Personal Locator Beacon

[medicjenn76]

I posted this in the Straight Forward forum as well, at least I think I did?? But as a female, I wanted to post here as well for female specific input and any of the boys around as well. So here goes...
General question/advice? For family/friends to have peace ofmind, and the oz. of prevention is worth a pd. of cure idea. In planningsection hikes most will be generally solo could anyone toss some thoughts on achoice for one of these two PLB's. One is the Delorme inReach SE 2-WaySatellite Communicator ($300.00 plus monthly service fee.) or the SPOT Gen3Satellite GPS Messenger ($150.00 plus monthly service fee.) I like the concept of the 2 way text of the Delorme, but with stops at hostels/towns along the trail I don't see daily communication a major issue. Both will do preset text so the idea of sending one home "I'm at camp" "Making good time" etc. etc. I'm fine with. Anyone have experience with either one, both? I also like the idea that family/friends can see my progress and "track" me via their web based programs, Google Earth I believe. Any thoughts, experiences with, or advise would be welcomed. Thanks again!!!

[Hiker Faith]

Hi medicjenn! I have some experience with the SPOT locator. I hiked with a woman doing her thru-hike 2 years ago that had a SPOT and I fell in love with it, so I got one for myself. While I was appalled at the cost to activate the SPOT (more than the purchase price!) and I have read a lot of negative things about the customer service, I weighed the pros and cons and decided to get one anyway. I have used it a few times hiking here in Georgia and it is great. It posts my location directly to my Facebook page (an option, not a requirement) so my family & friends can see my progress every day and message me via Facebook with encouragement. It also sends a text to my mom every night when I hit the okay button. This is a HUGE relief to her because I don't always have a cell signal to call and check in, and even tho I am a fully grown woman with a grown child of my own, she still worries like I am a seven year old. Also, when my friend two years ago had her SPOT, I could find her location with pin point accuracy and would drive up to where ever she was on the trail and surprise her and get to hike with her for a bit and then go back to work. Now, I consider this a pro, but others may consider it a con (if you are worried about stalkers, etc). But I loved that I could surprise her, and I think that it would be awesome for my friends or family to be able to show up and surprise me with some trail magic. I also LOVE the SOS option, although I sincerely hope I will never, ever have to use it. In my opinion, I think the SPOT is pretty neat and I enjoy having it. Let me know if you have any more questions, I'll answer what I can. One caveat, do your research before you plunk down that kinda bank.

[medicjenn76]

Thanks for the reply and your experience.

[Tundracamper]

Note that the SPOT and Delorme units are not PLBs. They are merely satellite communication devices. My reluctance in getting one of these is that if my family doesn't get my daily checkin, they worry unnecessarily. You have no way of knowing if the signal gets through the trees. A PLB, like Resqlink, is a one-time-use device that utilizes two different satellite systems to try and position you, even if your GPS coordinates don't get transmitted. Plus, there is a local homing signal that works for 24 hours. This device is not for communicating. It is basically like a fire-alarm pull. However, I think the increased reliability to get a help signal out when I really need it actually gives the family more peace if mind. They don't hear from you, but they know you have a device that will get you the help you need if you get into trouble. JMHO.

[iAmKrzys]

While Spot does not guarantee that the signal goes through I simply work around this by sending the messages more than once and using tracking mode whenever I'm on a move, so that my fairly recent location can be seen on a shared Web page. I programmed my custom button to say "I parked or set up camp here" and I use "Ok" button to signal that I am done with hiking for the day. Tracking mode fills in the gaps. I had no major problems using this setup on a week-long backpacking trip last year using one set of rechargeable batteries, although I had another set of Lithium AAA with me just case. I think only one of my messages didn't go through but the repeat did succeed but I must say that there wasn't a lot of tree coverage where we stayed.

Separately, you may want to read another thread on the same subject: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...imilar-product

[medicjenn76]

Great information, Thanks so very much...

[Fredt4]

Personally I think they're unnecessary and your time is better spent working on seperation issues. However I don't think it's bad to use them. I'm pro-cellphone use on the trail (just don't use it near others), so I'll not judge your use of a SPOT type device. I'm inclined to agree that having one will cause unnecessary worry when you fail to check in.