Globalstar Sat Phone Service

[Capt.Alex]

Does anyone have any recent experience with a Globalstar Sat Phone in the Bahamas and Caribbean basin? How is the coverage? Are the new satellites on line? I was able to acquire a free Globalstar phone and have not yet activated it. I want to have reliable voice and data comms, but am reluctant to trade up to an Iridium. I have seen some older threads that indicated the service was improving but I am looking for the current experiences people are having.

[neworleansrich]

Coverage is not 100%. The setup we use emits a tone when a sat comes in range and another tone when it's gone. When the phone is on, the sats are in and out constantly but sometimes you wait 15minutes to get a bird in range, then it's gone. Calling in is chancey. Making a call longer than a couple of minutes is rare. Globalstar needs to provide an app or predictive program so you know when to try a call.

[Capt.Alex]

Originally Posted by neworleansrich

Coverage is not 100%. The setup we use emits a tone when a sat comes in range and another tone when it's gone. When the phone is on, the sats are in and out constantly but sometimes you wait 15minutes to get a bird in range, then it's gone. Calling in is chancey. Making a call longer than a couple of minutes is rare. Globalstar needs to provide an app or predictive program so you know when to try a call.

Thanks for the reply. Is this recent experience. Your description sounds like how it was a couple of years ago before the new satellites went online....I was hoping things have improved beyond what you describe.

[neworleansrich]

I guess this is recent. I was in the Bahamas until October last year. But also it's the same here at home. The new satellites have improved service greatly but there are still gaps. Global star is good but just be aware there are gaps. I ended up buying an unblocked android phone off EBay then getting BTC cell service for the Bahamas. I posted other details of this process elsewhere on this Forum. Once you are cruising the Bahamas the BTC service is good, plus you can use data at resonable prices (though is can be slow by US standards).