Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Satellite Phone recommendation for hunting

My wife had become worried about my solo scouts and hunts into the wilderness areas. No cell phone reception, so we are out of contact for 3-4 days usually. To alliviate some of her worries, I am looking into getting a Satellite Phone. Can anyone recommend a phone and service? I am looking to avoid a month to month bill, and had prepaid or simply pay just for the calls made. I know the phones are expensive, but it would pay for itself if I ever became hurt or needed help. Thanks

Just run a Google search or pick up your Yellow Pages- that should start the ball rolling.

I know that it only cost me about $100 US to rent a phone for 10 days. Did not need to use it so no additional charges. That is pretty cheap insurance and a great idea on your and your wife's part.

Good luck.
CL

We use the Iridium network, as it's the only one with relatively complete coverage in Alaska, or so I have been told. I do know it works well.

The phone I like best is the Motorola 9505A, though I've used a Nokia model that was ok also.

Cost up here is just under $2/min for pay when you need it, and about $1.60/min or so in 30 minute packages.

The 9505A is around $1000-$1200 in most places, but I've heard of people getting good deals on Ebay, especially for refurbished ones.

You can rent one for less that $100/week, which I recommend you do, in order to see how you like it.

Look here: outfitter satellite

dave

??? I have no experience with satellite phones, but isn't universal coverage THE selling feature?

While I have no experience with these either, PLBs are a bit cheaper (versus a purchasing a phone), anyone carry (or use) one of those?

Not everywhere has complete satellite coverage..the poles, for instance, due to the satellite positions.

Get a PLB, if you like...it's your $ and your ass. If I ever need it, I'd rather be able to talk to the person on the receiving end of my distress signal.

Try ordering your pick-up plane a couple days early, with a PLB. You'll likely have the CAP or someone similar sending you a bill.

Also...if the weather sucks and it's safer to stay put and ride it out, tripping the PLB isn't gonna make wifey feel comfy.

Your call, so to speak.

You may want to check into a portable ELT (emergency locator transponder) like bush pilots carry. Satellites pick up the signal and it is passed on to search and rescue types. Even if it's a Russian satellite that picks up your signal it is passed on. We had an agreement with the Soviets to report signals picked up by elint satellites to each other before the wall fell. I don't know the price for a unit.

I have an Iridium, Global Star and others don't work well this far north.

Good luck on finding one where you only pay for the minutes you need. The best deal was when you could prepay for 200-700 minutes now they raised the bar so I think 700 or so is minimum at 1.59 a whack and the minutes don't roll over it's a bit pricey. Soooo after a year of the good times on 200 minute prepay I'm back on the $30 a month plus 1.59 per minute. Let us know if you find a better deal. Big Corps I'm sure can swing with more leverage but us little guys have to pay to speak it seems.

I'm with David on all the reasons I like Sat over ELB's, just too useful to be able to explain the situation.

I rent an Irridium phone when in Africa. So far, excellent coverage. Cheap insurance in my opinion. Also, it is really fun to call home from some remote third world location and report "I got my bull elephant today!!" or some such thing. I reccomend it.

If one only truly needs it for a couple of months, then renting makes the most sense. 1Minute

We rented an Irridium phone when we went to Africa. It was rented for a month and cost $189 for the month, $1.80 a minute per call.

When you turned it on, it was locked on and registered in less than 30 seconds and it worked great in South Africa and Namibia.