Programming Phone Numbers into an Iridium 9505A

Whether you are on vacation, on a ship in the pacific, or have a mobile command center down-south, there will be a time where you'll need quick access to loved ones, emergency services or home base.
That's where programming names and phone numbers come in handy.

How to Store Phone Numbers on Iridium 9505A

1. Press "Menu" until you see Phone Book, press "OK"


2. Scroll to "Personal Numbers", press "OK"


3. Scroll to "Add Entry", press "OK" Add to either "Phone Memory" or "SIM Card Memory" (see below for difference of Phone vs. SIM card Memory)


4. Enter Number in International format, press "OK" (see below for international number dialing format)


5. Enter Name, press "OK"


6. Enter Location:


Specific Location: Either a one-, two-, or three-digit location number (1-100 for phone memory or 101-255 for SIM memory, and press "OK". You will see "Stored xxx"
or


Next Available Location: Press "OK" to select the next available location. You will see "Stored xxx"


7. When finished, press and hold "C" to exit the menu.

What's the difference of Phone vs. SIM card Memory?
You can store phone numbers on your Iridium satellite phone either to the phone itself or to the SIM card. If you store it to the phone, the names and numbers will stay saved even if you swap out the SIM card. If you store the information to the SIM card, you can switch out from phone to phone.

What's international number dialing format?
From your Iridium satellite handheld, dial [00] or [hold down "0" until you get a "+"], [country code], [area code], [local number].
For example, dialing WCC headquarters from an Iridium device: 00 1 480 8576656

Satellite Text Messaging

Satellite phone popularity is on the rise ever more. They work where traditional and cellular phones do not and are great for back up communications in cases of emergency or natural disaster.

But to some, this convenience can come at a premium. However, just because you need on-demand access doesn't mean it has to cost you.

Welcome satellite text messaging... it's free to receive and discounted to send with the Iridium 9505A handheld pre-flashed with SMS software.

Send a text to an Iridium subscriber for free via:

• Web: http://www.wcclp.com/sendTextMsg.asp
• Email*: 8816xxxxxxxx@msg.iridium.com (x's represent your sat phone number)

* Make sure your e-mail editor is set to Plain Text

Sending messages from your Iridium 9505A to another Iridium sat phone (9505 or 9500) is also just as easy. Up to 160 characters are allowed. The cost is minimal, so check your service provider for your specific rates.

To send a text message, first program the Iridium Service Center number into your 9505A:

• Press the "Envelope" button
• Scroll to "Message Settings", press "OK"
• Scroll to "Service Center", press "OK"
• Enter "0081662900005" or "+881662900005", press "OK

After the Service Center number has been programmed, proceed with the following to send a SMS from your Iridium 9505A

• Press the "Menu" button
• Scroll to "Message Editor", press "OK"
• Enter the destination phone number (preceded by 00 or +)
• When complete, display will read, "Message Sent"
  

Sending a text from Iridium 9505A to an e-mail address:

• Press the "Menu" button
• Scroll to "Message Editor", press "OK"
• Enter e-mail address [space] your message (up to 160 characters including email address), press "OK"
• When it asks for "Destination?", dial "00*2" or "+*2", press "OK"
• When complete, display will read, "Message Sent"

By default the Iridium will attempt to deliver the message for up to 192 hours (8 days) before deleting it.

Text messaging is practical for those that need to send a quick message to an individual (e.g. "Call Home", "Meet me at the peak", "It's a boy!")

SMS is also invaluable to companies and groups where home-base dispatches to multiple teams in the field (e.g. "meeting canceled", "report to sector 8", "contract approved... proceed with plan".

Access Internet & Make Phone Calls Simultaneously with Satellite BGAN

Nowadays there is no excuse for not being able to communicate by phone, e-mail, or the Internet. Even in the most remote areas of the world there are tools that allow you to connect. Inmarsat's BGAN units are some of those tools, and great choices too.

Short for Broadband Global Area Network, BGAN allows you to access data at broadband speeds while making phone calls at the same time.

Example industries that use BGAN units are the news media, oil & gas, construction, mining, relief aid, and governments. Even though all of these organizations deploy teams in remote locations, they are still able to communicate back to base by phone broadband Internet.

BGAN units come in terminals or units that can be affixed to your vehicle. Depending on the unit you can get shared data speeds up to 492 kbps and steaming data speeds up to 256 kbps.

BGAN standard terminals are extremely mobile, about the size of a laptop, and relatively light weight. They include: Wideye's Sabre1 and Hughes' HNS 9201, Thrane & Thrane's Explorer family (110, 300, 500, and 700).

There are also two units that you can affix to your vehicle. Those include the Thrane & Thrane Explorer 527 and Hughes HNS 9250.

So just because your upcoming business or leisure trip is in a remote location, you will be able to connect. Check out BGANs.

How to Call an Iridium Satellite Phone from the U.S.

Need to call someone with Iridium satellite phone? No problem, here's your resource.

Firstly you need to make sure you have international dialing capabilities to dial the country code '881', Iridium's virtual international country code. So now may be time to check with your long distance service provider for access and rates.

Once you have determined that you have international dialing access, here's the format to dial:
011 8816 ### #####

If you are currently using an Iridium satellite phone and would like to call another Iridium sat phone, dialing is just as easy. Dialing format:
'+' 8816 ### #####
or
00 8816 ### #####

And that's all there is to it.

How to Dial from an Iridium Satellite Phone

At first, dialing from an Iridium satellite phone can seem intimidating, but after learning the quick process, it's quite simple. So let's get started.

From Iridium Satellite Phone - to - US Landline

1. Make sure the satellite phone antenna is fully extended and positioned straight up when held to your ear and you have a clear view of the sky.


2. Turn your phone on and allow time for Registration and signal strength to appear on the display


3. Now it's time to dial your contact. There are two ways to do this. For our examples below we'll be calling our U.S. number.


The easiest way: Press and hold down '0' until a '+' appears on the screen. Then dial the country code, area code, and remaining phone number. (e.g. + 1 480 857 6656)


OR



Easy way #2: You can replace the '+' by pressing '00', then the country code, area code, and remaining phone number. (e.g. 00 1 480 857 6656)


4. Press the green send button.


5. You will hear several beeps before connection and ringing.

That's it! Have fun with your Iridium Satellite Phone.

Are Satellite Communications for me?

Most, if not all, of us reading this have a cell phone. After all, it's about communication right? Whether for safety or just down-right chatting, we seem to have a need to stay connected. But what happens when our primary phone is on the fritz or doesn't have signal? That's where satellite phones come in.

Sat Phones have become so convenient for everyone from the military and Department of Defense to the individual traveler on a sailing trip in the Caribbean or on an ATV in the desert. Use it for primary or backup communication and for the most part any where in the world.

Iridium is the only satellite network that covers the entire globe. But others have specialized coverage, like Thuraya that covers most of Europe, Africa, and the middle east and Inmarsat who's network virtually covers the world.

Not ready to commit? Rentals are a good option when you are new to satellite phones and want to get a feel for how the technology works. World Communication Center, offers satellite phone and Internet rentals on a weekly basis. Here's the link to learn more about rentals, http://www.wcclp.com/rentals.asp.

So if you can't rely on traditional land-lines or cellular coverage and need constant or backup communications, check out satellite; it just might be the right choice for you.