View Full Version : Spot Messenger Satellite/GPS tracker
snapshot
05-29-2008, 00:31
Has anyone used the "Spot Messenger?" It allows a person to send a message via satellite to family or send an emergency distress call. It also has a feature that allows family to track your progress and location on google maps.
It sounds like a great idea to keep people from worrying about someone who is in a remote place.
See the website:
http://www.findmespot.com/MediaCenter/SPOTVideoTour.aspx
RITBlake
05-29-2008, 00:43
hmm...two posts...new user....politely asking about a tech/hiking product.......
not saying....just speculating...
tlbj6142
05-29-2008, 01:27
FWIW, the device got a "this piece of junk is not good enough to be a paperweight" review on bpl.com today.
I carry one and have had no problems with it. It gives my family piece of mind. ANd they have a blast seeeing where I have been.
I have tracking but I don't use it in tracking mode. I just check in at the end of the day.
I am not a member of backpacking light so I don't know what the review said so I can't speak to any of that.
kayak karl
05-29-2008, 07:14
hmm...two posts...new user....politely asking about a tech/hiking product.......
not saying....just speculating...
your probably right:)
so, as i posted before " I dont know how much i would trust this for 911 if it takes up to 1/2 hour to find satillite :-? it is a fun thing to play with." http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37434&highlight=test+run
its an expensive toy, but i like my toys:D
Sidewinder
05-29-2008, 07:25
Summary from BPL
SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker
by Alan Dixon and Roger Caffin, with assistance from the other members of the SPOT testing team: Mike Martin and Steve Nelson.
Article Summary:
The SPOT unit has the potential to be a breakthrough in backcountry safety. It's lighter, more compact, and less expensive than Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), which can only transmit a distress signal to emergency services. It's lighter and less expensive than a satellite phone and has more coverage than a cell phone. The SPOT also has a Tracking (breadcrumb) mode, which automatically sends your location every ten minutes. Unlike PLBs (or even most cell or satellite phones), the SPOT unit can transmit your exact location plus one of several messages:
"I'm here and OK."
"I need help."
"Call 911 and rescue me."
Several of our testers believe that a device like the SPOT unit would alleviate their family's worrying back home, making it easier for them to get permission to go on backcountry trips. This is especially true for solo walkers or people who pursue dangerous endeavors like technical mountaineering in areas beyond cell phone coverage. However, Backpacking Light makes no formal recommendations about what safety equipment any outdoor enthusiast should carry.
On paper, the SPOT unit is an innovative concept for improving backcountry safety. In the field, it did not deliver "virtually every message" as the SPOT unit's literature claims, and the unit has usability problems. As such, we believe is has yet to deliver its promised functionality and message delivery reliably.
No Belay
05-29-2008, 17:44
Sounds like something I might want to stick on my girlfriend while I'm SOBOing.;)
billandsheep
05-29-2008, 18:34
I bought one of these when I developed a kidney stone. While I was waiting for it to pass, I had fear that I might be incapacitated in the woods. Right after I bought the device, I took it to a path around a suburban Boston area resevoir. The tree cover was very light. Over the two mile loop, the Spot was not able to send a single message.
As soon as got back in my car and drove a few miles, the message was sent. So I was able to tell what highway I was on!
I assumed I probably had a defective unit as this was an area where I had used a GPS successfully several times. I called the Spot tech support number and they told me that this was the behavior I should have expected. Given that this unit was going to do me no good on real hikes, I returned it to the retailer for a refund. I then had to call Spot again to cancel the service I had bought. They made this much more difficult than was necessary but I did eventually get a refund.
All in all, this product looks great on paper but works very poorly in conditions anything like the AT.
billandsheep
05-29-2008, 18:34
I bought one of these when I developed a kidney stone. While I was waiting for it to pass, I had fear that I might be incapacitated in the woods. Right after I bought the device, I took it to a path around a suburban Boston area resevoir. The tree cover was very light. Over the two mile loop, the Spot was not able to send a single message.
As soon as got back in my car and drove a few miles, the message was sent. So I was able to tell what highway I was on!
I assumed I probably had a defective unit as this was an area where I had used a GPS successfully several times. I called the Spot tech support number and they told me that this was the behavior I should have expected. Given that this unit was going to do me no good on real hikes, I returned it to the retailer for a refund. I then had to call Spot again to cancel the service I had bought. They made this much more difficult than was necessary but I did eventually get a refund.
All in all, this product looks great on paper but works very poorly in conditions anything like the AT.