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Can anyone make a company recommendation for SAT phone rental? I�m 90% certain that I will be backing solo during the second CO rifle season. I have been weighing SAT phones vs purchasing a SPOT, but I have heard of some issues with SPOT reception and the �OKAY� message sending function. If I got a SPOT and tell my family that I will send an �okay� message daily, there will be H*LL to pay if they don�t receive the okays I send.

Due to this I am greatly leaning toward a SAT phone. The prices and plans are all over the map, so to speak. I doubt I�ll even use the darn thing so don�t want to have to buy 60 minutes of talk time for over $100. Any suggestions?

www.skycallcommunications.com

Go with Iridium, NOT Globalstar, for now.

I've used SPOT in CO for 2 years and never an issue, other than sometimes the messages don't get out right away due to Sat coverage, IE late one evening it wouldn't go but it went quick the next morning.

Now recently useage in AK it sent ok messages to all but one recipient on my list.. but that could have been the net server for that email, the only hughes net on my list....

And now our friend sent one to us from his grouse hunt in AK and I have not recieved it either.

Not sure if they are getting worse but my first 2-3 years of use SPOT was well worth the money.

Sat phones get Iridium for sure, not globalstar.

That being said in rain or heavy cloud cover etc.... even a sat phone isn't 100% reliable so you'll have to tell the folks at home to just hang on for a day or two in case they don't hear, IE don't panic immediately....

The nice thing about the SPOT is it sends Lat/Lon with a map so folks can keep track of your area exactly, IF it sends.... with a sat phone you'd have to read off coords every time you used it.

Jeff

I've got a sat phone (iridium) scheduled to arrive from Road Post this week for my upcoming trip. (from their Canadian location, but I see they operate in the USA as well)

http://www.roadpost.com/satcom.aspx?UserID=2706016&SessionID=FCiWmwqSHg6RGEAKf7XN

I know from personal experience that SPOT is worse than useless. Sorry I can't recommend a satellite phone, but at least with a sat phone you know when you've reached the party you are trying to call. SPOT sends false "message sent" signals, the worst kind.

Thanks everyone. I would really like for the SPOT to be the answer, but I have just heard of too many issues to trust it. On an item like this, when you need it you really NEED it.

The SPOT does have a "message sent" confirmation correct? And people are getting false confirmations also? Has anyone heard of issues with the 911 or "help" messages not being sent?

I rented a phone from Mobal two years ago with good results. Iridium phone at $9 per day, free shipping with no minute requirements. Phone time was expensive at $1.99 per minute. I plan to use them again this year.

http://www.mobal.com/satellite/

I've used these guys several times and they have always treated me well but haven't used them for a year. They were the least expensive I could find, don't make you purchase minutes up front, and delivered the phone on time. I've used them 3 times.

You do know a satellite phone doesn't work all day but only when a satellite is passing overhead? I don't think I've ever had more than a handfull of minutes of coverage at a time but generally get several window of coverage an hour. Very important to decide what to say prior to starting the call and say the important stuff first.

It is really cheap to text messages compared to the $1.79 per minute.

SatellitePhoneSource

You must be referring about Globalstar, correct?

That is more of an issue with Globalstar right now, until 2010.

Iridium, I have always been able to make a call, anytime of the day

My experience with Iridium is that you get 2 to 5 minutes max at a time. I hate to think what Globalstar is like.

Nope, all my experience is with Iridium's 9505 and three of the four weeks were in New Zealand and the other in B.C. All of the N.Z. time was at base camps located in valleys were as the B.C. time was much more varied. At all times I don't recall ever having reception for more than 15 minutes, with 2-5 minutes being the norm. I did have better reception when in town but suspect it was due to the flat terrain. Don't get me wrong, the phone consistently met my needs and I was able to cover all my needs in the short call times.

The Iridium satellite coverage is better in the U.S.

I just got back from a 10 day backcountry hunt using an Iridium phone. The coverage was good (Eastern Oregon) not great, but my calls went thru and and roughly 50% got dropped in the first few minutes.........for checking in with home, it was money well spent.

I will say this, rent the best one they have, i've always done this in the past and this time i went with the next model down...big mistake, much larger in size and you had to buy prepaid minutes -which i'm pretty sure i went under.

kirk.

I do own a Globalstar, but have ended up enabling the audible alert on the handset that tells me when it has enough of a signal to make a call. Sometimes its 5 minutes waiting, sometimes its an hour. The Globalstar website has a SAT report that will tell you the times in which you can make a call depending on your location. Pain in the butt for now. They say that things will improve in 2010. Hopefully.

Iridium

I rented one from Outfitters Satellite...pretty square outfit from my perspective. Bought the 60 minute plan, just enough to call home and say everythings ok