Satellite Phone Hire

[Chenz]

I am planning a Simpson Desert trip in June July and am looking to hire a sat phone for about 7 weeks. I have been looking on the web and it seems they range from around $600 up to $900 for that period of time.

Does anyone know where you can get a better deal or is there anyone on Aulro who would hire a phone at a more competitive rate?

[isuzurover]

Sorry to Hijack your thread Chenz, But DaveS and I are planning a trip in 2009, and would be interested in the same thing. Perhaps we should set up an AULRO HF/Satphone hire group???

On a slight side track, how many people still use HF, and how many have switched to satphones?

[justinc]

I am planning a Simpson Desert trip in June July and am looking to hire a sat phone for about 7 weeks. I have been looking on the web and it seems they range from around $600 up to $900 for that period of time.

Does anyone know where you can get a better deal or is there anyone on Aulro who would hire a phone at a more competitive rate?

Thought about an HF radio? On Ebay I'm looking at a Barrett 550 with remote head etc, refurbished and ready to fit for $1190.00. The distinct advantage of an HF radio over a Sat phone is that it comes with ABC weather and news broadcasts freq, and RFDS etc preloaded. Selcal is a good safety feature as it can be switched on and used to alert a nearby station in the event of an emergency. Radphone features also allow you to make landline calls through the VKS 737 or VKE networks, and once you pay your $90/ year subs, that is all you spend. A lot more versatile I think than a satphone for outback travel.

JC

[justinc]

Sorry to Hijack your thread Chenz, But DaveS and I are planning a trip in 2009, and would be interested in the same thing. Perhaps we should set up an AULRO HF/Satphone hire group???

On a slight side track, how many people still use HF, and how many have switched to satphones?

That is a good idea Ben, I may well rent you mine in '09 if we aren't using it!

JC

[Scallops]

Check this mob out - I'm getting a new Motorola Iridium for $995.00 on a $25.00/month plan. That phone cost is after the rebate - which anyone can obtain if they will be traveling through areas without other coverage - plenty of places on my upcoming trip fit the criterion.

The plan may have expensive calls - but it is for emergency only use.

Satellite Phone Rental and Services - Satpac Contact (http://www.satpac.biz/contact_Us.html).

[isuzurover]

Chenz,
What about these guys - seems like only $300US for 8 weeks:
Iridium Satellite Phone Rentals rent iridium phones sat phone- SatellitePhoneStore.com (http://www.satellitephonestore.com/iridium/iridium-satellite-phone-rental.php)

Justin - sounds like a great idea! Will keep in touch on dates, etc...

[weeds]

if you are just doing the french line and its around the school holidays than it like a hi-way, a good uhf and eprib would be all you need, easy for me to say now i.e. after the trip, i had the same thoughts as yourself before i left

in saying that i borrowed a sat phone for my simpson trip as i did the rig road in september, only saw one other car on the bottom section which was about a day and a half worth of driving....by the i did my trip solo as well

[97discotdi]

I use a hf radio with VKS 737 frequencies, but it is possible to rent a sat phone at the Birdsville pub and drop it off with Dave Cox at Mt Dare or vice versa. That would probably be your cheapest option. However as Weeds says there is more cars on the French line than you can poke a stick at. :D

[numpty]

if you are just doing the french line and its around the school holidays than it like a hi-way, a good uhf and eprib would be all you need, easy for me to say now i.e. after the trip, i had the same thoughts as yourself before i left

in saying that i borrowed a sat phone for my simpson trip as i did the rig road in september, only saw one other car on the bottom section which was about a day and a half worth of driving....by the i did my trip solo as well


No, not doing the French Line.

The Chenz's, the Numpties, the Bushies and a couple of others, are doing the Madigan Line. This is why Chenz is looking into a sat phone. We are all making our way separately to, and meeting up at Kulgera, as some of us have done the usual tourist stuff in the Centre before and some haven't.

We will have an HF with us as well.

[srowlandson]

I have a globalstar Ericsson R290 in a pelican case which I loan out on a 'you pay the bill you can borrrow' arrangement ($35 a month + Calss), PM me if your interested, no one is borrowing it this year.

[Hymie]

I hire out my Motorolla for $40 a week if you are interested.
Insert your Telstra SIM with global roaming enabled and off you go.

[isuzurover]

This is all sounding better and better - Mods - can we set up a thread somewhere with a list of people who are (possibly) willing to hire out their sat phones or HFs.

That way when one of us wants to, we can just dig up the list and PM the individual owners.