View Full Version : SPOT or similar product
I am going to be doing the JMT and for my wife's piece of mind I am thinking of getting a spot. However there are some negative reviews about the spot's Billing Practices. Is a spot worth it or is there something else out there?
I own and have used a SPOT Gen2 (to include cancelling and reactivating it) and it has been as advertised for me. You should also look at DeLorme's products and maybe look at actual PLBs. As for the billing practices thing, people who have has problems with that have problems with their ability to comprehend written information. It is all in writing when you activate a SPOT you sign up for a yearly subscription if you do not want it to renew you send them one email, and they will terminate service at the end of the subscription. Not a big deal. Then you can go back and reactivate if you are going on another adventure in the future. The only issues I have had is getting a message out in less than ideal conditions (canyons, too much overhead etc.).
Sailing_Faith
03-30-2015, 00:06
I own and have used a SPOT Gen2 (to include cancelling and reactivating it) and it has been as advertised for me. You should also look at DeLorme's products and maybe look at actual PLBs. As for the billing practices thing, people who have has problems with that have problems with their ability to comprehend written information. It is all in writing when you activate a SPOT you sign up for a yearly subscription if you do not want it to renew you send them one email, and they will terminate service at the end of the subscription. Not a big deal. Then you can go back and reactivate if you are going on another adventure in the future. The only issues I have had is getting a message out in less than ideal conditions (canyons, too much overhead etc.).
i agree, but will say that the DeLorme is not a bad unit (I have both) but it chews through batteries like no ones business!
Traveler
03-30-2015, 08:16
I am going to be doing the JMT and for my wife's piece of mind I am thinking of getting a spot. However there are some negative reviews about the spot's Billing Practices. Is a spot worth it or is there something else out there?
I have used a SPOT device for a long time and have no complaints myself. I have seen anecdotal information of connectivity issues in certain places (likely not being able to see the sky due to tree canopies or closed wall canyons type of situations), but have not experienced these myself. I would think on the JMT seeing the sky is not of an issue.
Negative comments about billing seem a bit inflated and may stem from not reading through the plans you can select from. I use the auto-renewal plan, which issues an email telling me they are going to charge my credit card several weeks before it happens, providing a window I can cancel the renewal. Other people opt to open/close their accounts during the year and not have the auto-renewal option. Like anything else, read the instructions and programs before you start filling in the blanks.
I'm sure your wife will appreciate your carrying the SPOT device, mine does. Have a great walk!
Offshore
03-30-2015, 09:12
I have used a SPOT device for a long time and have no complaints myself. I have seen anecdotal information of connectivity issues in certain places (likely not being able to see the sky due to tree canopies or closed wall canyons type of situations), but have not experienced these myself. I would think on the JMT seeing the sky is not of an issue.
Negative comments about billing seem a bit inflated and may stem from not reading through the plans you can select from. I use the auto-renewal plan, which issues an email telling me they are going to charge my credit card several weeks before it happens, providing a window I can cancel the renewal. Other people opt to open/close their accounts during the year and not have the auto-renewal option. Like anything else, read the instructions and programs before you start filling in the blanks.
I'm sure your wife will appreciate your carrying the SPOT device, mine does. Have a great walk!
I've had pretty much the same experience as AT Traveler cites. No complaints, reliable performance, and enough notice for service renewal. In the few instances where I had GPS issues due to canyons, vegetation canopies, or satellite geometry, it's really just been due to limitations associated with GPS technology, not a particular instrument. There can be slight performance differences in GPS receiver chipsets, but if you're in an area where you are having issues with a SPOT, odds are a DeLorme, hand held GPS, or your phone GPS would have similar issues.
O-H-10 Lil Ohio
03-30-2015, 11:49
My SPOT has done everything that I have needed to give my wife and Family the piece of mind required. Very few issues with my SPOT from GA to Maine. I have even added other hikers to my email so there familys could track the link. I took them off when I completed my hike. I have a pacemaker so the family worries more then I do ,so for me it was a great purchase.
slbirdnerd
03-30-2015, 11:57
I realize it's a little more expensive, but I use and highly recommend the Delorme InReach. Quite a bit more capability than a SPOT, more reliable, integrates with smart phone app, etc. My family also appreciates it very much.
When I do the AT I will surely do the Delorme, but that is in 15 to 20 years.
The InReach is more capable but it is far more expensive to own and operate compared to the SPOT, not just a little more expensive.
Traveler
03-30-2015, 13:14
When I do the AT I will surely do the Delorme, but that is in 15 to 20 years.
In that period of time, anything used today as state of the art will be obsolete!
Offshore
03-30-2015, 13:21
When I do the AT I will surely do the Delorme, but that is in 15 to 20 years.
The heck with the DeLorme and the SPOT - just think of what might be available in 15 - 20 years! Virtual reality may redefine "armchair hiker".
Offshore
03-30-2015, 13:36
The InReach is more capable but it is far more expensive to own and operate compared to the SPOT, not just a little more expensive.
it really comes down to what you're looking to do. I found this huge price differential to be true when making my SPOT vs. DeLorme decision last year. I found the hardware and service costs to be about double for the DeLorme and didn't want to spend that much more just to add non-essential functions that were duplicative of my cell phone. In the areas I plan to be in in the next couple of years, cell coverage is good and getting better. I got the SPOT only as a last resort backup if things truly reached the SAR level. There's also the matter that I don't want to be dealing with text messages when enjoying the outdoors.
I have a really hard time spending the big bucks on technology that seems like it came out of the 1990s and is sure to be replaced soon with much better gear. I paid around $75 on Amazon for my Spot 2 and I pay $100/year for service. That's an acceptable cost for a very archaic, low tech, but reliable device to keep my family in the loop on my whereabouts twice a day. I have no doubt at all that 3-5 years from now all of these products will be totally obsolete.
I carry a SPOT. It is 1/4th of a pound of sleeping pill I carry so my husband will sleep better. First one didn't work.
Current one pretty much works as advertised. I have had some messages not go thru, but I doubt that my husband notices as he is no longer sitting at home waiting for every message. We also have the conversation before every trip, "It is electronics. Stuff can go wrong. If you don't hear from me - I'm statistically probably fine!"
Someday, I'll just be chipped like my cat or something.
handlebar
03-30-2015, 17:14
Have used SPOT on all my hikes and found it very reliable. DeLorme InReach is tempting since it has 2way texting and appears to include many GPS functions. Still not enough better to cause me to replace the SPOT.
Tundracamper
04-01-2015, 18:35
What capability do you seek? I have read that these satellite communication devices work pretty well. However, I've also read that families actually get more upset when such a device doesn't work and they start assuming something is wrong. If I'm in a life-or-death situation, I don't want something that works "pretty" well, I want something that will always work. That seems to be a PLB designed or one-time use. Those devices don't require a subscription and utilize two satellite systems and local homing signals. It seems the PLB actually gives family members more peace because they KNOW you can get help if you need it - which is far more valuable than daily check-ins. JMHO
iAmKrzys
04-01-2015, 20:31
If you think about Spot you may consider reading my post & some replies in another thread on WB: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/109250-Mt-Madison-(NH)-Rescue?p=1948604&viewfull=1#post1948604
wornoutboots
04-02-2015, 08:58
I have carried a SPOT 1st generation, since they came out. No Problems with billing & A great Peace of Mind. I don't used the "tracking", I send a signal every night when I get the camp.
What capability do you seek? I have read that these satellite communication devices work pretty well. However, I've also read that families actually get more upset when such a device doesn't work and they start assuming something is wrong. If I'm in a life-or-death situation, I don't want something that works "pretty" well, I want something that will always work. That seems to be a PLB designed or one-time use. Those devices don't require a subscription and utilize two satellite systems and local homing signals. It seems the PLB actually gives family members more peace because they KNOW you can get help if you need it - which is far more valuable than daily check-ins. JMHO
Every family is different. My two spot checkins per day not only give my family peace of mind but allow them to "participate" in the hike by tracking my progress. They wouldn't get that if I had a "real" PLB, even though they would know that I could call for help if desired. This is all fine with me. I wouldn't carry a PLB, but do carry the SPOT. It is 4.2 ounces for peace of mind of family - worth every ounce.
Offshore
04-02-2015, 11:10
If you think about Spot you may consider reading my post & some replies in another thread on WB: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/109250-Mt-Madison-(NH)-Rescue?p=1948604&viewfull=1#post1948604
In your cited prior post, your comparison between the Etrex tack log and the Spot track log is invalid. The tracking interval on the SPOT was much longer than the interval on the Etrex, making the Etrex a higher resolution log and the SPOT is a lower resolution log. Comparing the two is like comparing picture quality between HD and SD TVs. To make a valid comparison of the tracks, the tracking interval would need to be the same, or at least similar.
You can, however, use your data to get a feeling for location agreement. IOW, look at where the SPOT points fall on the Etrex track. Your images show 2 outliers on the SPOT data, so the agreement is about 90% of the points -pretty good for handheld technology. As far as the 2 outliers, you really can't draw any conclusions based on those points unless you had Etrex readings taken at exactly the same time and location to rule out external influences. (GPS units can also interfere with each other)
I'm not saying SPOT is good and a Garmin handheld is bad (I own and enjoy both), but you are drawing a conclusion that the data don't support. I would think the reason that SPOT isn't addressing the "problem" is that its not really a problem with the device, but with data interpretation.
Shutterbug
04-02-2015, 11:19
I am going to be doing the JMT and for my wife's piece of mind I am thinking of getting a spot. However there are some negative reviews about the spot's Billing Practices. Is a spot worth it or is there something else out there?
I have shared my story in several different threads, but I will share it again. I own both a SPOT and an InReach. I was strong advocate for SPOT until the one time I actually needed it. I was hiking in the Grand Canyon on the Clear Creek Trail. I was already down in the Clear Creek drainage when a member of our party staggered into camp and informed me that his son had collapsed about a mile back and was unconscious and was lying out in the hot sun with no shade. I decided that the wise thing to do was call for help. I activated the SOS on my spot, then I headed back up the tail. I found the young man and got water to him, but the expected helicopter never came. The next day, when we got back to Phantom Ranch, I contacted the folks at SPOT and learned that the SOS was not received.
It is very possible that if I had used an InReach in the same conditions, the result would have been the same except for one thing. With an InReach the user gets a return message acknowledging that the SOS message was received. If I had used the InReach, I would have known that the SOS didn't get out and would have sent it again from a different location.
For me, the ability to have two way communication is worth the extra cost of the InReach. Most of us will never really need the SOS feature, but when we do, we need it to be fail safe.
Tundracamper
04-02-2015, 11:31
Note that I do not consider either the SPOT or Delorme to be PLBs. A PLB Is something like this. The approach for sending a signal is different:
https://www.acrartex.com
iAmKrzys
04-02-2015, 20:49
In your cited prior post, your comparison between the Etrex tack log and the Spot track log is invalid. The tracking interval on the SPOT was much longer than the interval on the Etrex, making the Etrex a higher resolution log and the SPOT is a lower resolution log. Comparing the two is like comparing picture quality between HD and SD TVs. To make a valid comparison of the tracks, the tracking interval would need to be the same, or at least similar.
I agree that it doesn't make sense to compare all points on Garmin track. The comparison should only be done for points with the same time stamps, however, I don't have tools to remove extra points from my Garmin track. Having said this, for the wayward point that Spot reported my Garmin track had a point with a time stamp that was only 1 second away and they were 0.6 miles apart. I am not claiming that my Garmin showed perfect location but the tracks are consistent with where we walked, and I definitely didn't run half a mile up the slope in 10 minutes in order to run back 10 minutes later.
I have 3 hiking GPS units and eTrex 30 seems the most consistent of the three. I have successfully found hundreds of geocaches using this gps and over long time I came to trust that it is within 30 feet of my true location and have never had a reason to believe that it was more than 100 feet away. I often record tracks with multiple GPSes in order to have extra data for marking trails on OpenStreetMap and eTrex 30 often is most consistent when I walk same trails multiple times. Hence I am going to renew my Spot contract when the time comes.
I guess my Spot Gen 3 accuracy is less of an issue since I don't use it for navigation and most of the time it is actually pretty good, but I wish these problems with erroneous positions were fixed.
I looked at deLorme inReach but it was more expensive in terms of fees for tracking, it felt much bigger in my hand than Spot, and it uses internal proprietary rechargeable batteries, so you just cannot easily bring more of them on your trip like you can with Spot.
Some people complained about customer service but I found that they responded within reasonable time to my e-mails - it's just that they were not really forthcoming when it came to investigating accuracy questions and instead replied with what felt like some generic prepared statements. As to the jitters about the automatic service renewals, you can always pay with one of the limited use credit cards, so that subsequent charge won't succeed w/o your intervention.
iAmKrzys
04-02-2015, 20:55
Hence I am going to renew my Spot contract when the time comes.
Oops! I really meant to put this sentence in this paragraph:
I looked at deLorme inReach but it was more expensive in terms of fees for tracking, it felt much bigger in my hand than Spot, and it uses internal proprietary rechargeable batteries, so you just cannot easily bring more of them on your trip like you can with Spot. Hence I am going to renew my Spot contract when the time comes.
I have shared my story in several different threads, but I will share it again. I own both a SPOT and an InReach. I was strong advocate for SPOT until the one time I actually needed it. I was hiking in the Grand Canyon on the Clear Creek Trail. I was already down in the Clear Creek drainage when a member of our party staggered into camp and informed me that his son had collapsed about a mile back and was unconscious and was lying out in the hot sun with no shade. I decided that the wise thing to do was call for help. I activated the SOS on my spot, then I headed back up the tail. I found the young man and got water to him, but the expected helicopter never came. The next day, when we got back to Phantom Ranch, I contacted the folks at SPOT and learned that the SOS was not received.
It is very possible that if I had used an InReach in the same conditions, the result would have been the same except for one thing. With an InReach the user gets a return message acknowledging that the SOS message was received. If I had used the InReach, I would have known that the SOS didn't get out and would have sent it again from a different location.
For me, the ability to have two way communication is worth the extra cost of the InReach. Most of us will never really need the SOS feature, but when we do, we need it to be fail safe.
No disrespect but it is very likely you did not activate and trigger the device properly. I use a SPOT Gen3 and am familiar with how it works. If you are cold starting it (that is it was turned off and you had to turn it on) then you need to give it time to find the satellites before using it. I also went to the web site and reviewed how the SOS feature works. Once triggered it lets you know via a flash signal it is working (did you see that?) and then it continues to send the SOS signal every 5 mins until the batteries die (so dozens of times). If it was triggered properly and kept facing the sky and moved a few times to ensure a good signal (this is an emergency so doing all this is the users responsibility) as one would do in a deep canyon then there is almost zero chance it would not have worked. Even if the device cannot get exact geo-coordinates to transmit it still transmits the SOS without them. This failure was likely user error.
I am glad everything turned out ok.
Your story really brings home my constant fight with those who say not to carry lots of water.