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IsatPhone PRO - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does Short Messaging Cost on the IsatPhonePRO?
2. Can I send a Text Message to Another Satellite Phone or Cell Phone?
3. How do I make a Call to my IsatPhonePRO?
4. How Long do the Batteries Last?
5. What Accessories are Available for the IsatPhonePRO?
6. What Bluetooth Headsets Work with the IsatPhonePRO?
7. I am having trouble getting a GPS fix?
8. Are there any countries that block GSPS service?
9. Can you access the internet from a GSPS phone?
10. How do I send a GPS-enabled personal alert to my friends?



1. What does Short Messaging (SMS) Cost?
Your IsatPhone PRO lets you send and receive SMS messages.   Inbound email-to-text or web message-to-text messages are FREE while outbound SMS messages are charged according to the rates shown in your Service Agreement.

An outbound SMS message may be undeliverable because of problems on the receiving side of the communication such as mail filters or mail-box-full errors or incorrectly typed addresses.   For this reason, outbound messages are billed per recipient whether or not they are deliverable. 

Each individual outbound message has a maximum size of 160 Latin characters (or about 74 non-Latin characters).   Up to 10 outbound messages can be concatenated to form a 1600-character "long" message which would be billed separately as a series of 160-character maximum regular SMS messages.

2. Can I send a Text Message to Another Satellite Phone or Cell Phone?
Yes, you can send a text message to other mobile phones including Isatphone PRO, Iridium, Thuraya and most cellular phones.  This is called text-to-text messaging.   

IsatPhone-PRO-to-Email messages are referred to as text-to-email messaging. 

3. How do I make a Call to my IsatPhone PRO?
If you expect to make a lot of calls to your IsatPhone PRO phone, Outfitter Satellite offers a dedicated U.S. phone number service for $9.95/month and $1.49/minute (rates subject to change).  When you dial the U.S. number, the call is forwarded to the IsatPhone PRO and the IsatPhone PRO account is billed at a rate of $1.49/minute.   This service is only available for postpaid service plans.

You can also direct dial the IsatPhone PRO mobile number from any landline. This will be an international call.  The 870 part of the IsatPhone PRO mobile number is the "country code". The calling party will pay for the call at whatever rates have been agreed to between the calling party and its international long distance carrier.  There will be no charge to the IsatPhone PRO account.  Be advised, the rates for these calls are often $10 to $20 per minute, so make sure to call your long distance provider to verify the rate before making any calls.


4. How Long do the Batteries Last?
The IsatPhone PRO has an excellent battery that according to Inmarsat offers up to 8 hours of talk time or 100 hours of standby (at room temperature).  An independent third party study measured 7 hours 45 minutes of talk time and 84 hours of standby.  To achieve maximum battery performance we recommend that you do the following:

  • Deactivate the screen and keypad lights
  • Deactivate Bluetooth if you are not using it

The IsatPhone PRO battery can be charged on AC "wall" power or 10-30 Volt DC "car" power using the accessories provided with the standard kit.  It can also be charged using the USB charging cable.  Outfitter Satellite offers several solar panel solutions for the IsatPhone PRO.

The internal battery of the IsatPhone PRO has the following specifications:

  • Li-Ion type 3.7V
  • 2600mAh
  • 9.7 Watt-Hours
  • 60 grams
  • At room temperature, the AC "wall" charger will bring the IsatPhone PRO battery from no charge to 90% charge in about 2 hours and achieve full charge in about 3 hours.


5. What Accessories are Available?
The standard kit includes the IsatPhone PRO Handset plus the following:
  • Battery
  • AC "wall" charger with 4 adapters (UK, US, European, and Australian)
  • DC "Car" charger (for 10 to 30 volts)
  • Micro USB charging cable
  • Hands-free headset (1.2 meter cable with 2.5 mm audio jack)
  • Quick Start Guide, Warranty, and Support CD. 
Optional accessories include:
  • BlueTooth headset
  • Soft Carry Case with backpack strap
  • Belt holster
  • Watertight Pelican Case
  • Solar Panel charging solution
  • Docking Stations for indoor, vehicular, and maritime applications

6. What Bluetooth Headsets Work with the IsatPhone?
The IsatPhonePRO is a Bluetooth 2.0 type device. Outfitter Satellite has tested a variety of BlueTooth headsets with good results.  Here is a short list of approved devices:
  • Nokia BH-103
  • Nokia Lizzy-0720-B4.2
  • Nokia HS-129W
  • Nokia BH-208
  • Motorola HS H350
  • Motorola HS H850
7. I am having problems getting a GPS fix before making calls?
Getting a valid GPS fix enables the Inmarsat network to optimize the performance of its network. The information is not stored and will not be available on your call detail records.   If you have been operating the IsatPhone PRO handset in the same general location for a few days, you will probably not be aware of the need for a GPS fix.  However, if you change location drastically, a new GPS fix may take several minutes.  A message will be displayed on the handset if a new GPS fix is needed. 

You cannot make calls until a GPS fix has occurred.  Here is a short list of trouble shooting tips:
  • If a GPS fix is needed, the IsatPhone PRO will display a "No GPS Fix Icon"  that looks like a red square with a white circle inside it.  The No GPS Fix Icon will appear in the upper right corner of the LCD screen.   In this event, find an outside location with a clear view of the sky.   Nearby buildings and trees could be obstructing your line-of-sight to the Inmarsat satellite so you might need to change locations.   Deploy the IsatPhone PRO antenna so that it is pointed straight up into the air and press "Search".  The No GPS Fix Icon should disappear if the phone gets the needed GPS fix.
  • If  you still can't get a fix, "Cancel" out of any ongoing satellite search and then press "Menu".  Toggle to the  "GPS position" icon and press "Select".   This enters the GPS application.  Now press "Options" and select "GPS satellite info" from the list.   This graph lets you change your position in order to maximize the GPS satellite signal.   Note:  the GPS satellite signal is not related to the Inmarsat communication satellite signal.  Once you are successful in obtaining a GPS fix, a message will be displayed on your screen.

8. Are there any countries that block GSPS service?
Due to the continuously changing regulations that exist in various countries, Outfitter Satellite's position is that the end-user and not Outfitter Satellite must be responsible to know whether a particular satellite or cellular phone is legal and approved for the region or country within which the end-user intends to operate.   The statements we make here are tentative and the customer or end-user should verify the information before attempting to take a satellite phone into any country.  At the time of this writing (March 21, 2011), the list of completely or substantially blocked countries is:
  • Sudan
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • N. Korea
  • Syria
  • Libya is blocked for entities that are related to the government and the military in the country, but the use of terminals and services by others, including humanitarian organizations, media, etc., is not blocked.
  • Other countries may also be blocked and it is the responsibility of the customer or end user of the satellite phone to verify if the product is approved for use within the countries that they travel or attempt to use the phone.

9. Can you access the internet from a GSPS phone?
GSPS data services are expected to launch early in 2011.  When Inmarsat makes data service available, the data speed of the IsatPhone PRO will be 2400 bps.   This data speed is suitable for text based email.   Please call Outfitter Satellite for additional information.

10. How do I send a GPS-enabled personal alert to my friends?
The IsatPhone PRO has a "personal alert feature" that enables a user to send their GPS position, along with a short pre-configured message, as an email or text message, to a maximum of 10 recipients. A short-dial code lets you send the personal alert quickly in case of an emergency. Generally, email message routing is more reliable than using text messages, but either can be used. The personal alert is made up of the following elements:
  • Last GPS fix and time
  • Time that the personal alert was triggered on the phone
  • Email address of the recipient if the alert is sent as an email

To set up and activate a personal alert, select Extras > Personal alert > Edit personal alert. Then, select "Configure personal alert", and edit the recipients and the message.

You can restrict access so that users without the phone's admin code cannot modify the personal alert message configuration. To do so please refer to the manual.




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