Sim in Iridium phone

Thanks Greg, maybe it was due to the fact my mates was a pre-paid

No worries - yes, pre-paid wont work. Strange that your mate indicated that it did work but now doesn't if he has pre-paid? Based on my understanding it should never of worked.

Cheers
Greg

Hi all, shouldn't the SIM have Global Roaming turned on to work?

Yes must be on a plan and global roaming must be activated

Yes, it needs to have international roaming turned on, and they will not do this with prepaid. Those wanting to get the $10 casual plan now may well be out of luck, as it seems that $25 is now their cheapest casual plan and this only available by phone ie not showing on website.

Maybe it depends on where the satellite it picks up are. I took my prepaid mobile to Bali last time, and used my sister's phone while there. She was fiddling with my phone and found it worked, without international roaming, and still on prepaid.

Motherhen

Call me a PIA but why don't members/ contributors do a search BEFORE asking a question????
All your questions and MORE would have been answered!
Sorry I just had to say this............

Mother hen, I concur.
I have just spent 1/2 an hour on the phone with Telstra today inquiring about a sim to go in a iridium sat phone that I am borrowing for our Kimberley trip this year. After being shuffled from department to department and no one really knowing what they were talking about, all I really got was that the cheapest monthly no contract plan is $25/month. The line then cutout, so I can't report anymore info.
I think I'll go into the local Telstra shop for my next line of questioning.
Mick

Hi Tony

The original question in this instance was if the use of a "normal" telstra sim card still works in a sat phone as the OP had been informed by a friend he was having issues in recent days - no search would have provided an answer to this specific question.

The simple answer was - Yes a Telstra sim still works. The fact that the OP indicated that his friend's sat phone previously worked indicated to me that his SIM was post paid with roaming enabled so I initially didn't mention either of these requirements.

One or two subsequent responses did indeed mention the need for post paid/roaming (as detailed in many previous threads - I assume this is your issue?) but it wasn't a "question" from the OP. Happens sometimes.

Cheers
Greg

Mick, while members here know the trick works, Telstra staff who are contracted to sell different plans will probably not be allowed to acknowledge, or may not even know about the trick. You are buying a SIM for a mobile phone on the cheapest plan available to have on hand for occasional and emergency use. They need not know what sort of phone you will be using it in.

"Mother hen, I concur.
I have just spent 1/2 an hour on the phone with Telstra today inquiring about a sim to go in a iridium sat phone that I am borrowing for our Kimberley trip this year. After being shuffled from department to department and no one really knowing what they were talking about, all I really got was that the cheapest monthly no contract plan is $25/month. The line then cutout, so I can't report anymore info.
I think I'll go into the local Telstra shop for my next line of questioning.
Mick"

Copy that motherhen, I'll use your approach when I go to my local store.
Mick

...also keep in mind if you are a new Telstra customer getting international roaming activated (as previously explained in other threads..sorry) may be hindered until they confirm your bill paying abilities (i.e. a few months "probation"). I just rang up and got it activated straight away but have heard others have had problems.

Cheers
Greg

I activated 'global roaming' on line for my post paid Telstra phone

Hi, every one mentions using a telstra sim, will not other providers sim cards work as well?
I have a TPG service, will that work in a iridium 9505?
Cheers,
Will

Hi

My understanding is that Telstra sims work because they have a deal with Iridium to use their satellites/system. Other "normal" mobile phone providers don't..so my conclusion is that their sims wont work in an iridium phone.

Optus have satellite plans that utilise the Thuraya satellite network but I have never heard of anyone getting a Thurya Sat phone to work with a "normal" Optus mobile phone sim, which is not to say its not possible, just never heard of anyone trying.

You can also get satellite sleeves for Iphones..which turns them into a satellite phone but you need to be on a Thuraya/Pivotel Satellite Phone plan (maybe other options?) which sounds like the normal sim is given the flick.

Cheers
Greg

I have used the Telstra $10 casual sim before but that was a couple of years ago. I don't think it does any good to go into the Telstra shop and say you want a sim for a sat phone. I don't think it's the company line to say it works if indeed they know anything.
However I notice that all Telstra pre-paid sims now come with international roaming turned on as standard so maybe they will work - just need someone to try it.
cheers
Kevin

If it has international roaming, it would have to work Kevin. A few years ago they told me they wouldn't do international roaming on prepaid because by the time the charges reached them from some countries, the prepaid had been used and often the number disused.

They later struck a deal and would add some countries to prepaid.

Oddly enough I was asking for when we were going to Bali. Next time we went my sister was fiddling with my phone and found it worked on prepaid in Bali.

Mh

...Not sure that's the whole story..will need (as Kevin indicates) some one to test in a sat phone to prove pre-paid + roaming does work (apparently contrary to previous reports as far as I can figure).

Plus...not sure pre-paid is a good choice even if it does work. If your credit runs out in the middle of nowhere, how do you recharge? No problem if you are on a holiday in Bali (use Skype - cheaper)...but different elsewhere.

Cheers
Greg

Hi Explorer

As it is the necessity for international roaming, if the card has full international roaming, not just the few selected countries which they made the agreements with back when I was looking at it (but not for sat phone then) it would have to be OK.

I can ask them about international roaming and if they can do it, I will try it in the sat phone.

Good point about credit expiry. When we were travelling I used the computer for most of my communications, but occasionally I needed to make a phonecall when I didn't have an email address. Cost me $20 every time as the one month credit period had always run out. I worked out I could then change to an offer where $60 would give twelve months credit. Worth it to know I have credit for twelve months.

Mh

Yep, that is all well and good but I imagine that would be damn tricky to do with a broken arm or if your vehicle has just rolled. That's why it is in my opinion better to always have a sim in the Sat phone and ready to go.
Just saying, not having a crack. Situation to think about anyway.

Cheers
Peter

Interesting................I went to the local Telstra shop yesterday and the cheapest post paid casual plan I could get was $25.00 per month.

Did you get a post or pre paid casual plan Rod D1?

Cheers
Peter

I got a post paid plan.
I just had a look at the paper work. I got mine on the 28/2 so about 3 weeks ago. I wonder if it has been discontinued since then.

Maybe, but I did ask the assistant how long ago they stopped the $10.00 plan as I have had a few previously. He told me "about 2 years". I have purchased my last one about 23 months ago.

Anyway I guess $25 for one months use is nothing to grizzle about in the scheme of things.

Peter

Please excuse my new to forum and sat com ignorance. What size SIM card do the iridium handsets take. e.g. could you swap sim from a Samsung Note 2 for example (25mm x 15mm : "micro sim"). The thinking is to use a Telstra post paid SIM in my every day phone for every day use, then global roaming for when placed in the Sat Phone as discussed here or am I missing somthing?

Hi
Think they all take original "big" sims but you can get adapters for micro sims so its not a problem.

Cheers
Greg

Our 9500 takes the full credit card size sim, but I think the rest take smaller sized sims. As said you can get adaptors to go from any size to any size.

Cheers

Sorry wasn't aware of the credit card variety..my reference to "big" was postage stamp size e.g. sim for Iridium 9555. My generalisation was obviously incorrect.

Cheers
Greg

All good Greg, nothing stays standard for long.

Peter

I don't see what you are happy about, $25.00 for 1 month sounds much better than $30.00 for 1 week. I don't know what your call costs are so that would have to be factored in.

At the Telstra shop you don't tell them it is for a satellite phone, all you want is a $25.00 month casual post paid plan with international roaming activated.

Regards
Peter

Shelbyright it is not data roaming you need activated it is "international roaming" this is so the phone can access the satellite network.

frank

Apologies Frank, that was a miss print, meant to write International Roaming is activated.

Cheers

Hi

Does the sim work in a normal phone ?

Cheers
Greg

Ok, it works!
Iridium 9575 Extreme, and yes Telstra need to be called twice to confim roaming is enabled.

by the way you also have to ask afew times over for the $10 casual plan, it still exists but they dont promote it.

now I need to know if I need to inlcude any area codes etc. In the dialed numbers?

Cheers

By the wayyo dont have to pay the $300 bond if you put in a business name. Must provide ABN.

Hi

Good stuff..

Area code for home numbers is required (e.g. 08 ) ...no code required for Mobiles, just type number (maybe different if overseas).

Keep in mind it is expensive ..plus you pay for people ringing/sms'ing you..and recorded messages from missed calls (even if you don't access them) ..so something to be wary of.

Cheers
Greg

Thanks for confirming it works with the 9575 iridium Shelbyright. Have you also experimented with the emergency "one touch button" functions yet? e.g. Do the emergency button functions (auto text message sent to a handful of your predefined contacts, and/or the GEOS service) still work when using a Telstra GSM SIM card?