Iridium 9575 Satellite Phone: Best Choice for Alaska

If you travel in remote parts of Alaska, you need to prepare carefully. Experienced hunters carry a good rifle, a knife, food, cammies and increasingly a satellite phone. They know that depending on a cell phone in Alaska will often leave you unable to communicate in a life-threatening emergency.

Because the Alaskan wilderness presents extreme terrain and unpredictable weather, choosing a device with true global coverage is critical. Handheld satellite networks ensure that whether you are deep in a valley or traversing a mountain ridge, a reliable connection is always within reach when cellular infrastructure fails entirely.

Up to 4 hours of talk time or 30 hours of standby time are available on a single charge. The Iridium 9575 satellite phone can be used for weeks on a single charge if you keep it powered off when it is not in use. An optional solar charger for your back pack charges while you hike down the trail. The Iridium 9575 satellite phone can be charged using an AC wall charger, a DC car charger, or any USB power port.Improved weather resistance: The 9575 is not waterproof but it is remarkably weather resistant. It has an amazing IP65 ingress protection rating. This means it passed a very aggressive liquids test where water jets were projected from a 6.3 mm nozzle against the phone's outer enclosure with no harmful affects during a 3-minute exposure involving 12.5 litres per minute. If you need more protection, then get the optional watertight Pelican case for the Iridium 9575 satellite phone.Diamond tread ergonomic grip helps you avoid dropping your satellite phone.Optional Optimizer WiFi Hotspot lets you send and receive email from your Windows or Macintosh laptop or your smartphone.Optional docking stations are available for indoors or below decks use. An external mast antenna or low-profile car antenna is necessary. Though various docking station models are available, we recommend the BEAM PotsDOCK Extreme. It has features including Bluetooth support, a telephone port for use with conventional wired or cordless phones, and an optional backup uninterrupted power source.Iridium Global coverage: No discussion of the Iridium 9575 satellite phone is complete without mentioning that it offers global coverage. The global network of low earth orbit (LEO) Iridium satellites provides coverage even in deep mountain valleys or canyons. You can be on north pole and still make a call.

Comparison of the Iridium 9575 Satellite Phone with other products:

Of course the Iridium 9575 satellite phone isn't right for everyone. If you want to use your iPhone, iPad, or Android device to make calls, send emails or texts, or browse the web, the Iridium GO! Wi-Fi hotspot would be a better choice. It has the same global coverage as the stand-alone Iridium 9575 satellite phone but lets you bring your own device (BYOD). Like the 9575, the Iridium GO! has an S.O.S. button and tracking capabilities. The Iridium GO! also has special plans with unlimited texting and unlimited direct internet data service. These plans can be a great budget saver for heavy data users.

Another consideration is the need for long duration calls. Unfortunately, as the Iridium LEO satellites move relative to the earth and that means that they can move out of direct line of sight with your satellite phone. The result is a call drop. Most experienced Iridium users accept this inconvenience in exchange for the global coverage, but if you need to make long duration calls without relatively few unexpected interruptions then the Inmarsat IsatPhone 2 should be considered. The IsatPhone 2 uses the Inmarsat satellite network which is geostationary, unlike Iridium. Though long duration calls are straightforward with an IsatPhone 2, the coverage is more limited and does not include the polar regions. The IsatPhone 2 is a stand-alone satellite phone and has an S.O.S. button and tracking capabilities just like the Iridium 9575 satellite phone.

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