Satellite phone?

[tasadam]

Hey there...
Does anyone know where to hire a sat phone for a couple of weeks, starting late October?
Likely usage one or two calls in total, for weather update & to confirm transport.
Maybe someone has one they can do without for a while, for an appropriate fee of course?

[walkinTas]

Adam, have you seen this page at the Parks & Wildlife Service site.

[tasadam]

No, I didn't know about that one.
Crikey, $140 per week - not cheap!

In the end we were able to hire one off a communications company in Devonport - they have one and hire it out when they don't need it. Can't remember the cost (I wasn't paying) but from memory it was only 5 or 10 dollars per day. Plus call costs of course.

We worked it so they would turn it on and I would phone them at scheduled times, or they call my mobile and hang up, I then call back.

[Joe]

What are the costs like calling into one? are they just standard mobile charges?

[tasadam]

What are the costs like calling into one? are they just standard mobile charges?

Standard mobile charges.

[Joe]

thats pretty good setup then. If i ever get around to doing walks that warrant it ill find out where you got it from

[tas-man]

Has anyone got any further information about local hirers of Sat phones? I have just done a bit of googling for hire rates etc and they all seem to be outside Tassie except for Total Comunications in Hobart. I am planning an Easter week 9 day South Coast trip with two other VIC grey hairs, and my wife is insisting that we carry an EPIRB or Sat Phone for HER peace of mind! Has anyone tried a mobile from the Ironbounds as I have heard around the place that people have had reception on the Eastern Arthurs and PB with CDMA. Whether the latest NextG will provide the same, better, or worse I don't know, but I will be taking my latest Nokia 6120c (100gms) with me an do some testing on the way.

[tasadam]

Has anyone got any further information about local hirers of Sat phones? I have just done a bit of googling for hire rates etc and they all seem to be outside Tassie except for Total Comunications in Hobart. I am planning an Easter week 9 day South Coast trip with two other VIC grey hairs, and my wife is insisting that we carry an EPIRB or Sat Phone for HER peace of mind! Has anyone tried a mobile from the Ironbounds as I have heard around the place that people have had reception on the Eastern Arthurs and PB with CDMA. Whether the latest NextG will provide the same, better, or worse I don't know, but I will be taking my latest Nokia 6120c (100gms) with me an do some testing on the way.

Try giving these people a call...

MRS (Pacific)
184 Stony Rise Road
Devonport TAS 7310
Tel: (03) 6423 3333
Fax: (03) 6423 3331

[jeelan]

hi

newbie here, but reading this post i had to add my 2c worth. Total communications are very very good. I do a lot of expedition style trekking every year and for 10-14 weeks at a time so i bought a Motorola sat phone (which uses the Iridium Network) from them (Perth office) and since then, anytime i've had issues with it, Total hv been able to assist.

I dont know if they rent or not, but if they DO, you wont go wrong with their services. Beware though that making calls to and from the Sat phone can be quite expensive. Telstra charge around $4.85 per minute for calls made FROM telstra landlines to Satellite phones and outgoing calls FROM a Sat phone will be around the same but vary slightly depending on the service provider. My provider is Total Communications and they charge $2.20 per 30 secs flat fee.

[eddie the eagle]

THere's a lot in NSW, David.

Whereabouts are you?

CHeers,

eddie