Presented by XMWX Satellite Weather

SatPhone Shootout  

InMarSat IsatPhone Pro vs. Iridium Extreme

By Lawrence Husick

Many mariners now prefer to rely on satellite telephones not only for voice, but also for data transmission. A comparison of two satellite telephones shows that differing approaches can be useful. But they are quite distinct products, each with its own advantages.

A first look

Decked out in smooth blue, gray and black with a color display, the IsatPhone Pro is sleek, with a swing-out antenna that is easy to position and large enough to look like it means business. The unit sports clearly marked keys and reasonably clear menus. It uses a small “wall bump” transformer for charging, which is nice if you’re going ashore. An optional docking station from Beam Communications simplifies matters even more. Slide the unit into the dock, (which is connected to 12VDC and a small antenna mounted topside), pick up the standard telephone handset, dial a number, and you’re connected in seconds. There is even a standard telephone jack into which other telephones may be connected, so that an inexpensive cordless telephone system may be used to provide extensions in each cabin.

The Iridium Extreme addresses the need for a small and exceptionally rugged satellite communications handset. Swathed in gray nonskid rubber armor, the Extreme is water jet, shock, and dust resistant to military standards. The antenna is stiff but solid

. It looks and feels like you could drop it, bang it, pull it out of a soaking foul weather gear pocket, and still make your call—and you can! The Extreme looks and operates like a cellphone from the mid-1990s. It has a small black and white only screen, and lots of menus. Once you learn its functions, it is quick to operate and contains a wealth of built-in smarts that any mariner will appreciate. One minor inconvenience is the rubber covers for the electronic connectors. Because the unit is water resistant, these small captive plugs are essential but they are difficult to jam into place and awkward when trying to connect wires, especially one-handed. One other item of note: the cradle is required for both a data connection and for charging the battery, so traveling light is difficult.

Both phones, though larger than your typical iPhone, are easily carried ashore. They fit in a jacket pocket, weigh less than a pound, and have good battery life. Satellite telephones require a clear view of the sky to function, so using them inside or near tall buildings is off the agenda.

Behind the scenes

Both the IsatPhone Pro and the Extreme incorporate email and text messaging and both have GPS functions that allow the phone to send its location by either means. The Extreme adds a small red emergency button that is pre-programmed to send the phone’s GPS location and a message on a repeating basis.

While the Extreme comes with a wired earbud/microphone that does a good job when the unit is in your hand (remember that the antenna must be pointed at the sky, so using either phone in your pocket does not work) the IsatPhone Pro is equipped with Bluetooth. In use, that means that any regular noise-canceling headset may be used within 30 feet of the phone. In our tests, we left the IsatPhone Pro in the cockpit in a plastic zipper bag with its antenna pointed skyward and continued talking on a Jawbone Icon headset while working on deck.

The bottom line

On price alone, the IsatPhone Pro is less expensive than the Extreme. Airtime costs are generally comparable. The most important factor, however, is where and how you expect to use the phone. If the primary need is for a shipboard voice and data system with extension telephones, bluetooth connections and home-telephone ease of use, then the IsatPhone Pro will be your choice. If your need is for a rugged portable phone that can still be docked to give data connections and also functions in polar areas, then the Extreme is your go-to device.

Regardless of which you choose, your vessel may go out of sight of land, but will never be out of communication range. These excellent devices deserve a place aboard every vessel venturing beyond VHF-FM radio range.