TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR IRIDIUM 9505A:        Help With Other Satellite Networks »

1. You Need a Clear Line of Sight to the Sky: If there are tall obstructions blocking more than 15 degrees of elevation above the horizon, the direct line of sight with Iridium low-earth-orbit satellites may be obstructed. In some cases you can move away from the object. In other cases, such as when you are in a deep mountain valley, you may have to be patient and wait for a satellite to pass nearly overhead to clear the obstruction. Watch the signal strength indicator on your Iridium phone so you know when to initiate your call.
2. Make Sure You Are Dialing Correctly: Please re-read the helpsheet instructions to make sure that you are dialing correctly. The dialing sequence is 00 plus the country code and phone number. For example, to call Outfitter Satellite, simply dial 0016158898833. Use direct dial numbers instead of toll-free numbers.
3. Coverage Area Limitations: If you are using a postpaid SIM card or a standard prepaid card, then you should have earthwide coverage, except for any country that has voluntarily opted out of Iridium service. Please call Outfitter Satellite for a list of those countries. If you have a "REGIONAL PREPAID SIM CARD" it may not allow usage outside of the home region.
4. There are various ways to dial "in" to your Iridium phone. One way is dialing the direct 12-digit mobilenumber. This is typically very expensive for the originating caller and may be $5 to $20/min for typical carriers. Using "two-stage" dialing (as described below) is charged to your Iridium account but is much lower cost.
   • Dialing Direct: To call the Iridium phone from a land-based phone in the U.S. you would dial 011 to get the international operator and then the 12 digit Iridium mobile number. The calling party would pay for this call based on their arrangement with their own long-distance carrier for the land-based phone, and the calling party should be aware that long-distance carriers often bill as much as $8 to $20 per minute. There is no charge by Outfitter Satellite to your Iridium account.
   • Dialing Two-Stage: This is generally the most economical way to call an Iridium phone. From the U.S., dial 1 480 768 2500. This is a number in Arizon that lets you connect into Iridium's two-stage dialing platform. When the platform answers, it will ask you to enter the 12-digit Iridium phone number. This type of call will be billed to the Iridium phone account based on your contract with Outfitter Satellite. The rate is usually similar to the rate for outbound calls from the Iridium to public switched telephone numbers.
   • +1 Access Service This is an optional service with a monthly charge and a per minute usage charge that allows your callers to dial a dedicated US area code number. Call your Outfitter Satellite representative for more information if you want this service.
5. Always verify that the Iridium phone has actually registered on the network and that you have at least 3 bars of signal before making calls. Registration is indicated by the appearance of a small icon that looks like a "house" at the bottom of the screen.
6. Is Stick Antenna Seated Correctly? Is Stick Antenna Seated Correctly? If you are experiencing a lot of call drops or poor sound quality, you probably have inadequate signal strength. One common problem is that the antenna is not properly seated in the phone's antenna port. If the antenna seems loose, gently rotate it so that it is aligned along the back of the phone (in the stowed position). There is an "antenna release button" at the top of the phone next to the antenna port. To seat the antenna, depress this button while gently pushing the antenna into position. Release the button when the antenna is seated. Verify that the antenna now rotates easily but does not appear loose. For additional assistance see the helpsheet supplied with the phone or call our technical support. Always be careful with the antenna, as it and the antenna port are delicate and can be damaged easily.
7. If you are around mountains, trees, or other tall obstructions you may experience an increase in the duration and frequency of signal loss. Obstructions tend to block direct line-of-sight from the satellites to your position. Be patient! Waiting a few minutes until the satellites have moved clear of the obstructions again usually will enable you to make calls. If it is convenient, you can also move to a nearby area with less tall obstructions before making calls. If you hope to make long duration or high sound quality calls, Iridium is not the right choice. If you need truly global voice communication for occasional brief calls, Iridium is a correct choice. Dropped calls and poor sound quality can be frustrating but some of this is inherent to the Iridium service -- especially when you use it in mountainous or wooded areas, and you accept this when you choose to use the Iridium service. Making sure you have a good position without obstructions and good signal strength before initiating calls will help reduce dropped calls and improve sound quality.
8. Electromagnetic interference, such as from nearby radio transmitters, can cause problems. Move a larger distance away from the transmitter and try again.
9. Low battery level can cause the phone to operate poorly. Keep your batteries charged. If the phone is operated in a high temperature environment the phone might display a "temperature out of range for charging" or "Invalid Battery" message. If the phone is positioned on a black surface (such as asphalt) in direct strong sunlight, the temperature near the surface can be remarkably hot. Obviously, the solution is to cool the phone down.
10. If you are having trouble with data calls or internet access, call our technical support staff using the phone number indicated on your paperwork. Since computer support calls can take a moderate amount of time, we strongly recommend that you resolve computer setup issues before leaving for a remote location. Although you must take ultimate responsibility for understanding your own computer equipment, we have excellent staff that can support most Windows and Macintosh operating systems and normally can get you underway as long as you have all the necessary physical hardware and software. Technical support of this type is free to our customers: you only pay for the satellite airtime while you are getting the support. This is another good reason to seek our technical support before you go to a remote location and must use the satellite phone to contact us!