ferniesnow
I'm doo-ing it!
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
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- Location
- beautiful, downtown Salmon Arm, BC
Just for informaton, SPOT uses the satelites also and I have been in situations in the mountains where it can take up to 20 minutes to send the signal. I ride in the mountains nearly everyday and operate 2 different groomers and I have found that different places have vastly different results with the SPOT.
Generally speaking, around Fernie there is no problem as the terrain is open to the skies. There maybe some places to the north (Hartley/Sulphur) where the big peaks might get in the way.
In the Elk Valley (just so there is no confusion, I mean in the valley of the Elk River and not the tributaries) around Elkford, there is no problem. Get into the Crossing Creek trail going to Koko Claims, or in Tundra, some places in Mear Lake, or generally where there are high mountains to the immediate south, SPOT may not work for you. You have to closely monitor the lights to ensure the signal has been sent/received (and that received signal is only by the satelite) and in some cases you just have to find a place where there will be reception.
It boils down to knowing your equipment and practising with it! Send those Okay messages from everywhere and keep a little pad with the field information in it (time and location from when you sent the okay) and when you get back go over what you have in the computer. You may, as I have, find some interesting things.
For the price they are an awesome piece of technology and I don't go into the bush without it anymore.
