Off to Moz next month. I am thinking about renting a sat phone for the trip. Does anyone have experience doing that and do you have recommendations on who to rent from.

I have used Mobal with good results. Free shipping both ways. Free incoming calls & texts.

thanks I'll look them up.

Give Andy Cool a call at Explorer Satellite...we always rent a BGAN unit for internet access and it includes a sat phone. Pretty reasonable and always works.

Karl

Inmarsat works well in northern Moz and would be good for rental but they have changed their credit points system so would not recommend buying one.

quote:

Originally posted by K Evans:
Give Andy Cool a call at Explorer Satellite...we always rent a BGAN unit for internet access and it includes a sat phone. Pretty reasonable and always works.
Karl

Nina Zabuga at Explorer has always also been helpful. I would also consider buying a Motorola 9575 unit. You can just use pre-paid cards from Iridium and, if you are going to rent with any degree of regularity, it becomes much cheaper to just buy the thing. Handy piece of kit as well!

Another option you may want to consider is an Inreach Delorme. Paired with a smart phone you can two way text from anywhere. They run around $200-300 and have some very flexible plans. A few of the features that sold me on it were the GPS tracking which allows family to see where you are on an online map and a S.O.S. feature that works like an ELT on a plane should you ever find yourself in a real emergency. The texting is nice since I can send my family a text to give them an update and they can respond whenever it is convenient in their time zone. I still take my sat phone but find I don't use it anymore.

I suppose it all depends on what you are using it for. For me it is just about staying in touch and letting both parties know what is going on and that everything is okay.

Thank you for the replies.
I really enjoy phone home every couple of days while away

I have both the Inmarsat & the Iridium. I prefer the Inmarsat in Africa by far. It is far clearer and fewer dropped calls than my Iridium.

Iridium coverage in Zim the past 14 days was frustrating to say the least. In fact, I had better coverage with my cell phone!

I used an Inmarsat in Zim in July with very good results. It also allows free text messaging which was great.

My recommendation? LEAVE IT HOME :-)

More than likely you cell phone will work just fine mine did when I was in Mozambique and for that matter Zimbabwe SA and Namibia

I used an Iridium Extreme in Zambia and it worked well (for a Sat phone).

It’s amazing how much standard mobile coverage you get in these remote and isolated places but it is often the case that it is not actually available where and when you want to make a call.

Sat phones can be frustrating as well – I am often left to wonder why does it work here but not 10 metres over there given the comms is coming from space. One of life’s mysteries?

Thanks for all the replys . I have communication worked out. Biebs is correct. You want some communication but one of the objects of going to Africa is to not have too much.

Good luck Ernie. I leave October 21 for Zim.

What are the usual charges on cell phone you bring from states in SA, Zim etc?

is there a place where one can buy prepaid cheap phone in Africa and use it in emergency and occasional call home?

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
My recommendation? LEAVE IT HOME :-)

amen to that- although i will have Cam's sat phone in Cameroon for emergency outgoing use only. i don't want to be available when i am on vacation

I'd check to see if the outfiter had a satphone in camp I could buy minutes on before renting or buying my own.

Mark

Mark is correct on this. MOST PH folks have a SAT phone with them or in camp. My cell phone worked most of the time in Moz last July, used it mostly to send and receive text messgs. My Verizon setup, let me make calls for $2.70 (per call, not per minute), could send texts for .25 cents, 50 cents to recieve text. Don't use any phone much when away, that's the reason to (be away).

Larry Sellers
SCI (International) Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
I'd check to see if the outfiter had a satphone in camp I could buy minutes on before renting or buying my own.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
What are the usual charges on cell phone you bring from states in SA, Zim etc?

You should be able to get these details from your phone service provider.

Voice roaming charges are not bad at all. I travel a lot, and use my own cell phone all the time I am travelling.

The thing you have to make sure of is to switch your data roaming off.

If you don't, and your phone apps and software keep updating and using location service, you will end up with an unpleasant phone bill.

check out the Inreach by Delorme

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/

basically sends text via Sat as well as an SOS feature (along with other cool features). works very well. could be a great alternative to renting a sat phone.

Satellite phone store (Florida)
1-877-943-6383
1-941-955-1020
1-619-281-7500
This is the store I used when I was on a Carmen Island hunt. No problems.