Need to bite the bullet and buy my own Sat Phone - CAR, Marco, etc...

For those who either have tested, or used them, what do people think about the Iriduim 9575 and/or 9555? Is the 9575 worth the extra $$$?

Any other suggestions before I order?

Thanks!
Orvar

I've used my 9555 almost daily for the last two hunting seasons in Zambia. On good days, it was the greatest thing around. On bad days, I wanted to throw it in the river. Notably, the Iridium signal was great in Zambia in 2011 and went to hell there in 2012. I can only assume they changed the orbit of a satellite or lost one. Things could be better this year, but they also could be worse. I imagine the same thing goes for any area, though.

I've never used a 9575, but I understand that it's the same phone, just a bit more rugged. I've never had any concerns with the toughness of my 9555. The antenna is kind of flimsy, but it's stowed away inside the phone when not in use.

One thing worth keeping in mind: In this crappy economy, people are willing to give discounts to make sales--especially when they make most of their money on airtime, not phones. When I bought my 9555, I talked the company down by about $250 from their advertised price, which was already low. It certainly doesn't hurt to try.

Thanks for the feedback Sandy!

Talk to Andy Cool at explorer - could be (likely) that Iridium is not the way to go.

I have used Iridium for the last 7 years and I am sick of them and switching to Inmarsat.

I had the 9555 and now the 9575. The 75 isn't worth the extra money in my opinion and I HATE the extra (as in lose-able) piece needed to charge it.

I own a 9575 and while I hate the charging system complexity, it is state of the art. I love it.

Hi Orvar,

Without a doubt the best phone to have in Central and Northern Africa is a Thuraya. I have had an Iridium since 2006 and it certainly isn't as good as the Thurayas we use in CAR. I would definately look into the Thurayas.

I have both the Inmarsat & the Iridium. In Africa, my experience has been that the Inmarsat beats the Iridium handily. Having said that, I learned that my Inmarsat will not work at all on some of the hunts I am going on this year. The Iridium will.

I used my 9575 in Zim for three weeks earlier this month with no problems.
Here at home in W Texas and SE New Mexico it gets quite a bit of use.
Very happy with it.

I too am considering a satellite phone purchase, any advice on best phone for South Africa area only? Rented one last year and it was constantly dropping the calls in the Natal area. To be more specific the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and Natal areas are where I would be using the most. Thanks.

Why not rent the most appropriate strongest-signal model, for the specific area you're visiting?
Satellite positions change over time; and it saves cash on upgrading models every few years!

quote:

Originally posted by PD999:
Satellite positions change over time; and it saves cash on upgrading models every few years!

Are you really prepared to research where every companies satellites are at a given time when you plan to travel? I would guess Iridium satellite orbits ensure global coverage precisely to avoid this necessity. I owned a 9505 for about eight years and it worked well while also being much cheaper than renting. I also sold it for 60% of what i paid for it when all was said and done so the cost of ownership per year was quite low. I would also bet resale on a iridium is higher than other brands.

quote:

Originally posted by tendrams:

quote:

Originally posted by PD999:
Satellite positions change over time; and it saves cash on upgrading models every few years!

Are you really prepared to research where every companies satellites are at a given time when you plan to travel? I would guess Iridium satellite orbits ensure global coverage precisely to avoid this necessity. I owned a 9505 for about eight years and it worked well while also being much cheaper than renting. I also sold it for 60% of what i paid for it when all was said and done so the cost of ownership per year was quite low. I would also bet resale on a iridium is higher than other brands.

No - as stated above Inmarsat is far superior to iridium in many places and the cost is the same or less these days.

quote:

I too am considering a satellite phone purchase, any advice on best phone for South Africa area only? Rented one last year and it was constantly dropping the calls in the Natal area. To be more specific the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and Natal areas are where I would be using the most. Thanks.

I have Iridium, and it works fine in Africa. I get the occasional dropped call. I've been with many ph's who've had Thuraya and they say it is great in southern Africa. I have the Iridium, because I've never seen another phone that works as good in Northern Canada and Alaska. I can live with the possibility of an occasional dropped call in Africa to be able to use it in other areas of the globe as well. If I were only going to be in Southern Africa, given what I've been told, I'd look at the Thuraya.

quote:

Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
Hi Orvar,

Without a doubt the best phone to have in Central and Northern Africa is a Thuraya. I have had an Iridium since 2006 and it certainly isn't as good as the Thurayas we use in CAR. I would definately look into the Thurayas.

Thuraya is better than Iridium for East Africa - that therefore covers East, Central and North Africa.
I have had several friends who out of sheer frustration seeing me making one call after another while they were still trying to get a line dump their Iridiums and switch to Thuraya!
Calls are far less expensive as well.