Recently there have been a number of articles written stating that satellite phones did not work after hurricane Katrina. These articles are produced from information provided by people that basically did not follow the instructions on the proper use of a satellite phone. One of our customers informed me there was an article that stated an FBI agent was upset his satellite phone would not work in the basement where he was using the phone. If he was provided instructions on the proper usage of phone and understood the instructions he would have know you must be outdoors with an 80% view of the sky to receive good service. There were record breaking amounts of satellite phone airtime generated from both the Globalstar and Iridium satellite phones used in the area of the hurricane devastation. There have never been more phones sold and used in one area in such a short period of time in the history of the satellite phone industry. Both the Iridium and Globalstar satellite systems were running within capacity limits so the systems where not overloaded.

GlobalCom customary complains from a few customers stating did not work after hurricane Katrina. After broaden investigation we found that 98% of the complaints were from incorrect usage of the satellite phone. We found the next deliveries where the findings of client mistake and not satellite service deliveries.

The most important practice when using a satellite phone is you must be "external" away from tall forms which involve edifices. You must have an 80% view of the sky to receive good service. In downtown New York City you would have a very partial view of the sky you most expected would not receive a satellite sign except one of the satellites happens to be straight overhead. You would unexpected to receive a satellite sign due to the tall edifices. You must be able to have "line of locate" to at slightest one of the satellites to be able get a sign. The FBI agent in the article I had mentioned former was in a basement so the form of the edifice would have blocked any satellite sign from getting the phone.

With the Globalstar satellite phone you have two receivers one small receiver is on top of the phone used for cellular service only. The other satellite receiver is tucked behind the phone and is the mass of a "hot dog". All the Globalstar phones shipped from GlobalCom are in satellite form only so for the company to purpose in satellite form you must first organize the satellite receiver. Certain customers where not rendition the Globalstar sprightly dawn handbook nor were they rendition the guide which also provides this information on the proper organizement of the satellite receiver.

When using all satellite phones you must "pause" plow the company rolls with the satellite scheme "before" attempting to use the phone. This is different from cellular phones where you can use the phone as presently as the phone is potency up. With satellite phones the sign must journey hundreds of miles to the satellite constellation then back down to the gateway so that takes a few moments to accomplish. When you first potency up a Globalstar phone you should receive sign potency in the pageant but the phone may take as long as two action to roll. The client would know the phone was rolled when a letter "I" appears in the right part of the pageant. Only then can the client make an outbound call or receive an inbound call. With the Iridium phone you know it is rolled with the satellite scheme when the word "Iridium" appears on the pageant.

The last delivery we found has to do with unfussy universal gist. There were a few customers that were using the satellite phone well but they were passion a citizen landline or cellular phone in the area of the hurricane devastation where landline and cellular schemes where also broken, disrupted or overloaded with calls. A satellite phone will not healing or make a disrupted landline or cellular scheme purpose by passion that landline or cellular phone. This is just universal gist. If you want honestly 100% communication in an area where all the landline and cellular phones are disrupted all the people of a group or organization using satellite phones would essential to use a satellite phone with the same service source. When passion from satellite phone to satellite phone landlines are never used. In the defense of Globalstar the sign goes up to the satellite down to the ground situation then back up to the satellites where it is then sent down to the other satellite phone client never journeying however a landline.

Mello Mel writes for http://www.phonehitech.com where you can find out more about satellite phone and other topics.