Remote Travel Emergency Communication

[one_iota]

The one nearest and dearest has instructed me to find out about emergency communication.

So far I've watched this:

YouTube (https://youtu.be/9O-NMVGF9zs)

Brett does a reasonable job outlining the possibilities.

As a result I'm in a place somewhere between an EPIRB and a GPS tracker.

Of the latter this one, the Spot Gen 3 appeals:

SPOT Gen3 (https://au.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100)

Obviously a subscription is required for the full monty.

Any experience / informed opinions about this option vs an EPIRB like the latest GME.

[DieselLSE]

Whilst both solutions overlap, the EPIRB (and I have the GME one) is a dedicated single purpose, one use only, last resort emergency beacon. It's only purpose is to call for emergency help in a situation where you would otherwise almost certainly die. The advantage is that it's a single purpose tool, permanently monitored, designed to last for a set period (5 years I think) before it must be decommissioned. It's as reliable as any man made object can be.
A GPS tracker is a multi-purpose tool designed to satisfy a divergent range of user requirements. It's major disadvantage (assuming the satellite comms reliability is the same - which I doubt) would be battery life. This is quite manageable, of course, and it can be powered by a usb port. But it's need for battery management makes it a useful tool but a dangerous last resort emergency beacon.
My advice would be to get an EPIRB first and learn how to use it. That's a real emergency covered.
Now decide what second level emergency strategy you need. The tracker could be good. A satphone (either purchased or hired) could be good. Do you move about separately in the bush? Perhaps personal comms should be considered such as UHF or VHF or even a second satphone.
That something will go wrong when you're in a remote spot is a given. With planning and preparation, most issues will be mere inconveniences and part of the adventure. Rarely will an issue be life threatening. Planning for levels of emergency escalation should be in place before you leave:
Extra water & food, tools, spares etc to cater for breakdowns, delays.
First aid kit, extra meds etc.
Internal comms - all members of the party know what's happening (UHF/VHF/Satphone).
External comms - friends know where you are and what's happening (GPS Tracker/Satphone).
Emergency comms - will die if not rescued EPIRB

[one_iota]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply DieselLSE.

I'm thinking we should get one of each. A bullet proof solution (the EPIRB ) and a handy gadget (the Spot). We have hand-held and car UHF's, and a Bluetick Mobile Phone with a bullbar aerial as well.

"Be prepared" is the slogan here. So risk assessment and planning prior to undertaking a trip regardless of duration or geography is the prudent approach.

[one_iota]

As I understand it there are two types of EPIRB. One equipped with GPS which gives a location accuracy of about 100 metres and the "lesser" one of 5km. If I was in a yacht I'd choose the former. For remote vehicle travel I'm thinking that the latter would be adequate. Having said that the price difference is about $60. It seems that price is not an issue.

[DieselLSE]

As I understand it there are two types of EPIRB. One equipped with GPS which gives a location accuracy of about 100 metres and the "lesser" one of 5km. If I was in a yacht I'd choose the former. For remote vehicle travel I'm thinking that the latter would be adequate. Having said that the price difference is about $60. It seems that price is not an issue.
I'm not up with the latest technology, but I think that info is years out of date. I think all GPS technology is within 20m or so now. Military is now down to sub-metre I think. The latest EPIRBs from GME and other reliable companies will be state of the art.
The monitoring service allows you to set up a profile for normal use and for you to update it with any travel plans. The more info you give them, the better for them to identify a real emergency (as opposed to an accidental activation or an activation by someone who's stolen it).

[cripesamighty]

I carry an EPIRB in my glovebox. Before I head out bush, I update the online details with trip info/pax/itinerary/vehicle type, etc. so if it gets activated, the rescue people at least know what to look for.

[headdamage]

When I was working in the NWT of Canada I used an Inreach two satellite communicator and it was great. I could have two way text messaging with others on their phones, email, or their Inreach unit if they had one. It worked much better than the sat phone I had and has much better satellite coverage in the far north than the SPOT system. I assume it would be better in the far South as well, polar orbiting satellites vs the equatorial satellites SPOT uses.

[one_iota]

When I was working in the NWT of Canada I used an Inreach two satellite communicator and it was great. I could have two way text messaging with others on their phones, email, or their Inreach unit if they had one. It worked much better than the sat phone I had and has much better satellite coverage in the far north than the SPOT system. I assume it would be better in the far South as well, polar orbiting satellites vs the equatorial satellites SPOT uses.

I had a look at the Inreach Mini. They are an impressive unit.

[one_iota]

I'm not up with the latest technology, but I think that info is years out of date. I think all GPS technology is within 20m or so now. Military is now down to sub-metre I think. The latest EPIRBs from GME and other reliable companies will be state of the art.
The monitoring service allows you to set up a profile for normal use and for you to update it with any travel plans. The more info you give them, the better for them to identify a real emergency (as opposed to an accidental activation or an activation by someone who's stolen it).

Your post inspired me to find out how EPIRBs work and I came across this:

What is an EPIRB? - Orolia Maritime (https://www.oroliamaritime.com/2019/03/20/what-is-an-epirb/)

[Redtail]

Not cheap, but gives you:

real time tracking
GPS-enabled SOS button
sat phone
messaging

SPS | Iridium Extreme (9575) Satellite Phone (https://satphoneshop.com/iridium-9575-satellite-phone)

[Redtail]

Not cheap, but gives you:

real time tracking
GPS-enabled SOS button
sat phone
messaging

SPS | Iridium Extreme (9575) Satellite Phone (https://satphoneshop.com/iridium-9575-satellite-phone)

[BradC]

Your post inspired me to find out how EPIRBs work and I came across this:

What is an EPIRB? - Orolia Maritime (https://www.oroliamaritime.com/2019/03/20/what-is-an-epirb/)

Having been the first person in WA to actually trigger a sea rescue by EPIRB, I can vouch they work rather well.
Unfortunately mine was due to a faulty switch design, and as it was lying down on its side in a cupboard with the antenna retracted it took about 6-8 hours to locate.

They are very much the weapon of last resort, but if you are in a vaguely life threatening situation they are super cheap insurance.

[one_iota]

Having been the first person in WA to actually trigger a sea rescue by EPIRB, I can vouch they work rather well.
Unfortunately mine was due to a faulty switch design, and as it was lying down on its side in a cupboard with the antenna retracted it took about 6-8 hours to locate.

They are very much the weapon of last resort, but if you are in a vaguely life threatening situation they are super cheap insurance.

That's a great anecdote BradC!

I was thinking of mounting mine to the underside of the lid of the cubby box between the front seats....maybe I'll rethink that [tonguewink]

[one_iota]

GME 600G EPIRB received, registered and mounted in bracket.

The bracket is fixed to the rear of the centre cubby box in the Defender.

154134

Unlike any of the gadgets I've owned I hope I never get to use it!

[BradC]

That's a great anecdote BradC!

It's actually a bit longer than that.

Picture 5 17 year olds on Dads boat moored in a remote bay on Rottnest Island. There was pretty severe weather and the boat had been rolling all night. At about 11pm the pin in the EPIRB switch worked loose and it went off. Was picked up by an Aircraft and relayed to Canberra who commenced a search and rescue operation. Queue the deployment of the S&R Heli, 2 Marine and Harbours vessels, a Water Police boat and Naval patrol vessel.

Many men pulled from their warm beds to fight fierce weather looking for the vessel in distress. As light was breaking, and after some 6 hours of full-blown search, the storm had whipped up and one of the Marine and Harbours vessels headed into the bay for a bit of quick respite. Imagine their surprise as they headed down the channel to find the signal strength increasing. They summoned the second vessel to assist and headed into the bay. Progressively waking up every boat between us and the channel with a shout of "Hey mate, have you got an EPIRB on board" and being met with lots of grumpy "NO!" responses, they headed toward the beach. It was 1992 and while we'd had an EPIRB for years, they were expensive and not very common.

I'm pretty hard to get up in the morning, so the call of "Brad there's a cop on the backboard calling for you" was met with "**** off and go back to sleep". "No, have a look", so I did and got a "Hey mate have you got an EPIRB on board", to which I turned white and instructed one of the boys to get it out and hand it to the cop. They pulled the antenna up, did a lap of the boat in theirs while pointing the RDF at it and promptly snapped it in half, tearing the batteries out.

A fairly tense conversation followed where a boat load of very tired and wet police and volunteers interviewed the 17 year old with his mates on dads boat, and they left me with both pieces of the EPIRB and probably went home for a hot breakfast.

A quick rad-phone call to dad to indicate we were ok, but something had happened and we were coming home early and off we went.

My old man had a chat to the water police, who were very nice about the whole thing and he must have mentioned it to one of his dodgy mates (who was *very* senior in WAPOL), as 2 weeks later a nice letter arrived from a Senior Sargent R.McDonald, with a bill of costs for the search and rescue. So the hilarity continued.

I donated the EPRIB to the Water Police in WA and GME immediately revised their switch design such that it couldn't rattle loose with dumb luck in bad weather.

Ever since, I still hear "Here comes EPIRB" as I drive into the bay, although the oldies involved are slowly moving on (in both senses of the word).

So yeah, a bit of an anecdote.

[one_iota]

It's actually a bit longer than that......So yeah, a bit of an anecdote.

LOL it could only happen in real life...thanks for the chuckle!

[4bee]

Yeah good story.[bigsmile1]

One would have thought that GME would have tested their prototype to exhaustion & for every which way before releasing it for general consumption?

What could they have slugged you for that little outing?[bigsad]

[101RRS]

Why did you go for an EPIRP which are primarily for use in boats, ships and aircraft - most go for a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) which really does the same thing but is normally smaller and suitable to also carry when you go walkabout.

Now your EBIRB will contact authorities if you have a life or death scenario but there is no two way communication function. I know you did mention spot and may have missed further discussion but what do you intend to us to contact whoever in non life threatening situations. UHF and mobile phones have their place but are not much good in totally remote areas - you mentioned spot but I would consider a sat phone - costs vary and require careful research to minimise costs - spot also has a bit of a cost.

Garry

[one_iota]

Why did you go for an EPIRP which are primarily for use in boats, ships and aircraft - most go for a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) which really does the same thing but is normally smaller and suitable to also carry when you go walkabout.

Now your EBIRB will contact authorities if you have a life or death scenario but there is no two way communication function. I know you did mention spot and may have missed further discussion but what do you intend to us to contact whoever in non life threatening situations. UHF and mobile phones have their place but are not much good in totally remote areas - you mentioned spot but I would consider a sat phone - costs vary and require careful research to minimise costs - spot also has a bit of a cost.

Garry

Well raised points Gary.

The EPIRB travels with the craft/vehicle, the details of which are included in the registration of the beacon. The use of a EPIRB for use terrestrially in 4wds is accepted and catered for. I'm not likely to be straying far from the vehicle so portability is not an issue. The local two way communication is the UHF in the car and a hand held for "strayers".

We are also getting the Spot. There are instances where a non-life threatening emergency could arise so the Spot can cover that in addition to letting others know where you are and that all is well. My partner likes to go walk-about so on the occasion that she goes on a trek she can take the spot with her. The Spot comes with a cost but if a monthly plan is used it is less than a Satellite Phone given our likely useage.

I guess the other thing is that relying on one bit of gear to do everything is not great when that fails. We have redundancy. A Sat Phone on top of that is great but I hope we have the "travel insurance" covered.

[101RRS]

Well it looks like you have the bases covered and issues thought through [thumbsupbig].

Garry

[bblaze]

I did all my remote travel solo
uhf for close call coms
hf, used to do twice daily log ins, long distance coms
sat ph, odd call to family to maintain contact
epirb, never used but always carried if walking more than about 10m from vehicle

and the normal ph

cover all your bases as you only get one chance sometimes
cheers
blaze

[roverrescue]

I know everyone has there own decision making processes but just to widen the options in this thread for Less cost than an EPIRB plus Spot unit you could have bought a SatSleeve Hotspot and put it on the Optus $15 a month sat plan (half the price of Spot monthly)

The nice thing about this setup is for general comms to loved ones you can setup a “system” of 1/ sat phone calling then hanging up.
2/ Then the contact can call back and it is the same cost as calling any mobile phone (often free)

In a vehicle based emergency situation most likely mechanical than medical
It’s pretty nice to have some AULRO legend contacts who can phone diagnose or order parts etc etc

And in a true emergency direct comms with emergency services can be very helpful compared to a beacon and nothing else.

When on the boat besides it being mandatory EPIRB makes sense because SHTF moments happen quickly and can have far quicker fatal consequences

Vehicle based in the bush things are much slower. Even a snake bite I’d prefer sat comms over an EPIRB? With sat phone direct contact an evac plan can be negotiated as opposed to an EPIRB which will be “whatever resource can be mustered”

Anyways that’s my thoughts on the matter!

Satphone on cheap monthly plan for land based activity
Satphone plus EPIRB for on water activity
Are my emergency choices

Steve

[alien]

I know everyone has there own decision making processes but just to widen the options in this thread for Less cost than an EPIRB plus Spot unit you could have bought a SatSleeve Hotspot and put it on the Optus $15 a month sat plan (half the price of Spot monthly)

The nice thing about this setup is for general comms to loved ones you can setup a “system” of 1/ sat phone calling then hanging up.
2/ Then the contact can call back and it is the same cost as calling any mobile phone (often free)

In a vehicle based emergency situation most likely mechanical than medical
It’s pretty nice to have some AULRO legend contacts who can phone diagnose or order parts etc etc

And in a true emergency direct comms with emergency services can be very helpful compared to a beacon and nothing else.

When on the boat besides it being mandatory EPIRB makes sense because SHTF moments happen quickly and can have far quicker fatal consequences

Vehicle based in the bush things are much slower. Even a snake bite I’d prefer sat comms over an EPIRB? With sat phone direct contact an evac plan can be negotiated as opposed to an EPIRB which will be “whatever resource can be mustered”

Anyways that’s my thoughts on the matter!

Satphone on cheap monthly plan for land based activity
Satphone plus EPIRB for on water activity
Are my emergency choices

Steve
We went with a satellite phone rather than an EPIRB or spot for the two way communication mentioned.
We carry it in the vehicle and with our fosiking equipment.
I liked the idea of being able to talk directly to a person in a medical situation to either get appropriate first aid information or organise for an medical evacuation. The same applied for a vehicle based situation where we could improvise a repair and have parts sent to an appropriate meeting point.

I’m happy with decision after the following happened...
On a trip I lead a few years ago our group split into 2, one headed more remote while the other stayed on main dirt roads. The remote group had a medical incident and contacted RFDS direct, first aid treatments where put in place and the person was driven(4wd only area)to a meeting point where he was then transported by RFDS to hospital. I, being in the second group due to a mechanical issue recieved a call to tell me the evacuation was in progress. The hospital updated me and I then informed the remote group on the situation and confirmed the group was still able to continue untill our next rendezvous.

The waiting factor of did the EPIRB or spot message get through and is anything happening while a person is having a medical emergency was something I wanted to minimise.

[Barraman]

DMight be seen by some as overkill but I carry:

UHF
PLB with GPS
Spot Trace GPS tracker
Iridium Sat Phone

on the boat I add an EPIRB and VHF

[rick130]

I'm old school with an HF that I was generously given and subscribe through VKS737 but the setup Steve detailed is almost a no brainer

[austastar]

Hi,
A free 3G, 4G solution is Google Map's Share Location option. Our family know where all the others are, but only with network access. But it is free, uses very little data and provides location most of the time.
Next step up for us will be one of the Garmin in Reach units I think.
Cheers

[trout1105]

It all depends on your perception of "Remote", In most cases a satphone is more than enough to get you help even in the most remote parts of Australia.

[ozrob]

Quite an interesting thread, I personally use a Sat phone when going remote with my mates on dirt bikes, as it does allow us to talk to family and emergency services, and push button SOS ( which requires a subscription).
We have found that PLB's have issues when used with trail bikes as they tend to activate even though the activation switch and tab are still in place. This happened during a ride in the Vic High Country where 3.00 am in the morning we had a helecopter land next to use as my mates PLB was activated while located in his tank bag.

[AK83]

I know everyone has there own decision making processes but just to widen the options in this thread for Less cost than an EPIRB plus Spot unit you could have bought a SatSleeve Hotspot and put it on the Optus $15 a month sat plan (half the price of Spot monthly)

The nice thing about this setup is for general comms to loved ones you can setup a “system” of 1/ sat phone calling then hanging up.
2/ Then the contact can call back and it is the same cost as calling any mobile phone (often free)

In a vehicle based emergency situation most likely mechanical than medical
It’s pretty nice to have some AULRO legend contacts who can phone diagnose or order parts etc etc

And in a true emergency direct comms with emergency services can be very helpful compared to a beacon and nothing else.

When on the boat besides it being mandatory EPIRB makes sense because SHTF moments happen quickly and can have far quicker fatal consequences

Vehicle based in the bush things are much slower. Even a snake bite I’d prefer sat comms over an EPIRB? With sat phone direct contact an evac plan can be negotiated as opposed to an EPIRB which will be “whatever resource can be mustered”

Anyways that’s my thoughts on the matter!

Satphone on cheap monthly plan for land based activity
Satphone plus EPIRB for on water activity
Are my emergency choices

Steve

The problem with the satphone only emergency situations, is that you now rely solely on the vehicle for the emergency situation.
So for those true emergency situations where everything that could go wrong, will! ... as already said the PLB should also be given more serious consideration.

eg. it basically depends on what it is you do when you travel remotely. In my case, that would be drive to location X, but then when there, possibly walk 5 hrs to location Y as that's the only way to get there(by foot/bike/crawl .. etc.)
So in the snake bit situation, satphone is fine when you're at the vehicle, but when you're even 30mins walk away .. no use.

Also, what if the emergency situation was a fire issue with the vehicle. Maybe unlikely, but not impossible.
And the things you'd want quick access too if the vehicle so happens to be involved in that would be 1/ fire extinguisher(s), 2/ Water, first aid, and PLB .. 3/ any other stuff that is deemed important.

I'd keep a PLB(need to get one) near, or with, a first aid kit( which I have), and again near the fire ext.

But, also want to get one of those mobile phone -> sat phone thingies too .. sounds close to ideal for my eventual usage needs.

[goingbush]

Over the years Ive had and used HF (VKS737) , Spot , Inmarsat , Iriduim & Thuraya sat phones .

By far the best & cheapest is Thuraya ( XT Lite phone is only around $750) with a Casual $15.00 monthly plan ( you can stop the plan if your not touring and restart it )

I still keep the HF rig in the truck even though I'm now unlicensed but in an emeregency you dont need to be under ACMA regs.

if you fall down a mineshaft I doubt any of the above will be of much use.

(All will soon be obsolete with SpaceX starlink.)

[4bee]

if you fall down a mineshaft I doubt any of the above will be of much use.

Exactly gb, I reckon you'd have more on your plate than worrying about that. In a mine shaft, would any of them work anyway? Maybe an EPIRB might if the signal went straight up & the Satellite was directly above one's shaft but that would be highly unlikely & wishful thinking.[bigsad]

[AK83]

....

if you fall down a mineshaft I doubt any of the above will be of much use.

(All will soon be obsolete with SpaceX starlink.)

And the 'hyperloop' .. if you can't get back out the mineshaft!

[bigrolf]
(or is it just a standard paved tunnel now .. by the time he gets to build one, it'll just be a normal ground level road automagically paid for as you drive your Tesla [bighmmm])

[trout1105]

I am looking at getting a secondhand iridium 9505a and I am wondering what sort of plan I can get that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
I only intend to use the phone for emergencies and not interested in using it for normal everyday phone calls.
What sort of deals are out there?

[Barraman]

I pay Telstra $80/mth for access to the satellite network. I never use it, but it’s there if I never need to.

[trout1105]

I had a bit of a look (Google) and saw that Testras cheapest satlite option is $45 a month and Optus can be accessed for $15 a month.
I am hoping that i can use the iridium phone with an optus sim, Is this doable?

[AK83]

....
I am hoping that i can use the iridium phone with an optus sim, Is this doable?

No(but not sure what's possible)


I've been looking into satphone comms too over the years, and so far(what I've researched) .. the differing networks are not interoperable.

That is, if you go with a Irridium system to start with, then you can't use that hardware to access Thuraya, or Inmarsat.

Haven't found(or really looked hard enough) if a multi network device exists.
It's not like a mobile system. Or even a navigation system, even tho the premise is similar.

I've really only read up on the big two's networks, Telstra = Irridium, Optus = Thuraya.
Irridium is low orbit(LEO), and technically low latency(less delay). Thuraya is geostationary and hence higher altitude sat network so latency and hence delay time is going to be longer.

Note I have zero personal use experience .. just reading up on which system is better for my intended use at some point in the future.

Also(so far), I've also found that Irridium has had some satellite issues and so there can be network outages near the equator. Don't say exactly where(what latitudes) but I'd say far north Aus could be affected.
if satellite coverage isn't there with LEOs, then obviously drop outs will happen.

So with the above No answer tho .. I have no idea if the device could be hacked or modded to access the Thuraya network, which is what you'd need to do.
One issue I'm now looking at, is that geo stationary systems need more open sky to work reliably.
eg. say you're in some canyon or gorge and clear sky is only a narrow slit between the rocks, your signal is degraded. So with that, I'm looking more at whatever access device is used(more likely a sleeve) .. that while it'll be in car fixed, it also needs to be mobile, which the Optus sat sleeve is.

[roverrescue]

Arthur

Just to clarify a few things to your point a few posts up
Sat phone lives in water proof case fully charged in centre console

If truck catches on fire I’m grabbing it as I exit

We do multi day lightweight walks up to 5 days away from vehicle
Park vehicle about 5hrs OFF the PDR

I sure as hell take the sat on those walks

PLB offers no extra benefit
If I felt the need to have an EPIRB I would just grab the one from the boat and change the “float plan” online before leaving

S

[goingbush]

I am looking at getting a secondhand iridium 9505a and I am wondering what sort of plan I can get that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
I only intend to use the phone for emergencies and not interested in using it for normal everyday phone calls.
What sort of deals are out there?

You can use the simcard from your ordinary Telstra Post paid mobile in Iridium 95**, so dont need a Satphone plan, Calls are expensive both incoming (caller pays) and outgoing . Sat phone uses your ordinary Telstra Post paid number . Telstra wont tell you about this loophole. I have an unwanted Iridium 9555 if yr interested ( Prepaid Telstra sim wont work)

I dumped my Telstra Postpaid plan ( and stupidly forgot I used the sim in my Iridium) so got onto Thuraya $15.00 plan which is cheaper than the cheapest Telstra Post Paid plans anyway. (but had to buy a Thuraya phone)

[goingbush]

IMO For emergency situation you are better off with a Thuraya XT Lite than a Sat sleeve . The phone is cheaper than a sat sleeve , The phone is more robust than a smartphone, you only need to carry the phone itself , rather than carry your smart phone plus a sat sleeve , and you only need to manage one battery.
And Millennials wont know how to use it due to the ancient user interface. [bigwhistle]

[roverrescue]

GB
My iPhone in a life proof case is camera and also satellite mapping GPS device
(Via Gaia Maps)

Use to carry a dedicated camera and a Garmin
But to get satellite level maps on Garmin was $$$ and not great resolution

Loading sat maps in Gaia before going means you can essentially see every little water hole / clearing and billabong

Nice when your a day or so into a walk and plans change - can reassess route and know where the best water to fish will be

[roverrescue]

GB
Also I have the hotspot not the sleeve
Sleeve risk is you’ll change your phone and it won’t fit!!!

Other benefits of hot spot

If it’s 35 degrees and your hiding back in the tree line you can have the hotspot set up pointing north to clear air away from trees but be well away in the shade to deal with whatever...

The battery in the hotspot last forever! Well almost.

Hotspot has an emergency call button so it can be used standalone if needed?

Oh and all the millennials I work with could never be 5 days from a latte walking through the scrub fishing for Barra !

Self limiting population

S

[trout1105]

You can use the simcard from your ordinary Telstra Post paid mobile in Iridium 95**, so dont need a Satphone plan, Calls are expensive both incoming (caller pays) and outgoing . Sat phone uses your ordinary Telstra Post paid number . Telstra wont tell you about this loophole. I have an unwanted Iridium 9555 if yr interested ( Prepaid Telstra sim wont work)

I dumped my Telstra Postpaid plan ( and stupidly forgot I used the sim in my Iridium) so got onto Thuraya $15.00 plan which is cheaper than the cheapest Telstra Post Paid plans anyway. (but had to buy a Thuraya phone)

Thank you for that [bigrolf][bigrolf]
Using my existing Telstra sim sounds like the solution as long as the sim card is the same "Micro" type that I have in my Samsung 9 [thumbsupbig]

[goingbush]

Thank you for that [bigrolf][bigrolf]
Using my existing Telstra sim sounds like the solution as long as the sim card is the same "Micro" type that I have in my Samsung 9 [thumbsupbig]

no, All the Satphones I've used take full size sim cards, you need to put the simcard in an adaptor , Any $2 sim from Aldi etc comes with the adaptor for free, just press it out of the simcard holder and place your micro sim in it. Note the Telstra hack only works with Post Paid Telstra sim , not Telstra Pre paid cards, nor post paid cards from any other carrier.

[trout1105]

no, All the Satphones I've used take full size sim cards, you need to put the simcard in an adaptor , Any $2 sim from Aldi etc comes with the adaptor for free, just press it out of the simcard holder and place your micro sim in it. Note the Telstra hack only works with Post Paid Telstra sim , not Telstra Pre paid cards, nor post paid cards from any other carrier.

No problems, I have heaps of those adaptors as I use micro sims in my crash cameras and in my drone.
I have a plan with Telstra so hopefully that sim should work[thumbsupbig]

[roverrescue]

Trout
Just make sure you have global roaming activated on your Telstra account
But yes that works for post paid Telstra and those old sat phones

Only hassle is the change over of sim
And that people calling you get pinged high call costs

On the Thuraya $15 Optus plan
Calls/txt to the sat phone are just considered normal mobile so for most people that’s free to call

Makes it cheap when wanting to touch base with home

Sat call to home mobile - hang up after a few rings
Home mobile calls back

Free sat comms

S

[trout1105]

Trout
Just make sure you have global roaming activated on your Telstra account
But yes that works for post paid Telstra and those old sat phones

Only hassle is the change over of sim
And that people calling you get pinged high call costs

On the Thuraya $15 Optus plan
Calls/txt to the sat phone are just considered normal mobile so for most people that’s free to call

Makes it cheap when wanting to touch base with home

Sat call to home mobile - hang up after a few rings
Home mobile calls back

Free sat comms

S

I only intend to use the sat phone in an emergency/life threatening situation where I cant get comms on my phone or UHF/VHF radio so the call costs are irrelevant.
Not having to have a separate "Plan" for the sat phone for this type of usage is a "No Brainer" and is the way to go in my opinion.
If I want to "Touch base" with home I wait until I can get reception on my normal mobile anyway and you only need to be close to a town or minesite to do this[thumbsupbig]

[goingbush]

Of course you can always send tex / sms on a sat phone , lets people at home know your OK, no need at all for any actual call rates unless you in an Emergency , then it does not matter what the cost.

Pivotel also have a $15 Casual plan for the Thuraya Phone / sleeve / hotspot .

its $40 for the first month (includes activation) $15 thereafter . This is the one I'm on . cheap enough to keep active even if your at home.

[Barraman]

No(but not sure what's possible)
I've been looking into satphone comms too over the years, and so far(what I've researched) .. the differing networks are not interoperable.
That is, if you go with a Irridium system to start with, then you can't use that hardware to access Thuraya, or Inmarsat.
Haven't found(or really looked hard enough) if a multi network device exists.
It's not like a mobile system. Or even a navigation system, even tho the premise is similar.
I've really only read up on the big two's networks, Telstra = Irridium, Optus = Thuraya.
Irridium is low orbit(LEO), and technically low latency(less delay). Thuraya is geostationary and hence higher altitude sat network so latency and hence delay time is going to be longer.
Note I have zero personal use experience .. just reading up on which system is better for my intended use at some point in the future.
Also(so far), I've also found that Irridium has had some satellite issues and so there can be network outages near the equator. Don't say exactly where(what latitudes) but I'd say far north Aus could be affected.
if satellite coverage isn't there with LEOs, then obviously drop outs will happen.
So with the above No answer tho .. I have no idea if the device could be hacked or modded to access the Thuraya network, which is what you'd need to do.
One issue I'm now looking at, is that geo stationary systems need more open sky to work reliably.
eg. say you're in some canyon or gorge and clear sky is only a narrow slit between the rocks, your signal is degraded. So with that, I'm looking more at whatever access device is used(more likely a sleeve) .. that while it'll be in car fixed, it also needs to be mobile, which the Optus sat sleeve is.

I have carried an Iridium sat phone for many years - I'm on my 3rd!

I have used it across northern Australia to get the weather and submit flight plans - never had a problem getting through.

More recently I have used it in the Gulf of Carpentaria to have a conversation with a technician to reset the auto-deploy trolling motor on my boat. Technician in Brisbane, "Where are you guys"? Me, "50 km north of Boroloola out in the Gulf"!

We also use it regularly to send SMS to family to tell them that we are OK when fishing in remote places - or to give a fishing score. I think it 50c to send an SMS.

Haven't yet had to use it in any sort of emergency situation - but its a "nice to have" item for what we choose to do!

[trout1105]

I think that I will give the irridium idea the flick and go with the Thursday phone [thumbsupbig]

[Tombie]

no, All the Satphones I've used take full size sim cards, you need to put the simcard in an adaptor , Any $2 sim from Aldi etc comes with the adaptor for free, just press it out of the simcard holder and place your micro sim in it. Note the Telstra hack only works with Post Paid Telstra sim , not Telstra Pre paid cards, nor post paid cards from any other carrier.

It’s not a hack, Telstra here are very open about telling people about it.

We went with Thuraya initially and it was so touch and go for coverage we dropped it. Being geostationary if you’re in a dead zone you will always be.

Switched to Iridium and it was an improvement although could still be flaky.


Thuraya also struggles in Southern Australia.


The best performance I’ve seen is Inmarsat, excellent coverage except in Antartica or the Arctic.
Addition: If you are in a shadow you need to move.

With Iridium, if you don’t have signal just wait a bit and you’ll be good.