Thuraya XT-Lite Satellite Phone REVIEW! | The BEST Satellite Phone For Overlanding & 4wd? [2020]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- For the past 9 months, I have been testing a Thuraya XT-Lite Satellite Phone on my 4wd adventures. This is my full review.
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Communication gear for every 4wd touring trip as next to my PLB it enables me to get mechanical as well as medical advice for non-life-threatening situations, it also allows me to get weather forecasts and stay in touch with my loved one while away. Having had an Inmarsat as well as an Iridium Satelite phone before I was keen to see how the cheap Thuraya would perform for me.
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Thanks to Satphone Sales for providing the test unit: satphonesales....
#SatellitePhone #PhoneReview #Overlanding
Thanks to Satphone Sales for providing the test unit
satphonesales....
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*Do you carry a Satelite Phone when travelling remote? What's your experience? Please share below*
I will always look into your recommendations.
Yes, the same phone I have, I've found it can be slow at times to start it up, just need to be aware in an emergency not to stress too much, can be hit and miss on the call quality at times.
Point worth noting, keep it up to date, turn it on at least once every 2 months or so, ours went out of firmware and became a brick, Thuraya did replace it but it took some convincing that a 12-month-old phone shouldn't just die.
I case of an proper emergency I use the PLB, the sat phone is for contact with family, non urgent medical advise, mechanical adviser, part ordering or weather forecasts.
yea I had the bricking happening with my Inmarsat phone, was quite annoying.
Super review Stefan, vielen Dank!
Vor allem die vergleichsweise günstigen Kosten überzeugen.
Ich habe es mir jetzt auch zugelegt und bin soweit sehr zufrieden.
Thank you for your honesty 😊
Of course!!
Thorough, pretty unbiased and extremely helpful, thank you and safe travels everyone.
Glad it was helpful!
Have to agree with Brendan great review been looking at sat phones and found the whole process expensive but this actually puts it in the can get category with real practical advice great job thanks
Thanks Stephan, I've been looking at the options and you have been the first to my knowledge to actually be able to comment fairly on the various choices. Like normal mobile phone pricing it is very confusing with the ongoing costs.
Great to hear!
Good video Stefan. It’s crazy how far behind the times these satellite phones are in my opinion.
yes mate 100% , would bee keen to test one of the Sat sleeves or android based satellite phones and see how they are
@@AlloffroadAuthankfully they cut off service to Australia. 😂😂😂 bahaha bye bye fad boys
Thanks for the Interesting Video, I have used the Iridium for works and yes Price point and cost of Plans are high but very reliable unit. have use the Inmarsat phone as my personal unit and at the time was a good price point and always used plan and found it to be affordable as it was free for incoming calls and for the same reasons you noted in your video and I use to send a text to say to other to call me if just for general comms and catch ups or pay if an emergency or after information and ask them to call me back for tech help. I did look at the Thuraya Sleeve when it first came out several years ago and at the time the network didn't seem to cover southern Aus to good ( or may of been that device) and given 90% of the use would be in this region I stayed with the Inmarsat. Looking at the service coverage map now it looks like it has inproved from several years ago so may be a option down the track when I need to replace my current unit.
Very worthwhile information for anyone looking into a sat phone...
Thanks Clive
Excellent find Stefan.
Thanks so much for this. Such a brilliant, honest and practical review. Simply wonderful!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks very much for this information video!! I'll be buying one soon, Cheers mate.
yep I still use mine on every trip
Been using this phone for a number of years on a casual plan. Mainly used central and northern Aus. Is very directional. Love how home can call at the cost of a mobile call. Reception is temperamental (being directional) when left sitting in the car (not near windscreen). I believe the external antennas are for the sat connection only, not GPS (the phone needs both I believe)....happy to be corrected, so need the phone near windscreen to be effective). Anyway, really happy with the phone and the service.
Yes it still needs GPS signal trough phone but my holder is way below dash board and it seemed to work ok.
@@AlloffroadAu .Great. That was the one consideration (other than cost) of proceeding with an antenna purchase. Well constructed content in your vids btw.
@@AlloffroadAu the external antennas do provide GPS as they are designed to work inside a building where you have no chance of a GPS signal.
supposedly not according to the seller the phone still needs to be mounted in the windscreen to get the GPS maybe there are different type of antennas though?
The external antenna does provide GPS receptions. You can check the GPS status in the menu while using the external antenna. GPS signal strength is weaker inside a vehicle.
Great timing, was just about to look into getting one, thanks.
Glad I could help
Great review Stefan. I have just purchased a secondhand Thuraya XT lite. Could I ask where you purchased your hands free headset from ? I have the older version phone with the 2.5 mm head phone jack as well. Cheers
Mine came with the Phone but I know most headsets wont work
Hi Stefan, I'm a bit late to the comment section... but just wanted to know if you pay each time you send your geo location, i.e., is it considered a text/SMS and charged accordingly? Great review by the way!
yes I do pay for all outgoing calls or text messages but Thuraya is quite a bit cheaper then Iridium or Inmarsat
Good review Stefan. I've also had one for about 15 months now, on a casual plan and have found it to be a good, cost effective option. It would have been worth mentioning that you can stop and start on a casual plan - ie, if you don't plan on using it for some months you can simply stop the service, and reactivate it when ready for a $25 activation fee (and I believe you get a new phone number/SIM as a result).
Nice one! Thanks for sharing.
Sir normal sim can use it when you are not used to satellite sim!!!
Please advice!!!!
Hey Stefan do you carry an EPIRB with you or do you find that the PLB takes the place of that? Great review and those prices seem manageable to make it a given on any trek. 👍🏻
Epirb and PLB are pretty much do the same however the EPIRB is for marine use and complies with all boating requirements and the PLB is for land use.
Great review. Thanks for much. Just wondering if your opinion has changed since you made this video 7 months ago. I note there is a Pro version of the phone which costs twice as much. Did you look into this at any stage? It doesn’t seem to me to be worth the extra money.
still like it and have used it on whole SA trip, has not let me down so far. Pro version looks good not sure if's worth the extra money though haven't tested it.
@@AlloffroadAu thanks for the info. Cheers mate
This is a very successful model of Thuraya with basic features and has NO GPRS, you can use External Handset Antenna to improve the connectivity on move.
Is it quick to connect and disconnect to the roof mount antenna?
Thank you for the information Stephan. I do have a HF radio but not always good reception, maybe this could be the way to go.
I never owned a HF but we traveled once for a while with a solo travel and he used HF and depending on location it took a lot of effort with sling shots shooting antenna cables high in the tree to get connection which also did not always work, I guess they all have pros and cons but so far the satellite phone, PLB and Spot 3 served me well.
Quite dependant on the HF network subscription and a quality installation, shouldn’t need to shoot wires into trees when a quality autotune antenna is used with a network offering plenty of base stations.
yea they guy seemed to know what he was doing it was in one of the valleys in the New England tablelands though
Hey mate, thanks for the info. Have you tried the Thuraya in the Vic High Country?
yes I have, like every sat phone needs to pick your spots, some deep valleys won't get reception, on the top or higher up usually no issue.
Wow that is amazing satellite phone.
Thanks for the review. Do you think it would be possible to buy the phone and take it on remote trips, and only activate the prepaid plan in the case of an emergency? Do you need to be within mobile/internet range to activate it?
No you need reception but given it’s only $15 a month I think it’s very reasonable
Steven, much difference between the lite and rugged handset? Do you think a 4wdriver would need the rugged?
I you like me just keep it in the Pelikan case and only take it out for calls i think no rugged version needed, if you carry it around may take it on hike rugged may be better but haven't tested it.
Thanks Stefen, sorry about the auto spell with your name before. Most of my current driving is in the VHC, wanted a bit of comms security for the just in case situations. Cheers buddy
Excellent. Thank you so much for a very informative video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks mate, good piece.
Thank you too!
Very Good review, cheers mate
Glad you enjoyed it
Probably the best deal you can get but geez those things are still expensive and running costs. I believe we are held to ransom over the charges we get for these things. I hate phone companies. 🤷♂️
Nah these are the cheapest and not bad price.
It's cheap because it's made by oil sheiks to provide coverage for their exploits in africa and western asia. Which is also why the antenna is small because the satellites beam is very narrow only covering those areas. Be nice if they could add another satellite for north and south america, then they would dominate the market easily. I had the original sat sleeve for iphone 4 long ago.
So i use an old iridium phone and use the telstra Simcard loophole ...are you saying this doesn't work anymore have you tested it? I only use my sat maybe once or twice a yr if they have closed that loophole ill be without a sat phone bugger
no I never ended up using the loophole but used vouchers, I have been told it's closed now but haven't tested it myself maybe try and let me know?
I have a postpaid with international roaming, and I can make a call on the Iridium phone, but now cant receive a call. No matter what phone number formati I try. I Sold it this morning for what I bought it for 4 years ago, and will get the XT-Lite
Hi Stefan, are you still happy with the Thuraya XT-Lite phone? I'm thinking of getting one soon. Would like to use it in the high country of Vic, and like you said, they can all have connection problems deep in valley areas. Any updated advice on this phone will be much appreciated. Thanks Stefan, regards Brendan
yes mate still rate it, haven't had any issues with getting reception taking Satellite reception in to account. Still, the best value for money sat phone in my book.
@@AlloffroadAu Thanks Stefan, very much appreciated!
Stephan, have you had any experience with the THURAYA SATSLEEVE HOTSPOT that can be used with smart phones?
I have not used it unfortunately so can't comment
@@AlloffroadAu @langthanee Photography I have a Thuraya Satsleeve hotspot. you can use it connects to your smartphone via wifi. It is good if you are in an area where you don't have any signal at all for a long time. but if you get normal cell signal then want to go to satphone you need to keep looking. Positive that you can use whats app to send and receive messages. You have an SOS button that you pre-program to a set number just in case your smartphone dies. I also have a mag mount antenna which works with any thuraya phone which makes travelling in a car better, you get a better signal all the time.
will see would be interested to test the sleeve at some stage, like the idea of whatsap
Darren thanks Mate for the write up. It sounds like the way to go.
Darren How much the internet speed? Equal to 4G? How much it cost for internet voucher? For what Gb it's voucher?
Does it work in the US?
Even used this with the roof antenna?
yes sometimes in the car, but you still need phone position with view to satelite
@@AlloffroadAu no ment the external roof one that over comes that
no it still need GPS from phone unfortunately
Still works when you are in the middle of the ocean sir?
www.thuraya.com/network-coverage
Gutes Video !
vielen dank
How was it
yep still have it does it job
ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ತಿಳುವಳಿಕೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದಿರಾ
Can i use local simcard for thuraya?
never tried i would think not, buy why would you if you can get a local number anyway and the plans are way more affordable than Iridium and people can all you for free anyway.
brilliant
Thanks for video #nepalkailashtrekking
"The kids are wet in the river" huuuu
yea the river is 20-30 cm deep and pretty darn fresh so they are not always all wet when in it...
I can use Bangladesh
Schade, kein Wort verstanden ☹️
Inmarsat sats dont move
yes you are correct that was my mistake but Inmarsat uses eight satellites vs 2 for Thuraya
Thuraya is my name bruh 😭
I have had two over the past ten years and IMO, All satellite phones are a royal ass pain and much too expensive.
yea while not perfect I'm quite happy with the Thuray for 15$ p/m it's definitely worth it for me and gets good use because family can call me for free