iridium satellite phone battery life questions

[sk1]

so im going to rent an iridium 9505a sat phone for 2 weeks for my upcoming hunts, and am concerned with the battery life.

my main reason for concern is i would like to be able to leave the phone ON, because the reason I am renting it is my wife is pregnant with a due date about 2 weeks after im scheduled to return. of course i have family with her, her blessing, and a plan in place should i not be around if she were to go into labor early. my initial trip is 7 days before i would have access to charge it, then going back out from there.

is it completely unrealistic to be able to keep the phone on for 7 days? i was thinking a total of 3 batteries, or would i need a solar charger or some type of a charging pack to take with me. the other option if this is completely unrealistic i was thinking is to at the very least leave it on over night as this is when labor is most common, and check in once or twice with a text during the day.

thoughts from anyone with experience using a sat phone on what to expect and what is or isn't realistic expectations?

thanks!

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Not a direct answer to your question, but my 9575 will run out of battery in a couple days if left turned on. If left turned off except for occasional texts and calls (turned ON approximately 45 minutes per day) then the battery will easily last a week.

I would think any sat phone will run out of battery in a couple days or less. Can you simply turn it on 4 times a day to check for messages?

 

[sk1]

Not a direct answer to your question, but my 9575 will run out of battery in a couple days if left turned on. If left turned off except for occasional texts and calls (turned ON approximately 45 minutes per day) then the battery will easily last a week.

I would think any sat phone will run out of battery in a couple days or less. Can you simply turn it on 4 times a day to check for messages?

i mean i could easily do that for day time operation, but what about a phone call in the middle of the night while im sleeping saying "im in labor" it might just be part of the risk im taking, my wife is pretty understanding but still trying to do the best i can to at least be available within a reasonable amount of time if she calls.....i mean time im back at camp, asleep, and get up is probably about 5 to 6 hours of run time each night with periodic check ins during the day.

maybe some type of charger is necessary? but im not sure what

 

[Daniel_M]

I have yet to have a single issue with my 9505. I charge/test it quarterly and it's never failed me even in sub-zero temps. You can't leave it on consistently and expect the battery to last, that's not realistic. It's an emergency piece of kit not an extension of home life.

Emergencies, quick calls home every few days.

Quick pre-programmed texts like:
Love you, all is well.
Brown is Down, call later.

Etc.

Standby time for the 9505 LI-ON battery is 30 hours.

 

[TheRambler]

I used iridium phones extensively while i was in the Navy up until a few years ago. A typical phone will last 2-4 days if left on depending on the age of the battery, and if the phone is constantly searching for signal or not... like if your in a valley etc. There are several types of phones, my recommendation is to get one that used 4 AA batteries and carry several spare sets just to be sure. Otherwise check with the renter and see if there are any that are rechargeable through a usb style connection so you can use an ext battery pack to charge.

The best way to preserve battery life is to leave the phone off and follow a set plan of contact with your wife. For example call at dawn, noon, and dusk every day to check in. SOME phones, the really high end ones you can leave off, but if the caller puts in a special pin # it will turn on your phone remotely and start ringing. We called it an SOS alert, not sure what the actual name of that option is though.

 

[sk1]

I have yet to have a single issue with my 9505. I charge/test it quarterly and it's never failed me even in sub-zero temps. You can't leave it on consistently and expect the battery to last, that's not realistic. It's an emergency piece of kit not an extension of home life.

Emergencies, quick calls home every few days.

Quick pre-programmed texts like:
Love you, all is well.
Brown is Down, call later.

Etc.

so to even expect one battery to last two 6 hour nights is not something you would expect if left off mostly during the day?

 

[Daniel_M]

Battery life is only 30 hours per iridium. You can pack as many batteries as you need I guess.

 

[sk1]

I used iridium phones extensively while i was in the Navy up until a few years ago. A typical phone will last 2-4 days if left on depending on the age of the battery, and if the phone is constantly searching for signal or not... like if your in a valley etc. There are several types of phones, my recommendation is to get one that used 4 AA batteries and carry several spare sets just to be sure. Otherwise check with the renter and see if there are any that are rechargeable through a usb style connection so you can use an ext battery pack to charge.

thanks for the input, any idea what models could use AA batteries? i haven't seen any...

 

[sk1]

Battery life is only 30 hours per iridium. You can pack as many batteries as you need I guess.

well if my first trip is only 7 days, and i only leave it on at night....packing 3 to 4 batteries while maybe a bit excessive i wouldn't think its horrible unless they are the size of a brick

 

[Daniel_M]

No clue man. 30 hours is probably under the best of conditions for signal.

 

[sk1]

No clue man. 30 hours is probably under the best of conditions for signal.

yeah good point, and rental batteries probably are pretty worn out

does your 9505 have a usb connection for charging from a battery pack or anything like that?

 

[Daniel_M]

I have a 9555, and no there's no USB.

You know Iridium publishes all their phone specs online, right?

 

[TheRambler]

Looking for a civilian model, will let you know if i find one shortly. However there is this but you will lose the ability to call, but can recieve messages. Iridium 9501 Satellite Pager, uses AA battery and has a 30 day battery life stated.

 

[sk1]

I have a 9555, and no there's no USB.

You know Iridium publishes all their phone specs online, right?

i saw them and didn't see anything about usb, and havent seen anything in my searches, but never hurts to ask right?

i do see the 30 hour standby time and whatnot, but wanted to hear from people with actual experience if this is legit or not---as you said those numbers are usually for extremely optimal conditions and i probably couldn't get 30 hours standby time sitting in my backyard. so i posted for people that have real experience using them, also hoping someone might have other ideas i haven't considered.

 

[Daniel_M]

Again, satphones are by virtue not an extension of a personal calling plan. It's an emergency type of kit, and typically used sparingly without a continual power source.

Go with this little gem...

 

[TheRambler]

Better off with the power pot than the biolite, but thats for a different thread.

 

[luke moffat]

How long will it take you to get from camp to the hospital from where you are at. You'll be way ahead calling in every two hours or something if you need and save a pile of batteries that way. As for overnight, not real sure what to do there. Just don't view a sat. phone in that regard. Is this a draw permit you are doing and forced to hunt a certain area or if this is such an issue maybe put your and wife's minds at ease and choose a locale with cell service?