Spot GPS Messenger

[bushy]

Looks like a great piece of insurance. So can the SPOT summon help if your knocked out or otherwise incapacitated? Can you set it up to do this? I'm alone in the woods a good deal, hunting, fishing whatever, and that kind of service would be invaluable if I got knocked out or something. Found this site and they do have options for PLB without a subscription. Pretty spendy though and not nearly as functional as the SPOT service, but they pretty much do the same thing from a 911 perspective (Push a button and sombody gets a message) http://www.offroute.com/category/category.asp?x_ID=14348&gclid=CJLnqaOGxpcCFQJNagodYFOSTA

As far as radio vs GPS signal getting out. I'll take GPS sat anyday. I've been using both professionally since 1991. Even full on Military/Police grade radios (2 grand+) are useless if you can't bounce off a tower and most towers aren't available to Joe public anyway. Even in the heaviest canopy a GPS is going to pick up a sat or two. Maybe not enough for your current pos fix, but it just needs one to send a message, and chances are your last pos fix is not that far away. Time for a new GPS if yours won't track under canopy. For riding I just have a little garmin etrex vista and that thing is amazing compared to the closet full of old junk I have in the closet at work.

I'm still skeptical about 911 picking up the ball. I think I'd trust my friends and family a lot more and that's where the spot has the edge. I accidentally dialed 911 on my computer modem trying to network over the phone (no idea how it happened) I heard the operator pick up and say 911 emergency and I quickly diconnected it. 4 hours later the sheriff shows up at my place at 2 am asking Q's. It was encouraging they came, but 4 hours is a long time for a Sheriff to drive 30 minutes.

Looks like you can get basic service for $100, but that doesn't include the tracking service. For some of the places we end up there's often only one good way to get there and I think the tracking service would be a good idea to save searchers a lot of hassle. I'm ordering a spot now

 

[OLD GOAT]

I also bought a spot this year. At the Salt Lake snow show Spot Inc was giving away "spots" if you signed up for the full $150/yr service package. I have it programmed to send the "OK" which says "still having fun" as a text message to mine & my wifes cell phone & our email. It's pretty easy with a computer to change your "ok" or "help" messages and who they go to. You just have to plan ahead as you can't change your messages once you leave the computer and are in the field. Every time you push one of the 3 send button options it actually transmits 3 separate times in case the 1st try doesn't link to the Sat. Every time you puch Ok it sends the message and the exact location (lat & long) via google maps. It is pretty cool to see the exact location on google maps on your computer. If I don't go my son takes it riding with his friends. It is good peace of mind. Last week I could tell if my son had parked at the rabbit ear muddy creek lot or along the road! That is how close you can zoom in on google maps.

 

[Ex-Member]

Even full on Military/Police grade radios (2 grand+) are useless if you can't bounce off a tower and most towers aren't available to Joe public anyway.

FCC 97.101c, 97.111A3, 97.111B4 ... emergency traffic takes priority on any band when life is in danger...

 

[black swan]

This is just what I've heard, didn't see it happen.

If I'm not mistaken, there were 2 guys sledding up on the Uncompahgre last winter about this time, got lost/stuck/ night came, with a blizzard. They pushed the 911 button on their SPOT. Search and Rescue found them about 2am and they slept in their beds that night. They work. Glad I have one.

Powderpatrol do you remember this?

mmmm....ok....since you asked.......YES.
2 men were stranded on 1 sled. Cold, tired, and storm setting in. They set off both help & 911 messages.
they were found 2hrs later, 13 miles from the parking lot. the SPOT dispatchers continued to relay each lat/long till the messenger was turned off.

unlimited useage, sound of mind for you and your family.
priceless

 

[black swan]

It'll throw out a signal whenever i key it up, yeah. And with 90MHz of TX BW, the odds are pretty good I could find someone on the other end. 5 watts VHF/UHF. With the right antenna you can hit satellites.

Actually, the FT60 is good little radio----for a handheld!! lol......the 8800 is my kinda backpack gear!
I carry the FT60 for work&play and if you cant afford a garmin rino(gps&5watts of FRS-GMRS) Then try a kenwood or Yaesu. The FT60 is around $170 UHF-VHF but BEWARE they need programed.

If you don't want to carry a fancy radio, or need to understand how to use it in an emergency. Then again, buy a SPOT. 3 buttons, no programming, and dummy-proof. Just set up your account on the website and go!!

jmo, pp

 

[sledhead ut]

Wonder why someone would give red dots for MHO. What a prick.

 

[Dam Dave]

FCC 97.101c, 97.111A3, 97.111B4 ... emergency traffic takes priority on any band when life is in danger...

can you explain what all that means, can my Rino do this, its 5 watts I think

so how do i find these towers when I am freezing and suffering from hypothermia, it would be hard to remember these freqs, yes

you obviously are very familiar with radios, for me, I like the 3 button thing

 

[black swan]

BAD rep---yep, ME too.......hummmmmmm...who on this thread is anti?? yep-
bet its them, and no sig w/ the bad rep. Classy!

another note:

since i've started using my SPOT, my wife lets me stay out longer. When camping in the trailer, phone service was impossible. But by sending OK's hourly, she didnt worry. I would call in once a day, like on parole. And send OK's hourly from the trailer. She would know, we made it back to the parking lot and sleep easy. this extended my excursions from 1 day to 4 days camping on the mtn.


, pp

 

[bushy]

I repped ya Ikendooit. One bad rep from one of the rep superpowers that spend their time building each others reps can hit ya pretty hard. A half million rep points and 3 dollars will still, really only buy ya a cup of coffee at Starbucks though Mule wouldn't abuse his considerable rep powers for evil! He's being framed by some other rep superpower. lol

Good to know Mule, and thorough as always SPOT looks like a well packaged product. Does just what you want it to do and It doesn't take much thought to use. The service fee looks a little steep, but it has some great features a radio doesn't do for you, and only requires you to push a button for rescue. The 8 oz weight is attractive too. I'm no radio guru, but been issued real beg spendy ones on military installations and sometimes they don't work in high relief terrain. I just think the sat based system would be a little more reliable and have fewer communication gaps. What I really like is that whan i'm laying in the snow all busted up alone, all I'd have to do is push a button, and not have to deal with anything else. There are not many situations where I would ever need a SPOT, but that is one of them. Hope it works!

 

[Ikendooit]

I repped ya Ikendooit. One bad rep from one of the rep superpowers that spend their time building each others reps can hit ya pretty hard. A half million rep points and 3 dollars will still, really only buy ya a cup of coffee at Starbucks though

Good to know Mule, and thorough as always SPOT looks like a well packaged product. Does just what you want it to do and It doesn't take much thought to use. The service fee looks a little steep, but it has some great features a radio doesn't do for you, and only requires you to push a button for rescue. The 8 oz weight is attractive too. I'm no radio guru, but been issued real beg spendy ones on military installations and sometimes they don't work in high relief terrain. I just think the sat based system would be a little more reliable and have fewer communication gaps. What I really like is that whan i'm laying in the snow all busted up alone, all I'd have to do is push a button, and not have to deal with anything else. There are not many situations where I would ever need a SPOT, but that is one of them. Hope it works!

Thanks, Bushy and Tudizzle for the bump in rep. Not sure why someone would stick it to me on a thread like this but oh well. Deleted my post after you guys did me a solid. Thanks again.

And on the spot issue have one ordered and on the way. I agree that the yearly fee is a little steep but hopeing like most technology it will get cheaper in time.

 

[Kid Rock]

Here is what my message says...

my ok message says this, my wife loves it....

Larry is ok,..."I take strippers out to breakfast, you can add that to my checklist" Kid Rock.

I was on vail pass last sunday and went up to Ptarmigan Pass because it was miserable, very low visibility, steady winds, horizontal snow and i pushed the "ok" button to see if it work under these conditions. I pulled the plot up on google maps when i went home. If one avy life is saved because of the 911 button, its worth it.

I too have seen the intermittent signals but i think it usually is the canopy i am under. We still have to use our heads and can't be pushing the 911 button because we are tired and hungry and miss cold beer.

When you sign up, there is a 9 dollar insurance policy (i think, something stupid cheap like that) and its good for 100K in search in rescue costs if you push the 911 button. This should cover flying me and my sled out.....wahoo!

 

[Ex-Member]

Actually, the FT60 is good little radio----for a handheld!! lol......the 8800 is my kinda backpack gear!
I carry the FT60 for work&play and if you cant afford a garmin rino(gps&5watts of FRS-GMRS) Then try a kenwood or Yaesu. The FT60 is around $170 UHF-VHF but BEWARE they need programed.

If you don't want to carry a fancy radio, or need to understand how to use it in an emergency. Then again, buy a SPOT. 3 buttons, no programming, and dummy-proof. Just set up your account on the website and go!!

jmo, pp

haha, i keep my 8800 in my truck... don't feel the need to pack a car battery around with me when i'm sledding... lol. The FTM10's look pretty sweet though, wouldn't mind having one of those on my sled

can you explain what all that means, can my Rino do this, its 5 watts I think

so how do i find these towers when I am freezing and suffering from hypothermia, it would be hard to remember these freqs, yes

you obviously are very familiar with radios, for me, I like the 3 button thing

First of all, to use GMRS repeaters you need a radio with repeater shift... to the best of my knowledge the Rinos do not have this feature. I can't even think of a consumer-level GMRS radio that does this. Also, in order to legally use those repeaters and the 5-watt output of that radio, you need a GMRS (Code "ZA") license from the FCC.

Easy thing about GMRS repeaters is the inputs/outputs stay the same channel to channel. Don't have to worry about the goofy offsets that VHF business/emgsvc systems use. You will need to pay attention to the "codes" used, repeaters will squelch out anything that isn't on that code.

As I said before, it's up to you to carry the right gear and know how to use it when you're in the backcountry. This goes for radio/comm gear just as much as it does for avy beacons. I prefer a radio.

 

[Joe Mama]

I use the spot everytime i ride. I have it setup to send an ok message to several peoples cell phones. After every ride I punch the ok button and let them know I made it back to the trailer. I have also left instructions with my wife and parents in case they get the I need help message. This is not the 911 message. The instructions let them know who to call and of course to post my location on snowest. It also describes what type of gear I have with me, description of truck and trailer, unlock code to truck door...the search and resue team will want to get in to give the dogs your smell. Cell number, radio channel, description of riding gear ect..

Below is a "OK" message sent from my spot to the wifes email:

Just checking in I'm OK
ESN:0-7471524
Latitude:39.533
Longitude:-106.216
Nearest Location: , , CO, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/06/2008 14:43:53 (US/Mountain)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.533,-106.216&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Also if you wind up helping another sledder tow out and its getting late she loves the I'm OK message every hour. Lets her know not to panic and that i will call when i get to the truck.

 

[tivoklr]

real world

So I have yet to hear of a real life back country rescue from SPOT being used.
BTW, I have used one for a year. The tracking feature sucks at best. Might get a few tracks marked but never a whole trip.
Hope findmespot can find me when I need it.

I have had really good success with the tracking feature with my unit, perhaps it is because I keep it in a spot right on top of my tunnel bag, with the logo facing upward. I have only noticed an occasional missed track, and the sat's are not always available, so there are 20 min dropouts occasionally.

I talked to a former colleague of mine that runs S&R here in Eagle County, CO and they had just rescued a fallen climber a few weeks back that had used a SPOT messenger to call for 911... the location was off by 25 feet or so which in this case did put them a reasonable distance from the guy but it did work.

I run mine on track all the time so if something happens and I can't get to it, it should be obvious to my spouse where I'm stuck/hurt/dead (God forbid) since it'll be reporting the same location over and over.

 

[Mile Hi Outlaw]

I started 2 threads earlier in the season to see if anyone has actually pushed the 911 button. A couple people claim to have heard of someone that has. These were all summer clear weather situations and not done by the person posting on SW.
So I have yet to hear of a real life back country rescue from SPOT being used.
BTW, I have used one for a year. The tracking feature sucks at best. Might get a few tracks marked but never a whole trip.
Hope findmespot can find me when I need it.

You need to go back and read the directions again. In order to send a location it says to set the unit on a flat surface with top facing up and nothing blocking the sky and give it several minutes. Yes I agree this is not the way we want to spend the outing. (And every ten minutes) .For a rescue we have the time to do it right. As a tracking device for loved ones I can see why there are so many complaints. We live in the real world not the one that the manufacturer thinks we do.

 

[black swan]

This is just what I've heard, didn't see it happen.

If I'm not mistaken, there were 2 guys sledding up on the Uncompahgre last winter about this time, got lost/stuck/ night came, with a blizzard. They pushed the 911 button on their SPOT. Search and Rescue found them about 2am and they slept in their beds that night. They work. Glad I have one.

Powderpatrol do you remember this?

Here's the testimonial on their website,

February 5, 2008 – SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA) - Two stranded snowmobilers were rescued from a remote location outside of Grand Junction, Co. on Tuesday night after pressing 9-1-1 on their SPOT™ Satellite Messengers. Will Eisemann and Mike Kelley of Grand Junction, Colorado were riding back from servicing a communication tower at 8,500’ 500 feet in a remote area when they got drawn off course due to white-out snow conditions with nightfall setting.

“The weather was terrible – 60 mile per hour winds and snow in every direction – and we were stuck in 5 feet of snow,” said Will Eisemann, a contract worker of the Grand Junction Communications Center. “With temperatures dropping, high winds, no moon and nightfall fast approaching, we knew that we were in trouble and we both pressed the
9-1-1 buttons on our SPOT units,”

After one of their snowmobiles got stuck in deep snow, the two men had contacted the Mesa County Sheriff’s office by cell phone. When they continued down the mountain on the second snowmobile they lost all cellular coverage before getting stuck again. That’s when they pressed the 911 buttons on their SPOT devices, sending their GPS location information and distress message.

While Mesa county Search and Rescue were preparing to deploy a search party based on their cell phone call, they received a 9-1-1 call from the GEOS International Emergency Response Center in Houston used by SPOT. GEOS relayed the GPS location coordinates of the two stranded snowmobilers and the men were located and rescued 45 minutes later, 500 feet from Divide Rd.

“Without SPOT, the search for us could have gone on all night, in blizzard conditions. With SPOT, Mesa County Search and Rescue tracked our GPS coordinates that were updated every 5 minutes and knew exactly where to find us even after we moved 30 yards to build a snow shelter,” added Kelley. “Only because of SPOT were we able to be located and rescued that quickly.”

 

[Butta]

It not only saves the lives of those in peril, it GREATLY reduces the risk imposed on those who voluntarily put their lives on the line during the rescue effort. I'm unemployed, money is tight no doubt, but for the sake of my family and continued back country excursions this might soon be in my bag of tricks.

 

[PaulJ]

SPOT messenger helped a rookie get home....

Just my rookie opinion....

Took a solo ride in Church Park this March, and after a couple hours I ended up stuck bad in a creek bed. Activated the send-help message at 12:30 and finally the 911 function of SPOT after trying to get out for five hours.

The device did contact their dispatch center correctly with my location, both they (GEOS center) and the Grand County 911 dispatcher contacted my home when I hit the button and also when I was back in the truck. I had out-bound cell phone coverage at the time, and was able to ask a local outfitter for assistance, and finally gave them my location from another GPS. I found once the 3 sled rescue group was in visual range, firing off a couple flares from the flare gun helped them see me down in the creek bed.

After several prayers, I got a ride back to the parking lot, and the excellent Grand County Search and Rescue Team went out the next morning and towed my sled back. I wrote them a check as a token of my thanks, and now have joined a local club, and swear that I will never ride alone again.

I'd also suggest that even having a brand-new sled isn't a guarantee of not having problems, as my new Yamaha RS Venture 4-stroke wouldn't start after a couple hours due to some issue with the throttle.

I think that with the high start-up cost of snowmobiling, this is a very reasonable purchase that everyone should seriously consider.

Sorry if this was wordy, or if I broke some unknown rules of posting.

Paul

 

[Speeedracer]

My buddy used the 'track' feature for entire ride one day and it was cool to see the track log of where we had went all over. A great tool to help in search in rescue!

 

[itsallgood]

Year ago today I spent the night in the woods w/ a buddy. Nothing worse than freezing your azz off hearing sleds pass you by within a few hundreds yards not knowing your there. With the "SPOT" search & rescue would have known right where to go instead of looking for a needle in a hay stack. My family got a Spot for me after that & I'll never go in the back country again with out it.