Excellent Videos on PLB Rescue and why SPOT may not be in your best interest.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
I just want to let my wife know I'm alive so she won't worry... SPOT does very good at that.
Yea I get that, I was all going to do it - then saw the comments on REI in the review's and it killed it for me... still using the phone!
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Well... I can tell you.. since 2010 when I got my SPOT 100% of my "I"m OK" messages have been sent and received.
It's not a precision instrument and I wouldn't bet my life on it but it does the above perfectly. If letting someone know you're OK is all you really need it's worth it IMO.
Short hand description seems to be :
SPOT for letting the family know you are OK, where you are at, and giving them a peace of mind.
PLB for "sh** hits the fan" situations as it is more reliable.
Both have their place but are for different uses it seems.
For most people, the SPOT is probably a better choice for their needs based on what most people use it for. Most people won't die on the AT or get put in that position if they are paying attention. Most people have a Mom, Dad, brother, wife, second cousin twice removed, etc. that want to know that the hiker is OK though.
Paul "Mags" Magnanti
http://pmags.com
Twitter: @pmagsco
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The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau
Well Mags I appreciate you weighing in on my starter threads... Short term ya Spot is a great idea... I still have not decided.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Excellent Videos on PLB Rescue and why SPOT may not be in your best interest.
Just food for thought, 406 MHz beacons have 10 to 15 times the transmit power of a cell phone and sat messenger, but again, they are a last resort
I carry a PLB ......here's a special code I give my family that makes it just like a SPOT.....
PLB activated = I'm not OK
PLB not activated = I'm OK, so don't worry........or................I'm already dead, so still no point worrying
If you have a iPhone , you could use find my phone it's a free ap and gives the location of you and your phone. If you have service. Just a option, so you don't have to carry two battery devices.
Cue the "carrying a PLB is abdicating personal responsibility" crowd...
I wrote a piece on these a while back. Might as well bump the thread.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
Killer idea!Originally Posted by Keystonehobo
This is much more in-line with my way of thinking, although 10-K is the first SPOT user I've heard from who has stated that all of his messages have gotten through.I carry a PLB ......here's a special code I give my family that makes it just like a SPOT.....
PLB activated = I'm not OK
PLB not activated = I'm OK, so don't worry........or................I'm already dead, so still no point worrying
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
Every single one. No kidding.
Spot has a few issues provided you have a few rules.. now that we understand the price and the service... would anyone jump for PLB?
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
I bring a PLB with me when I am hiking off-trail solo, especially in the winter.
In terms of reliablility and the system in place to respond to a distess call, a cell phone and a SPOT do not even begin to compare to a PLB.
What system do commerial and recreational boats use? PLBs
Like 10-k, I like my spot and as far as I know every msg has gone through. It keeps the wife happy.
There is one more thing to think about. PLBs are on or off, and once its on its on.
The spot gives you more options. You can press the 911 button and then it acts somewhat like a PLB, but there is also another "Help" button that does not go to the emergency calk center. It goes to who ever you pick.
You can program this button any way you like. What I do is use it to have my wife come get us at the nearest predetermined bailout point.
It does not mean emergency, just that something happened and we need to get picked up.
You can't do that with a PLB.
If the SHTF however, there is no substitute for a real 406 PLB with a built in GPS.
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