Has anyone pushed the button on Spot for help?

[Wise Old Owl]

Hey its been out there for a year or two it is about time to see if anyone has used it and what the result was.
and then I have found this,,,,,

Has anyone seen this commercial on the Discovery Channel yet?

It is a comical cartoon....but extremely true.

http://www.acrelectronics.com/08sumcom/08ACRcom.mpg

http://www.rei.com/product/751974

Please weigh in with your thoughts ....

[napster]

Seems like it would be a good Christmas present for the crews Deadliest Catch.

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

pretty cool, but dizamn 600 buckaroos. I know you can't put a price on safety, but still lol

[Dogwood]

Witnessed a Colorado Trl. thru-hiker with the trail name Spot(no I didn't make that up) push the button and a space ship came from out of the clouds and picked him up(I made up the last part). Last I heard he was wisked off to an all U can eat Chinese food buffet in Leadville CO.

[Mags]

Witnessed a Colorado Trl. thru-hiker with the trail name Spot(no I didn't make that up) push the button and a space ship came from out of the clouds and picked him up(I made up the last part). Last I heard he was wisked off to an all U can eat Chinese food buffet in Leadville CO.

He is a CEO who has been doing many local CT slideshows.

Fear sells.

[JokerJersey]

I don't think I'd get it for myself, but I'd probably recommend it for my parents who are avid boaters. I've seen ads for ones like this though that were about 1/2 of the price. Seems a bit steep.

[MintakaCat]

One positive aspect of the ACR device over the spot device is that it does not require that you purchase some kind of subscription service.

As for me, I'll stick with my little 7 oz Amateur Radio portable that I got for $165. It won't work everywhere like the ACR, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

[Wise Old Owl]

One positive aspect of the ACR device over the spot device is that it does not require that you purchase some kind of subscription service.

As for me, I'll stick with my little 7 oz Amateur Radio portable that I got for $165. It won't work everywhere like the ACR, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Hey that is really hit or miss and you have to know where all the repeaters are... a little risky. There are times when folk arn't even monitoring the repeater.

[MintakaCat]

Hey that is really hit or miss and you have to know where all the repeaters are... a little risky. There are times when folk arn't even monitoring the repeater.

I agree, you are 100% correct. However, just being out there is a little risky. I don't think you can eliminate all the risk in backpacking. You have to make a judgement call on what level of risk you can live with. The radio is just my call, for you it would be different.

Most of the time I know the areas I'm going to and the repeaters in the area, and I know some people on those repeaters. I also have some amateur radio friends that I ask to monitor a repeater from time to time while I'm hiking an area. After being in the hobby (amateur radio) for over thirty years I know some tricks that make me feel comfortable with my choice.

As the old saying goes, there's different ways to skin a cat. I think the ACR would be a good choice for you but thats just a guess.

[Wise Old Owl]

No the acr is out of my price range.... I am lucky enough to have $200 for a down sleeping bag right now. I am on the down low of UL hiking on the cheap side!

[Dogwood]

Yeah, Mags last time I saw him he was doing a presentation at the Denver REI. Seems like a nice guy.

[Wise Old Owl]

Ok so nobody has pushed the button?

[Foyt20]

I guess not.

[kayak karl]

I guess not.

ive pushed the HELP button a few times, but not the 911. learn about the gear before you start a thread.

[kayak karl]

ive pushed the HELP button a few times, but not the 911. learn about the gear before you start a thread.

this was posted to wise old owl not where it fell

[Foyt20]

Hahaha no problem Karl

[Mags]

From the PCT list..this woman pushed the button:
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...?entry_id=8688
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...&entry_id=8666


She ran into some issues in the Sierra and used SPOT.

[dla]

From the PCT list..this woman pushed the button:
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...?entry_id=8688
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...&entry_id=8666


She ran into some issues in the Sierra and used SPOT.

I appreciate her posting for two reasons:

(1) she was unprepared and panicked.
(2) SAR didn't get her

I've been in those situations where panic wants to get ahold of me, and strip me of reason. No fun. I can't say enough about being prepared.

But what I found most interesting is the SAR efforts. Good people making a good attempt at finding her. But she is moving. And loved ones are having a tough time communicating coordinates. She wants to cancel the 911 but isn't sure how. This is very telling about using SPOT: yes, it gives unprecedented communication ability. No, it isn't foolproof. SPOT worked just fine, but she and her loved ones needed to work out ahead of time what the various messages mean.


I don't know what the folks involved in the SAR think of her and SPOT. I can guess that it was a mixture of disgust and relief. Disgust because it wasn't a 911 event. Relief because she was OK.

As embarrassing as her story must be to her, I think it should be read by everyone.

[Ratchet-SectionHiker]

We received a spot at Christmas time and really like it. It weighs 7 oz so it is a little heavy but worth the updates it sends to your family. It keeps my mother in law from going crazy as well! We try to use the 'Track' feature as much as possible even though it doesn't work as well as it should. It is supposed to send an update every 20 minutes but in an 8-10hr day hike I am lucky to get 4-6 track messages sent to the computer. The share pages are really nice especially when we take new people hiking we can pull it up on Google Earth later at home and show them exactly where they were hiking. It also has an altitude graph on the webpage to show some more useful information. We also use the 'OK' button to mark our shuttle vehicles so in case we do have to go to the hospital or somewhere, my father can find our vehicles before they are towed or vandalized. We have not needed to hit the help or the 911 button yet but it is nice to know they are there.

[man2th]

[quote=Ratchet-SectionHiker;851867]

It keeps my mother in law from going crazy

in that case i'll take 2 please