Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of RentASatPhone.com.au,  Australia’s number one online rental satellite communications store.

In this article I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “How can I get satellite phone coverage when I am offshore and out at sea”?

Great question. The answer is that not all satellite networks can be used more than 200NM off the coast of Australia. The real answer is get a satellite phone network that has worldwide coverage. In our opinion that is the Iridium network.

The Iridium network is the world’s only truly global satellite phone network and has been servicing the maritime industry for over twelve years. Whether it is an 18ft sailing yacht or a full blown tanker, Iridium is the one they trust.

Another maritime question I’ve received is, “I have a 30ft yacht and am travelling down the coast of Australia and I want to download my weather maps daily and use the satellite phone in emergencies. How can I do that from the comfort of my cabin?”

We have two simple answers.

Firstly, the Iridium 9555 or the Iridium 9505a will do the trick. But with the slow demise of the 9505a let’s concentrate our review on the latest hardware from Iridium - the 9555 handset.

The best and cheapest way to get telephone communications out at sea is by using an Iridium 9555 handset directly off the back of your boat or vessel. Simply turn it on, pull the aerial up and within 20secs you can be talking to Mum.

The second answer is how to do that when you’re under cover.

It’s done by buying a fixed mount, heavy duty, magnetic mount antenna at around A$250. The antenna is mounted above, on deck, and the satellite phone used below deck by attaching the antenna to it with an extension cable. A 2m-4m cable is enough for most vessels.

And that’s as simple as it gets. Just attach the extension cable to your phone and dial away.

This set-up can be improved by adding one more accessory to give you safety and protection for your satellite phone: a car cradle kit. This allows the satellite phone to stay in the cradle and still be connected. It’s all about finding the right gear to suit your budget and your trip.

Another satellite phone issue when offshore is downloading data, such as weather maps and emails. This is where the new Iridium 9555 stands out and is in a class of it own.

Thank you Iridium and Motorola for coming into the 21st century by supplying a mini-USB cable as standard that connects your phone directly to your laptop.

Connect your phone to your laptop using the mini-USB cable. Dial your phone. It will connect you with the internet so you can download away. Now, although this is not lightning speed, the reality is it’s the cheapest way to solve the problem of getting internet and email capabilities when offshore.

I trust you found this information useful. If you’d like to know anything more about satellite phones and internet equipment please contact us.

We’ll be happy to help you.

See our website for more free advice and to learn all you need to know about satellite mobile phones.

Visit www.RentASatPhone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.