SPOT satallite tracker

[ferniesnow]

On another note regarding Spot: do they send a bill for the subscription renewal process? Is it automatic from their office or do we have to initiate the process? Has anyone got information on this? Thanks, fs

 

[rmk800]

Where is the information on the Spot 2? I can't find anything to read, not even on SPOT Canada: Satellite Messenger

the spot 1 is called spot personal tracker and spot 2 is called spot satellite gps messenger. here is the link to spot 2

SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger

 

[rusty]

i havent got my renewal form yet but it would suprise me of it never came. most companies jump on the idea of sending me bills

 

[catmando]

i havent got my renewal form yet but it would suprise me of it never came. most companies jump on the idea of sending me bills

Did you find your rusty?
catmando!
I hope they do bill automatically cause mine is due!

 

[rusty]

no i havent found it yet but i havent looked real hard yet. still have about thirty jackets to go through. its not in my sleds so thats good

 

[catmando]

Well if you dont find it by the end of the month you are welcome to borrow mine!
catmando!

 

[bigdawg]

I have Rusty...and Teeroy also has one thats if you are coming riding with us.....

 

[rusty]

yeah thats great but i would like to find mine

 

[teeroy]

Did you find your rusty?
catmando!
I hope they do bill automatically cause mine is due!

they do auto renewal catman, they sent me a message a few weeks before it renewed because my old CC was on file. had to update info with new CC number.

 

[wide_open]

I ordered a Spot 2 on line for $149 + 1 year of free tracking option. Looks like an excellent tool for the back country.

Where did you order your Spot 2 from?

 

[Rizzo]

I was told that nobody has the SPOT 2 yet. They are supposed to be getting sent to the dealers at the end of Nov. Does anybody have any different info?

 

[catmando]

Thx Teeroy
All good,sent out a few shared pages so peeps can follow me around to see that they do work really well if you know how to set the tracking and the messenge sent stuff,Good for another year hope I never need it but every little bit helps!
Looking forward to seeing the new one!

 

[RGM]

I have a spot and like the piece of mind it can give. The I am OK and the 911 buttons are pretty straight forward but when would you guys use the I need help button and who do you have it setup to send to.

I am thinking that maybe different riding areas might want to get together and have an exchange on emails address that the spot user could send to. Basically I will come help you if you are willing to come help me. And not something like my sleds broke down and we need more guys to help pull it out. More like we will be spending the night if we don't get help. Could be better than depending on SAR that might not be able to sled into the places we do.

 

[ferniesnow]

I have a spot and like the piece of mind it can give. The I am OK and the 911 buttons are pretty straight forward but when would you guys use the I need help button and who do you have it setup to send to.

I am thinking that maybe different riding areas might want to get together and have an exchange on emails address that the spot user could send to. Basically I will come help you if you are willing to come help me. And not something like my sleds broke down and we need more guys to help pull it out. More like we will be spending the night if we don't get help. Could be better than depending on SAR that might not be able to sled into the places we do.

That's a good point and I like the statement...."SAR might not be able to sled into the places we do..." or SAR might not want to.... Yes, and help is definitely for the serious encounters (if 10 is for 911, then it should in the neighborhood of an 8 or 9 IMHO to consider requesting help).

My "Okay" contacts are different than my "Help" contacts in some of the profiles because the contacts have different work/play schedules. In case one is not familiar with the various profiles, they are accessible from "My account" and that is where you can set up the contacts for different riding areas. With the "old Spot", there are 3 profiles available and managed from your computer. I have to remember to use the correct "profile" prior to departure otherwise, I'm on my own (like the olden days) and some of my buddies in the wrong profile may not be my buddies any longer. I may change profiles 3 times a week and that is just a management process.

I don't know how you could be sure that at the time you would need someone, they would be by their computer to receive the message. I realize that there are also text messages to a phone but just the same, if one or more of your contacts is out of the area you might be in trouble. I will go and help close buddies at any time of day or night but someone whom I met on a forum and may be riding in the area might be stretching it. There are a lot of variables to play with and I'm not sitting by my computer or in cell phone coverage when I'm out riding or on a Costco run and therefore, I'm out of the picture and not much help to anyone.

A lot of thought has to be put into the list(s) and they need to be tested and verified through practise. I would think that if one is from the "city" and out in the back-country, the "help" list may be or could be of little assistance to you.

I guess the one thing that SPOT has done for me is to let my loving wife know that "I'm Okay" even if I'm over due and not in a position to require "help".

 

[MtnMaster]

I have had several occasions where the message was never sent. I pushed the button then either set it down for 10-15 mins or sit closely and watch it. If it starts blinking in a weird manner (can't remember exactly how, I think when it blinks one after the other) It means that it can't find a satellite. If your down in a gully at or the base of a cliff it won't find a satellite. I use mine for dirt biking and mountaineering in the summer months too, and there have been many occasions when I got home, and my wife was freaking out, because she never received an OK message. I didn't think it was that big of a deal at first, but it happens ALOT more than i would like it too. I understand that it HAS to find a satellite to work and if your down in a hole or something, you can't expect it to work everywhere. BUT, there have been several occasions where a couple different GPS's COULD find satellites, and the SPOT can't.
Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I want to know if something happens and I push that button a msg will go out.
Anyone else have issues as well?

 

[teeroy]

I have had several occasions where the message was never sent. I pushed the button then either set it down for 10-15 mins or sit closely and watch it. If it starts blinking in a weird manner (can't remember exactly how, I think when it blinks one after the other) It means that it can't find a satellite. If your down in a gully at or the base of a cliff it won't find a satellite. I use mine for dirt biking and mountaineering in the summer months too, and there have been many occasions when I got home, and my wife was freaking out, because she never received an OK message. I didn't think it was that big of a deal at first, but it happens ALOT more than i would like it too. I understand that it HAS to find a satellite to work and if your down in a hole or something, you can't expect it to work everywhere. BUT, there have been several occasions where a couple different GPS's COULD find satellites, and the SPOT can't.
Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I want to know if something happens and I push that button a msg will go out.
Anyone else have issues as well?

I've never had an "OK" message fail yet, I use it year round as well. when the 2 green lights flash alternately there is no satellite contact. I have yet to see mine do this, I have used it in the Grande Cache areas, west of Chetwynd in the Lemoray area, Swan Hills, Valemount/McBride, Tumbler Ridge, and as far north as Ft Providence in the NWT. I have even intentionally sent messages behind ridges and in some east/west valleys, under heavy canopy cover just to see if I could get it to malfunction. I have read a lot of reports on people's messages not getting through, but have no explaination other than possibly user error, and I'm not saying that was the cause in your case.

When SPOT first came out I read about it on ADVRider.com, and after a few pages of discussion one of the designers of the SPOT that works for a company called Axonn LLC signed up just to explain the functionalities, as well as provide some very technical information on the device and how it works, and why they designed it the way they did. I haven't found any other more in-depth explaination of SPOT anywhere on the internet, I think it has some very valuable info and tips everyone that owns SPOT should read.

It's a doosie, almost 1600 posts now....but anything you could ever want to know about this device is in there....and then some.
The Great Big SPOT Thread - ADVrider

 

[NosRX1]

27.79611,-90.64806 - Google Maps

Here is a link I just did with my spot today....the thing works great!:d

 

[SLEDBUNNYRACING]

Sort of in the Gulf Of Mexico...lol...

27.79611,-90.64806 - Google Maps

Here is a link I just did with my spot today....the thing works great!:d

 

[NosRX1]

Sort of in the Gulf Of Mexico...lol...

Yeah no snow here! but it pays enough to play:d

 

[fklaszus]

I bought one a year ago and my son has been using it during the summer when he goes rock climbing. He has had to use the 911 twice, once where a climber fell 10 meters and had to be airlifted off the mountain and another time he was climbing Mt. Edith Cavel in Jasper and they ran into heavy snow and could not get off the mountain. It works as well as they say. It give rescue personel the exact location (within meters) of where you are and it is fast! Both times they had choppers on the way within 1 hour of pressing the button. For 7.95/year we also got insurance that covers any rescue costs. I will be buying a second one this year for myself in the mountains. Would NEVER go without it! Also one in a group is not enough. If it gets buried, it is useless.