SPOT Global Messenger

[TheRoadie]

I can't go on the San Diego run this weekend, but will be at the breakfast Saturday morning. I offered to let somebody carry SPOT to the desert, and I would try to home in on it Sunday morning. I know I can get a data connection near Borrego downtown, and then I can find out where the group is camping and play "find the SPOT."

I've been calling their customer support about every day with questions and web site suggestions. The way it renders on a 320X240 Moto Q browser is dumb (and I can't yet log in via the phone), and their insistence on using Flash borders on clueless web design nowadays.

 

[adventureduo]

I can't go on the San Diego run this weekend, but will be at the breakfast Saturday morning. I offered to let somebody carry SPOT to the desert, and I would try to home in on it Sunday morning. I know I can get a data connection near Borrego downtown, and then I can find out where the group is camping and play "find the SPOT."

I've been calling their customer support about every day with questions and web site suggestions. The way it renders on a 320X240 Moto Q browser is dumb (and I can't yet log in via the phone), and their insistence on using Flash borders on clueless web design nowadays.

Dang they should be paying you a consulting fee! Yeah seems to me, they may have rushed to get the thing out in stores and... short cut some of the Q and A's. But heck.. still can't complain for the price and what it does.

Looking forward to seeing the SD run tracking screen shot, that will be neat.

 

[Desertoutpost]

Rodie, if nobody wants to I can take your spot for a ride, let me know.

 

[adventureduo]

I feel a spot 'spotted' picture thread coming on

 

[TheRoadie]

Looks like I have a ride for it, but it might not be at the breakfast for "show and tell". Thanks for the offer!

 

[benedmonson]

Got My Spot

Got my spot today and have already signed up for the service on-line, it was very simple! Tried it with a simple O.K. command and within minutes everybody was notified and I was able to log-in to the spot website and view per google maps my exact location, it was dead on to my house where my rover is parked. This is going to be a great life saving product. It will also enable us that are always in the middle of nowhere to comfort our families with an O.K. message. I look forward to using this next weekend for a 4 day trip deep into canyonlands natl. park.

 

[Robthebrit]

Are you guys all using the $150 plan with the tracking? I think I am going to get one but I'll wait and see what you guys say about it, most of the problems seem to be related to their backend software and not the unit itself. It will be interesting to see how it works in an emergency vs a 406Mhz PLB, in the US there is not much in it (or shouldn't be) but most countries don't allow PLBs over land so this unit should be much better as long as their side of the emergency system works as expected.

Can you send a message with your postion updates?

Rob

 

[TheRoadie]

Are you guys all using the $150 plan with the tracking?

I am. I think it makes sense for spouse-reassurance and in case of side-excursions. For bread crumb trails, the GPS we carry has far more frequent updates.

Can you send a message with your postion updates?

You can only send three levels of message. Check-in OK, Help (to your email list), and 911 (to the SPOT contract center who alerts the authorities).

I was thinking about out-of band ways to send more bits of data. Since you can send a message about every 5 minutes, you could easily send morse code with OK-HELP-OK, and so forth. But the reliability of each message has yet to be tested in the real world, so you really need an error correcting code or redundancy to get a message through. Assuming 12 bits an hour, with 50% redundancy, that's approximately one hour per letter. For $150 and no per-message charge, it's no Iridium.

Ahhhh, you could carry TWO SPOTS in a group, and use one or the other for morse code. Then you get TWO letters per hour! Blinding speed! Oh, but no sleep. bummer.

 

[dmc]

so i have been on the road for 2 weeks now using the device. well almost 2 weeks. it's working exactly how i intended. to let those who care track my status and see where i am. i have sent a test 'help' message and it worked great. i recommend sending it to people who have constant email access on a pda or like device. i'm using my own gps in the the truck to track my trip. i guess i don't expect a $50 service to track 10 min waypoints for 10-12 months. however, i agree with you guys that it would be nice to store a bunch of trips on their server and be able to go back and reference or share them. i had posted earlier about the limit of email addresses. i decided to send it to my blog. works well enough and it was simple.
dm

 

[adventureduo]

Ok, just got back from our trip. Anyone else having problems looking at all their waypoints for tracking? Mine will only show 10 at a time. Says.. "all" but it automatically refreshes back to 10 every time

 

[TheRoadie]

Works OK for me. I click "last 30 days", then "show all" then "select all", then "show on map."

What are you using for a browser? They have an annoying and totally unnecessary requirement to have Javascript running to even login, and I've told them sternly that not being able to log in with my Moto Q is unacceptable.

 

[adventureduo]

Works OK for me. I click "last 30 days", then "show all" then "select all", then "show on map."

What are you using for a browser? They have an annoying and totally unnecessary requirement to have Javascript running to even login, and I've told them sternly that not being able to log in with my Moto Q is unacceptable.

Bill helped me out. It was the browser. I didn't even put two and two together. It wouldn't work on my Safari 3.0.4.

 

[adventureduo]

Our tracking from our latest trip.. SPOT worked perfectly without a hitch. Checked in each night after finding a campsite. Unit tracked us with no problem.

 

[TheRoadie]

Where was it in the vehicle while you were moving?

 

[adventureduo]

I lay it on the dash. It actually fits snug between the windshield and the drivers cluster. Never budged. The only thing i dont like is it getting warm in the sun.. but im assuming it should be able to cope with that if its made for extreme conditions.