However, there has been one change that has arguably been an advancement, or a problem. This change is of the Internal Antenna that has been developed for the 9555, and the Extreme 9575. To most this change was revolutionary in the fact that it made the satellite phone smaller, more light weight, and easier to operate, and in most cases technicians would also agree that the developing internal antenna is definitely an improvement in satellite technology in the fact that the antenna itself is smaller, and more powerful, with exclusion of the bulkiness on the older larger antenna included with the iridium 9505A, which was also detachable.
However this improvement has seen many problems, and some of these problems can make your satellite phone not register on the network, not place calls, and essentially seem as though the sat phone is not working. In the servicing, and technical portion of the satellite communication industry, we have seen everything that can possibly happen to the satellite phone.
In all the years of satellite phones, the antenna has always been the weakness, but with the production of the Iridium 9555, the antenna shaft was made significantly thinner, which has made for many breaks on the antenna shaft, and with the Iridium Extreme 9575 the weakness also is on the antenna, however the weak-point on the 9575 antenna lies on the joint that makes the tip of the antenna go back and forth, and many breaks have been seen, in which seems more like a deterioration of the plastic on the particular joint on the tip of the antenna, due to everyday use of pulling the antenna up, and down.
Although aside from these more generalized weakness, and problems there has been a bigger issue noticed in both the 9555, and 9575 that is more of an underlying issue, that cannot be seen by the average user. This issue is within the cable used on the antenna, in which goes from the inside of the antenna, and goes down the shaft, and then wraps itself around the inside of the housing, making several bends, and eventually connecting itself to the main board of the phone through a small connector. At first when the iridium 9555 was released the antenna cable was made very thin, and it was noticed that the cable would become crimped, or compacted within its own antenna housing where it was wrapped. This was seen happening with normal everyday use of the phone with the pulling of the antenna up and down. Once the antenna cable was crimped, and the outer shell of the cable was broken to reveal the cable itself, that is when we would start seeing the phone not registering, or placing calls, almost as if the cable, and signal strength had sprung a leak.
Iridium actually changed the style of the cable on the iridium 9555 from a thin cabling, to a thicker more rugged antenna cable about 2 years in to the iridium 9555's introduction. Even though the cable was significantly more rugged, and tough, it has still be seen to cause problems of crimping, and compacting of the cable within the antenna housing on the inside of the phone, and once that happens the phone typically stops working.
Now with the Iridium Extreme 9575 the antenna cabling was run on the inside of the antenna housing, and phone with even more wrapping, and bending of the cable, where it eventually connects to the front of the main board. We have seen many similar effects on the 9575 in which everyday up, and down use caused the cable to be damaged through the rubbing of the cable on the inside walls of the antenna housing, or crimping of the cable,..and even in some cases we have seen it where the cable was run with not enough slack in the cable on the inside so that when the antenna was pulled up, and down it would pull, and rub very hard against the edge of the antenna housing, which would eventually cause the phone not to place calls, or even register on the network. Whenever this cable becomes damaged on either sat phone, either the antenna, or the entire back housing, which includes the antenna needs to be changed.
As the life of the iridium Extreme 9575 goes along, we keep seeing more and more of these problems with the cable being damaged, which in the manufacturers eyes, would evidently be a user error, or problem, especially if passed its 1 year warranty. However, on a technical standpoint, we feel it is really a design flaw in both the antenna cable on the iridium 9555, and the 9575 extreme. We feel it is a combination of both the type of cable used, and the way that it is being run within the antenna housing itself. As technicians, it seems as though iridium possibly should find a way to design the sat phone handsets to have a small detachable antenna the way they did with the iridium 9505A. The way the 9505A antenna attached itself was perfect in the way that it gave no room for problems on the antenna, except for someone possibly breaking the antenna itself due to user error.
This is one of the reasons why that militaries around the world still use the 9505A to this day, due to its ruggedness, and simpleness of construction. So of iridium could find a way to correct that cabling by using a different type of cable, then it might help a bit, however any new handsets might take better use of a detachable antenna.
So if your buying a used iridium 9555, or iridium Extreme 9575, make sure to ask if the phone has been tested, and if you own one of these models in which you have been experiencing some of the mentioned issues like not placing calls, or registering, or a very stiff antenna, this might be the problem. If you are experiencing this, and want to send it in for evaluation, then you can download our RMA form and fill it out here below. If you have any other questions on these matters, or if you just need some support, then feel free to call us at anytime, or email us at support@northernaxcess.com, or visit our website at NorthernAxcess.com
Download RMA Form for Service and Repair
Well, now that iridium is going in the way of new devices like the Iridium GO, portable handsets might start to go another direction, however there will always be a market for the portable satellite phone handsets, and hopefully any handsets in the future will have a better system for the antenna that will live up to the longevity of the iridium 9505A. Sometimes simple truly is better.
If you would like some info on satellite phones or internet terminals, and pricing on airtime then you can go to some of the links below:
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