Who has the SPOT and how does it work?

[corex radnar]

Sure looks like a great idea. It would be nice to come home to a google map of your trip, too. Unit is on for $119 right now + $100 a year service + $50 a year google map tracking that friends and fam can see as you go, not to mention a wife who's a little less worried as the "ok" message keeps coming in at 8 pm. $8 (!) a year apparently covers your rescue expenses with Loyds of London, but come on... can that be real? If it is the Thunderstruck 8 crew should buy 10 of these right away ( :

Who has one and are you happy with it?

 

[preston012088]

whoa

what is this thing your talking about? Im interested...

 

[corex radnar]

http://findmespot.ca

Check it out.

 

[arcticridr]

Have one for our snow cat (pb400) but havent used it yet as I am still waiting on delivery of the new tractor, what I did try around town was pretty cool, you can customize your messages (ok and help) and have it text or email up to 10 different people on each function, cept 911 that goes to a center in Texas, I think, then they dispatch rescue to your coordinates.. Will keep you posted when we start using it which should be Next Wednesday as the new toy will be delivered then, Really good safety item to have!!

 

[slednutz]

We use one to keep in touch with our parents on our trips so they can see where we are and it is also nice to know that you can use it for emergencys if you are ever caught such as an avalanche spending the night etc...

 

[EOS]

Works really well!! Also good for learning new areas and seeing where you've been all day.

I use it for hunting and fishing mostly as Im usually by myself and the wife knows where im at all day.

 

[noob]

I've got one. still trying to get it figured out. had it out yesterday and it quit tracking for about 3 hours. needless to say my wife got a little worried. hope this isn't a common occurance.

 

[Wade]

Mine works great. Take it with me every trip.

You only have 3 messages, "I'm OK", "I'm in trouble", "911". You can pre-program the messages. But, it's not a blackberry, so you can't send a text message. There's also a tracking mode.

It has a GPS chip in it. When you send a message, it tacks your GPS coordinates onto your message, and beams it up to a Global Start Satellite. Those satellites are the same satellites you'd use to make a satellite phone call. There's Global Star and there's Iridium, this system uses Global Star. It's a text message so doesn't need a very good signal to work properly. Not like a phone, which needs a very good signal. Once you send a message, it either sends the message and coordinates to an Email list you created, or goes directly to the 911 center. All 911 can do, is tell the local sheriff, your requesting help, and give the GPS coordinates.

Now, the SPOT device needs to be able to see the satellites. The SPOT LOGO on the the unit needs to point at the satellite. If your on the North side of a big mountain (such as I am most of the time) you will be lucky to get a message out every 40 minutes or so. The satellites are only on a 56 degree inclination, which basically means they only go up to the 56 degrees north. So, you need to point the device at the southern sky, for the best chance of hitting a satellite. I've always been able to get a message out, within an hour. BTW, you have no way of knowing if the message went out, you just have to assume it did. So, in an emergency, turn it on, hit the 911 button, and set it down, pointing at the southern sky. It should work eventually. Better, than sitting all night. Search and Rescue's life is much easier with one of these things, no search, just rescue. I guess, just because you sent a message, doesn't mean someone's going to come though. That's the reason to have crazy friends that are willing to.

Make sure that if your tracking yourself, you put the device somewhere pointing up, and not in the bottom of you backpack. It can only go through so much material and human bodies and trees, before the signal is to weak.

 

[teeroy]

I've had one since august, works good wherever I've tried it. got it set to send me a text message as well as my contacts, when I'm in cell service areas the "ok" message comes thru in less than 5 minutes. usually within 2-3 minutes....got mine and several others activated for free thru Yahoo.com, by signing up to their Fire Eagle site. free service and tracking for one year, just paid the 7.95 rescue insurance. I think the promo expired on dec 31st.

 

[sledhauler07]

I've had mine for a little over a year now and love it. It gives peace of mind to the ones at home and is a good way to get help if you need it. Like WADE says it can send 3 basic message types:
1. I'm ok: You make up whatever you want the message to be when you set up your acct online. it always sends the same message so... something generic works best... (mine says "I'm ok. All good, cont. on. Brad"). It includes your location (lat/long) and if you set up you contacts with phone and email, they can click the link and see on google earth map where that message was sent from.

2. Need help from friends: This is a cool feature that tells your contacts (remember you have to set these up online when you register the product) that you have a problem and need help but it's not an emergency. Again you set up what that message says. (mine says, " I'm ok but need help. call riding buds and give time and locations) This message also has location as part of the message.

3. 911 emergency: This feature sends a message to the dispatch center that SPOT mans. They in turn notify the closest sherrif or Search and Rescue folks based on your location. Good thing is it takes a deliberate push and hold to send this message. Bad thing is you may be in an area that has limited signal and / or response teams. bottom line: someone knows you need emergency help and where you are... the calvary will come! It also continues to send your location so if you move it will update your position. Remember, that can be a "not so good idea" and you are relying on it to maintain signal for updating you location.

Cool things to know: you can set up your SPOT to "track" your location. I think it trys to send a grid every 10 mins if you have this feature. You can set up a page for people to visit and check your progress. You can review your ride late and see all the great terrain you crossed on google earth when you get home. kinda cool, not as big a deal if you ride with a GPS set to track and does you no good if you have to back track... food for thought.

As for signal. It is important to look at the signal lights. The flash green TOGETHER if they have a connection with a the satelite. They flash OUT OF SEQUENCE (seperately) if they don't have a fix on a bird and that tells you to move to a better location. Kinds of like signal bars on your cell phone. WADE is correct on trying to find a clear southerly sky shot if you can. I don't know if these go AOR / POR or are locked to only one bird option... best bet, watch the lights and move it needed.

I ride with this in the summer (trails and desert) and in the winter (sleds) and love it. It is one of several things you can do to make yourself "rescue-able" if needed and is a good thing for yourself and others as a safety net...

"safety first, saftey alway!" hahahaha I think the military has ruined me. ha

HAULER

 

[longtrack156]

From reading different posts I understand that the, "I'm OK", message often doesn't get through, I often ride alone or with one other rider, It's more important to me that I can send a message that I'm OK in case I have to spend the night out or am very late getting home. I ride prepared to spend the night, can you imagine how much nicer it would be for your wife if you sent a message saying I'm OK.

 

[teeroy]

From reading different posts I understand that the, "I'm OK", message often doesn't get through, I often ride alone or with one other rider, It's more important to me that I can send a message that I'm OK in case I have to spend the night out or am very late getting home. I ride prepared to spend the night, can you imagine how much nicer it would be for your wife if you sent a message saying I'm OK.

I've had 100% of "OK" messages go thru, I ride with 2 other guys that have SPOT and theirs have the same success in sending "OK" messages. the SPOT sends three messages for redundancy, it can take up to 30 minutes for the SPOT to send all 3 messages after you hit the check in button. if the first message goes thru, the SPOT center discards the other two. the 2 lights will flash in unison as long as the device is sending the message. set it on your seat or tunnel with the label facing upward, and wait until the lights stop flashing together and the "ON" light is the only one flashing.

the tracking feature is more of a toy or "look at me" option, not the reason I bought the device. as mentioned, it is tough for tracking messages to get thru inside a backpack or a pocket without the antenna facing upwards with a clear view of the sky. I put mine in a mesh pocket facing outward from my backpack while biking and have about 80-90% success rate with it located there while riding the Peace River valley in tree cover.

anything you could ever want to know about SPOT, it's functions, and support systems can be found in a thread on the ADVrider website, one of the guys that designed the SPOT is a member and answers ALL questions on it's functionality and proper usage. it's a hell of a read, but you will know all the ins and outs of this device.....

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282391]

site seems to be down right now....keep checking.

 

[Weekday Warrior]

I kinda quit using the tracking feature, my wife never logged on to look and just relied on the "I'm ok" message.

I really liked the SPOT when I went on a ride out past Loomis WA. We were busting trail, hitting hillsides and climbing...great ride! But it was getting late and we wern't sure we'd make it back down that night, we took a trail and it was a gamble.

I had everyones wifes plugged into SPOT and all of them got the OK message, that was nice.


Id say that if you really put the effort in you could get all your OK messages thru, but it's not a simple "dig out the spot and hit the button and go ride thing" you gotta give it the proper time.

I usually get an OK message out at lunchtime, I'll set the device facing southern sky and leave it do its thing for 20 minutes, pretty much all of those OK messages get thru.

Tracking is definatly hit & miss


Next time I go to Revelstoke I'll program Selkirk helicopters into my SPOT and if needed I'll hit the "need help" button and it'll send them the GPS coords so they can send a helicopter my way, but I'll have talked to them first to get it set up.

You must do your legwork before the ride regarding SPOT, but you SHOULD be doing that anyways!! SPOT forces you too. (contacts, ride locations hotel info ETC ETC)

 

[sclwald]

Everyone pretty much hit the important points. Learn what the flashing lights mean and you will always get your message through.

I bought mine for hunting season to send the wife OK messages since I tend to bowhunt alone most of the time. I have been carrying it this winter but since the wife sleds it is just for emergencies only during winter.

Great tool to have. No cool points or anything but great peice of mind.

 

[Wade]

Just to be clear. I don't think the unit knows if the message was actually received by the satellite, and relayed to the ground.

Here's the user's manual: http://findmespot.com/en/downloads/SPOT_UsersGuide_2007_10_16.pdf

The green lights refer to the unit being able to find a GPS satellite, not the Global Star Satellite. That's why it sends multiple times, because it's not a verified message system. I might be wrong, but the manual says nothing about it.

 

[BOULDERBOB]

Just got one this week. Got it so that when we come down I can send out an o.k. message to the wife so she knows we're down. A lot of the area's the cell phone coverage is pretty dicey or non-existent, so there's no extra delay waiting till we get to where we do have cell phone coverage. She likes that part. The help list is tougher in my opinion as we ride several hours from home so to get someone from my area notified and then up there could be a really long time (and yes I'm prepared to spend a long time if needed) so for my help I'm using a fellow fire fighter who can let the local fire fighters (where I'm riding) know I need help but I'm not injured and its not life threatening. Since most of the area's are served by volunteers like myself I also figure they know the local riders who could help out.
I also like the 911 button, two years ago needed a S & R to sled out an injured party (my own daughter) and having to flag someone down and then went it out sucked! I was lucky to get somone fairly fast so all turned out o.k. Now I don't have to count on luck as much to get help and that makes me and everybody who rides with me feel better.

 

[teeroy]

Just to be clear. I don't think the unit knows if the message was actually received by the satellite, and relayed to the ground.

Here's the user's manual: http://findmespot.com/en/downloads/SPOT_UsersGuide_2007_10_16.pdf

The green lights refer to the unit being able to find a GPS satellite, not the Global Star Satellite. That's why it sends multiple times, because it's not a verified message system. I might be wrong, but the manual says nothing about it.

you're correct Wade. the spot has no way of knowing if the messages went through.

 

[ESCAPE TIME]

After the sad events of last week in Fernie area,I bought one right the next day,SPOT was used in that situation.Great to have it for peace of mind for the wife,but if the 911 never needs to be used,I'm OK with that......my prayers are out to the families on the Fernie situation.

 

[Wade]

After the sad events of last week in Fernie area,I bought one right the next day,SPOT was used in that situation.Great to have it for peace of mind for the wife,but if the 911 never needs to be used,I'm OK with that......my prayers are out to the families on the Fernie situation.

So, the helicopter was brought in with SPOT? Or, was there another comm device used. It sounded like the SPOT did the job. But in the interview, it sounded like he knew a copter was on the way.

 

[kraftymike]

In addition to peace of mind for the wife, I found another great use. Often when I ride I will meet buddies coming from other directions on sketchy roads and no cell service for hours. We all have each others account access so If someone doesn't show up all I have to do is go to a payphone and call someone with a comuter to look up thier position and see if they are running behind or stuck in a ditch.