready to be returned." :eek:

I think the factory is in New Zealand.


In 10 weeks my season where I really need this thing is nearly over.:wall: I need it this week!!



This rec will save you big money...you can thank me later:
If you buy a sat phone...BUY IRIDIUM, eat the costly plan, but avoid the consumer brands of isatphonepro (from inmarsat) and anything globalstar. Ignore all price reductions (sales) and promos from them no matter how attractive. I know that inmarsat is a big name in sat communications of all kind on high end yachts but this product and the service of it is not acceptable.

Isatphonepro worked great in the caribbean this winter. Guess our satellite cover sucks up here? :smash:

No...I have a problematic phone.

You get them to replace it? Warranty?

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of.

They called me over the weekend...they are going to send me a loaner until my unit gets repaired. (It's under warranty, I am surprised they are just not replacing it but this will work for me.)

When you get the replacement, calmly call and explain about lost time/potential danger you could have faced by not having it. See if you can wiggle yourself some free service. If the person you're talking to can't, ask for a supervisor or their corporate escalations number and talk to them about it.

Don't blow up on the call, it doesn't work. Be chill, keep digging higher and higher up, explain your situation again each time. Get free airtime. :hihi:

You are right...talking to them and not demanding anything is always the way to go.
I did not blow up on them (as was probably indicated by my post here) I did speak them that I need a phone for the entire summer and the reason I bought this earlier in the year was to have it fully programmed tested and ready to go by spring. The 10 week repair wait on a new phone was excessive IMO and I explained that to them. Also this is part of my boat safety equipment and I want this onboard.
I never really got to use it until my boat was in the water. I asked them what can be done to get me a phone (I suggested trading this in towards an irridum, a replacement, a loaner , upgrading...etc) . She told me she would talk it over with her team and get back to me. A few hours later someone called me and another phone was being shipped, I should get it today...going offshore tomorrow :)

I am generally calm about when things don't go well. Engine blowing up when at the mechanics shop, sail maker loosing my cushions, Break down of vehicles of all kinds, teenage kids and their issues, oh and lets not forget wives. Stuff happens. I have found that if you deal with professional people in a professional manner they will most of the time want to see that you are satisfied and will do what they can to help esp if some of the blame is on them.

If this phone works (and they said they tested it before shipping) I am satisfied. The air time plan is reasonable and texting is free so I really don't want to ask for more.


But, that said, if I was to do it all again, I would spend the extra $ on iridium and forgo the cell-phone-like features of the isatphonepro. I would bet iridium comes out with a phone with similar features in the near future anyway.

Possibly by the Newport boat show.