Testing your satphone
A satphone you've never used in anger is not a satphone you trust. Here is a five-minute test you should run every six months.
The five-minute check
- Step outside into a clear view of the sky.
- Power on and wait for the satellite registration icon (usually 30–90 seconds).
- Check battery and signal strength — both should be reasonable.
- Make a test call to a known number. The first satphone test calls Iridium provides is
+1 480 752 5105— it’s a recorded service that plays a confirmation. Or call us on +44 20 7120 0009 and ask for a test. - Send a test SMS to yourself or a known mobile.
- Check incoming — call the satphone from another phone and confirm it rings.
- Power down, check the SIM is firmly seated, and replace the battery.
Quarterly maintenance
- Charge the battery fully and let the handset run normally for an hour
- Update firmware if available — see the firmware section
- Check airtime balance (
*888*787#on Iridium,*106#on Inmarsat/Thuraya) - Verify your registered emergency contact details are still correct
For organisations
If you operate emergency or resilience satphones, write the test routine down, assign an owner, and log every test. We can supply a printed test-card and a quarterly check-call service for managed accounts. Get in touch.