Iridium Phones...Go anywhere!

» See Iridium Rental Kit and typical accessories Available used with 6-mo warranty

The Iridium satellite network is the only truly global communications network providing voice, paging, 160-character two-way short text messaging (SMS),emergency 911 service (dial sequence 00-911) and internet access services to subscribers anywhere on the surface of the earth. Even the polar caps have Iridium coverage!

The new Iridium 9555 weighs only 9.4 oz and is the smallest satellite phone made by Iridium. An internally stowed antenna makes the 9555 sleek compared to the 9505A model. Though the 9555 won’t play MP3s or take pictures, it does incorporate important practical features including: an integrated speakerphone, improved texting and email capabilities, a Mini-USB data port, and a redesigned and intuitive user interface. The 9555 also retains the ruggedness of previous Iridium models with excellent water, shock and dust resistance. The older Iridium 9505A weighs 13.2 oz and offers a data kit with an RS-232 serial port.

Standard components included with the 9555 and 9505A phones include: a universal AC charger with international plug kit, high cap battery, mag-mount car antenna with 1.5 meter cable, antenna adapter, DC charger, belt holster, hands free earpiece, and manual. Used Iridium equipment is available at a significant discount with 6-month and 12-month warranties.

9555 Specifications:

• Dimensions: 5.63 x 2.17 x 1.18 inches
• Weight: 9.4 oz
• Standby Time: Up to 30 hours
• Talk time: Up to 4 hours
• Enhanced SMS and email messaging capability
• Integrated speakerphone
• Illuminated 200-character display with volume, signal and battery meters
• Illuminated keypad
• Mini-USB data port
• Call history retains received, missed and dialed calls
• Call timers help you manage costs
• Mailbox for voice, numeric & text messages
• 100-entry internal address book for phone numbers, email addresses and notes
• SIM-based address book stores up to 155 entries
• Security Features: Keypad lock and SIM PIN lock
• Quick-connect to Iridium voicemail

9505A Specifications:

• Size: 6.2x2.4x2.2 inches (158x62x59 mm)
• Weight: 13.2 oz (375 g)
• 3.6 hours continuous talk time (high cap)
• 38 hours continuous standby time with high cap battery
• Power: 0.645 W (average)
• Illuminated display: 4x16 characters

UNDERSTANDING IRIDIUM: Iridium provides voice, SMS, and data service over the entire globe, including the polar caps. The only exceptions are countries that have requested that Iridium voluntarily block its service within all or parts of their borders (North Korea and sometimes northern Sri Lanka do not have service). Iridium operates a large number of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites spanning the globe in various polar orbits. An Iridium phone uses L-band frequencies so you must be in direct line-of-sight with an Iridium satellite in order make a call.

The ideal situation is to be on flat ground surrounded by no obstructions that block more than 15 degrees of elevation above the horizon. Mountains, trees, buildings or other obstructions may block some or all of the satellites causing brief periods without service. If there is an area nearby that is less obstructed, you may find it more effective to make Iridium calls from that location. Iridium phones are capable of making calls in most weather conditions. When you call a public switched telephone number (PSTN), your call is routed from satellite to satellite until it reaches the Iridium gateway in Arizona. From there it is routed to the final PSTN number. If during your call, the satellite moves behind an obstruction such as a mountain peak, your call can be passed to a different satellite, but often the call is unexpectedly terminated. Fortunately, the Iridium satellites are always moving, so if you lose signal another satellite should be along in a short time. Wait until your phone's signal strength indicator shows at least 3 bars of signal strength and dial again. Iridium uses aggressive voice compression so Iridium voice quality is only fair.

IRIDIUM DATA SERVICES: (not available from our Alaska location) Iridium usually is not the best choice for customers intending to transmit large amounts of data. It only offers a 2400 bps data rate, which corresponds to about 1 MegaByte (MB) an hour. This means Iridium is suitable for light data applications such as text-based email or telemetry but should not be your first choice for data-intensive applications such as transmitting digital photos. Outfitter Satellite offers the SkyFile email service with easy to use filtering, excellent compression, and "Crash & Recovery". That last feature lets you transmit even large email attachments despite call drops during the internet session. SkyFile simply prompts you to make another call and then automatically continues your internet session where you left off. Though SkyFile makes it possible to transmit large files, Iridium is not the most economical and certainly not the fastest satellite network. If your application is data intensive, please consider our Inmarsat BGAN terminals, which offer both high speed and better economy per MB transmitted.
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