Back to News
Why upgrade your Satellite Phone to an Iridium GO!
16 CommentsWe recommend selling your existing Iridium Phone, and upgrading to the Iridium GO! The upgrade cost is minimal and the benefits listed below make the investment worthwhile.
1) Only the Iridium GO! has an Unlimited Data plan at US$139.95/month, which is incredible value. This will save you a small fortune in data communication costs. It is very easy to get bills over $500 on an Iridium phone due to the slow data rate.
2) Free Personalised GPS tracking page with a PredictWind Standard Subscription, and a PredictWind Iridium GO Sim Card.
2) Only the Iridium GO! includes 150 minutes of free Voice Calls on the Unlimited Plan (US$139.95/month),
3) Prorated first month and the ability to switch between Iridium Go! airtime plans from month to month. Please see the different plans at http://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/
4) The Iridium GO! has a built in Wifi hotspot to make interfacing with laptops/tablets/smartphones a very easy and reliable process. There are no drivers to install being a wireless connection.
5) The PredictWind Offshore App has seamless integration with the Iridium GO! so getting GRIB files, weather routes, GMDSS text forecasts and Satellite imagery is incredibly easy.
6) The Iridium GO! uses a smartphone as the handset for the Iridium call, and the superior speaker/microphone technology results in a better quality call.
7) Iridium supplies an Iridium Mail & Web App for the Iridium GO! This free software provides you with an Iridium email address, and email compression software with no monthly fees.
8) The Iridium GO! has an SOS feature and has contracted with GEOS Travel Safety Group to provide an emergency response coordination service for your Iridium GO! at no additional charge.
Buy Now from US$699 or US$999 with Iridium Fixed Installation Kit.
Hi there we are purchasing a new yacht with delivery in Hong Kong around February 2019. We are very interested in purchasing an Iridium Go from you. Do we need a mast antennae installed? We will also require a sat phone if we choose to join any rallies. Can you provide a price for a 9555 – it will only be used for emergency calls & will have the lowest plan. We live in Australia, is there a freight charge?
Hi Tamara,
We recommend that you install the antenna in the pushpit area not the mast, you may like to get the cable run now by the boatbuilders for this, saves a job later. I’m not aware of any rallies that have this requirement anymore, the Iridium Go has been recognised as a suitable device for such rules. We do not sell the 9555.
You unit will be shipped from within Australia so there a small freight charge.
Please contact support@predictwind.com if you have any further questions.
Thanks
Nick Olson
I have a Iridium 9505A phone, I’m intrested in the Go, what price tradein do you offer?
Hi Chris,
Sorry we do not do trade ins. You could easily sell the 9505a.
All the best.
Nick Olson
I own an iridium satellite phone, model 9505A with fixed base integrated with my laptop computer at the nav station of my boat. What is involved for me to upgrade to the Iridium Go! ?
Hi Dennis,
We wold recommend selling the 9505a and getting the iridium GO marine package for $999. Then you can take advantage of the airtime plans and wifi setup allowing direct downloads of weather while on a satellite connection.
Cheers
Nick Olson
I have the idrium go, but need the connection, data, sim card. Where can i buy this?
Anne
Hi Anne,
Please go to https://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/?satellite
Thanks
Nick Olson
Hi
How much data is used daily on a typical offshore passage to access weather forecasts? My question is because I have purchased a yacht with Iridium Open Port and Optimiser. It has functions and data speeds that are nice but not important.
An unlimited monthly data plan for GO! is A$242.
Open Port monthly data plans are A$182 for 10mB, A$324 for 25mB and A$639 for 75mB
If I use data conservatively would I be using less than 25mB? I would be prepared to pay a little more for data speeds of Open Port.
Thanks
David
Hi David,
Our forecast models update every 12 hours, so you should be doing 2 downloads a day to get the most up to date weather data. On an average passage a typical download of one weather model would be a 50kb sized file, if you wanted all 4 models it would be 200kb plus a weather route file would be an extra 6km. So you are looking at approx. 210kb every 12 hours. On top of that add in emails in and out, I would imaging you would use 600kb- 800kb/ day if only doing weather and minimal emails.
If you have any other question please contact support at https://www.predictwind.com/contact-us/
Thanks
Keryn McMaster, PredictWind.
Can I use apps that aren’t included in the list i.e: trading platform apps.
Specifically IBKR app (stock market). It doesn’t use much data. I need a satellite internet solution for off grid trading.
Hi Richard,
Only Iridium Certified apps can be used with the Iridium Go, so you will not be able to use the IBKR app offshore with the Iridium Go.
The data speed is 2.4 Kbits/s (12 Kbytes/min).If your main requirement is SMS, satellite telephone calls, email & weather data (using PredictWind Offshore App) the data speed is acceptable, especially when you have the US$139.95/month unlimited data plan.
If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to start a new conversation at https://www.predictwind.com/contact-us/
Hi, we have an Iridium Extreme 9575 satellite phone. Every time we go to a boat show we are told that The Iridium GO is the exact same thing without the phone capability, so we should not need the GO. Is this true? Can I do all the same things with your PredictWind apps using my 9575 phone?
Hi Cathy,
There are several good reasons to make the upgrade to the Iridium GO!
1) Only the Iridium GO! has an Unlimited Data plan at US$139.95/month, which is incredible value. This will save you a small fortune in data communication costs. It is very easy to get bills over $500 on an Iridium phone due to the slow data rate.
2) Only the Iridium GO! includes 150 minutes of free Voice Calls on the Unlimited Plan (US$139.95/month).
3) The Iridium GO! plans are monthly contracts that allow you to switch between plans. Please see the different plans at http://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/ So if you are not regularly using the service you can change to the Basic plan at US$59.95/month.
4) The Iridium GO! has a built in Wifi hotspot to make interfacing with laptops/tablets/smartphones a very easy and reliable process. There are no drivers to install being a wireless connection.
5) The PredictWind Offshore App has seamless integration with the Iridium GO! so getting GRIB files, weather routes, GMDSS text forecasts and Satellite imagery is incredibly easy.
6) The Iridium GO! uses a smartphone as the handset for the Iridium call, and the superior speaker/microphone technology results in a better quality call.
7) Iridium supplies an Iridium Mail & Web App for the Iridium GO! This free software provides you with an Iridium email address, and email compression software with no monthly fees.
8) The Iridium GO! has an SOS feature and has contracted with GEOS Travel Safety Group to provide an emergency response coordination service for your Iridium GO! at no additional charge.
Please contact support@PredictWind.com directly if you have any further questions, we are happy to help.
I would like to purchase the iridium Go but i already have the antenna for the 9555 can i use this antenna for the Go Please?
many thanks
Hi Paulyne,
Your existing Antenna may work with the Iridium GO! However, we strongly recommend getting the PredictWind Antenna and cable. The antenna we sell is the genuine Iridium GO antenna with very high-quality parts and comes with the RAM® Mount & Wall Mount Bracket for the Iridium GO, and the Iridium GO! Cable adapter to connect the coaxial cable into the Iridium GO unit. To purchase these components individually would cost approximately US$450. However, the Iridium GO Marine Pack which includes these items and the antenna/coaxial cable is only another US$300. Please see the picture of the antenna at http://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/
The external antenna is absolutely essential to get a good signal from the Iridium Satellites. Any degradation of the signal results in dramatically lower data speeds and the product becomes ineffective. The antenna cable is LMR400 which complies with Iridium specifications for signal strength losses.
FYI – We make zero margin on the hardware, so there we have no financial incentive to sell you the antenna.
I hope this helps to clarify the situation for you. Please contact us directly at support@PredictWind.com for any further questions.