The SPOT GPS Satellite Messenger

[Montara Ranger]

I came across this interesting item today, it’s called “SPOT” a GPS enabled satellite massager. The SPOT can send a message and GPS coordinates to friends or the authorities that you need help, or just a message saying that you are ok. This device also includes functionality for trip / track recording. I know there has been a lot of discussion in this forum on ways to communicate while on the trail, this device just may be able to feel the hole in communications when a two way radio or cell phone falls short. I hope the SPOT lives up to its press release and look forward reading some real life reviews.

Web link - http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&ndmConfigId=1000010&newsId=20070807005332&newsLang=en (http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&ndmConfigId=1000010&newsId=20070807005332&newsLang=en)

Regards
Ranger

[MrS]

Sounds interesting. Thanks for the heads-up, I’ll have to keep and eye on that. :ok-kewl:

Anyone know what it cost to be rescued? I know I could save some fuel if I left all of my “get ya back” gear at home. Then when things go bad I can just call for government service/help if it’s free.

[pnwadventurer]

If it works as good as it sounds, I want one.

I like the idea that the family can see where I am via the internet. Gives them a piece of mind when I'm out soloing.

Steve

[MrS]

From there web site it looks like this is now on the market for sale.

Anyone have this yet?

http://www.findmespot.com/

[MrS]

The web sites lists costs as:

Device $170

Satellite service plan $100/yr

The service has some limits, and upgrades are available.

Sounds like a reasonable cost that will put this in the hands of many people.

[shane4x4]

I can't wait to pick one of these up - seems like a great device!

[JackSilb]

http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/servicepricing.aspx
$99.99 USD/yr basic satellite service subscription includes:


ALERT 9-1-1:

Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location. Unlimited usage included.



CHECK IN:

Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. Unlimited usage included.



ASK FOR HELP:

Request help from friends and family at your exact location. Unlimited usage included.



Terms and conditions apply (http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/termsandconditions.aspx)



Upgrade Services:


TRACK PROGRESS:

$49.99/yr USD Tracking Upgrade Option
Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using Google Maps™.



GEOS Search & Rescue Benefit

$7.95/yr USD (if purchased at initial activation. $150.00 USD afterwards)
Provides up to $100,000 USD of additional search and rescue resources, including helicopter extraction around the world and reimbursement benefits – underwritten by Lloyd’s of London – for any emergency service expenses incurred. For more information, including terms and conditions, visit http://www.geosalliance.com/sar


That is a good find indeed.
I can imagine that the more people that use the service, the lower will be the cost in the future.

How much is the cost for a Satphone service these days?
-Jack

[MrTom]

A review of the SPOT Satellite Messenger is in BackPacker Magazine, April 2008, pp96.
Tom

[JackSilb]

I got to see a SPOT this weekend. It seems well built. No external antenna, as in the Sat Phones, to be in the way.

Maybe Mike will post some info and his experience here for us. Or, I am missing some other discussion on the Forum.

It is on my present list for 2008.
I hope that by the end of the year they will change the chipset to allow a quicker satellite fix.

-JACK

[JackSilb]

Have a link for an on-line version?

A review of the SPOT Satellite Messenger is in BackPacker Magazine, April 2008, pp96.
Tom

[Michael]

I got to see a SPOT this weekend. It seems well built. No external antenna, as in the Sat Phones, to be in the way.

Maybe Mike will post some info and his experience here for us. Or, I am missing some other discussion on the Forum.

It is on my present list for 2008.
I hope that by the end of the year they will change the chipset to allow a quicker satellite fix.

-JACK
A while back I was looking for ways to increase my safety margin on solo trips. The best safety item is a fellow traveler, but sometimes that doesn't work out. Getting my ham radio was a good step and I set it up for cross-band operation (handheld broadcast to mobile in truck for re-broadcast at high power). I wanted something better, so I checked into other options for emergency communications. I looked at both Globalstar and Iridium satellite phones, but the hardware was pricey and the service was expensive year after year. I also looked at Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) similar to those used by skiers and mountain climbers. The drawback with those was that you only had one option and that was to call in the heavy-duty rescue teams. The price on those was also out of my budget range.

About that time I found the Spot Tracker. There are a lot of good reviews like this one (http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/01/spot_satellite_messenger_perso.php) on the internet so I won't go into details here. What I liked about it was that it gave me options for my level of alert. In addition to the "send in the Marines" signal (handled directly with the SAR people by Spot), you can send "I'm OK" messages to up to 10 people on a pre-arranged email list (or to a mixture of email and cell phones as text messages). You can also send a "Help" message to a different email/cell phone list when you're just stuck or broken down someplace without any immediate threat to life or limb. Both these options let you compose your message in advance. The message is limited in size but you can say what needs to be said. The final feature is the "Track" function. It will broadcast your position every 10 minutes to a Google Maps web site so people can follow your journey (or you can save it later). This last feature is an option in the service package -- maybe more on that later.

When I first got mine, I did a series of tests to see how sensitive the built-in GPS receiver was and how reliable it was sending out messages. I moved it around to different places in the cab of my truck -- in the glove box, in the console, on the dashboard, on the seat etc. Spot is a squatty little handheld with some heft to it so it was a real missile hazard if left loose in the cab. Overall, the best reception was from the dashboard with the antenna (under the Spot logo) facing the sky which gave me about a ~100% success rate on messages. Most (75%?) messages/positions made it through from the seat or console, and quite a few (~40%) made it from inside the console. The GPS sensitivity seems to be equivalent to the early handheld GPS units. One thing to realize is that the Spot, in order to conserve battery power, does not continuously update your GPS position so you have to make allowances when you send a message by providing it access to the open sky (or through the windshield) for up to 20 minutes. Spot will send redundant messages to make sure at least one gets through. There is a lot more information on all the details I'm skipping over on the Spot Messenger home page (http://findmespot.com).

My conclusion is that Spot performs as advertised and is reliable when used as directed. I like the rugged construction and the features work well for me. It has certainly improved my wife's peace of mind when I'm in the desert. After trying a few options, I decided to use a Spot RAM mount (http://www.ram-mount.com/mount/satellite_tracker_mount.htm) with a bar mount clamped to the hand grip in my cab, similar to the way I mounted my GPS. Photos to follow when I finish mounting it this weekend.

If you can wait a while, I'm willing to bet that the 'second generation' Spot Messenger will be smaller, lighter, have a more sensitive GPS chip set -- and maybe a limited text message capability :yeah:

[MrS]

Thanks :ok-kewl:

That sounds like some useful info.

:sign_thankyou:

[xcmountain80]

GPS massager huh? sound ore like an adult toy!


Aaron

[JackSilb]

Nice, direct to the point, useful report. I loved it.

I will wait as much as I can until a trip at the end of the year that I am planning to take.
It would be another comfort for the wife. As the CFO she gave the OK. Last time I remember she being so understanding was when we got out first mapping GPS. She loved it.
I will keep you posted.
I hope they will follow your ideas. More sensitive GPS, smaller unit, less power consumption, and quick text message capability. It would be a great upgrade.

Michael, did you get a car charger and extra batteries to go with it?

-JACK

[Michael]

Nice, direct to the point, useful report. I loved it.

I will wait as much as I can until a trip at the end of the year that I am planning to take.
It would be another comfort for the wife. As the CFO she gave the OK. Last time I remember she being so understanding was when we got out first mapping GPS. She loved it.
I will keep you posted.
I hope they will follow your ideas. More sensitive GPS, smaller unit, less power consumption, and quick text message capability. It would be a great upgrade.

Michael, did you get a car charger and extra batteries to go with it?

-JACK

Spot uses lithium batteries exclusively and the manual is silent on the issue of using rechargeable lithium batteries. Some web sites (http://www.gadling.com/2008/07/20/product-review-spot-satellite-messenger/) say they won't work, but I haven't found a definitive answer yet. I did buy a few extra non-rechargeables, although Spot seems to go pretty easy on the batteries.

According to the manual, the batteries will last:

Power OFF, "several years"
Power ON, unused: Approx. 1 year
SPOTcasting (tracking mode): Approx 14 days (msg every 10 min)
9-1-1 (emergency message): Up to 7 consecutive days (msg every 5 min)
Help: msg every 5 mins for 1 hour (7 days if you keep sending Help msgs)
SPOTcheck (OK msgs): 1900 messages

Spot is designed to conserve power for emergency use. For instance, the track mode turns itself off after 24 hours. If you want to keep tracking, you have to initiate the mode again. If you are tracking and then initiate a 911 or Help message, the tracking gets turned off. The GPS fixes are not continuously updated, it only grabs a fix when it needs one to send a message.

Spot emphasizes that using lithium batteries is mandatory and that alkaline batteries will damage the unit. Buried in the fine print at the back of the manual is the statement "in a critical situation, non-lithium batteries may allow the unit to operate for a limited period of time if no lithium batteries are available".

The ON/OFF light flashes red when your batteries reach 30% remaining life, so there should be no surprises when the power gets low.

After three trips using tracking mode and after conducting extensive testing, I'm still using the set of Energizer Lithium batteries that came with the unit. No flashing red lights yet :smilewinkgrin:

[Michael]

<snip>
After trying a few options, I decided to use a Spot RAM mount (http://www.ram-mount.com/mount/satellite_tracker_mount.htm) with a bar mount clamped to the hand grip in my cab, similar to the way I mounted my GPS. Photos to follow when I finish mounting it this weekend.

I finished the mount today -- it looks like it will work well, but there are a few minor points still to be optimized. As planned, I used RAM mounts to clamp it to the hand grip on the passenger side of my '06 Tacoma. The spacing is a bit awkward -- if I were to do it again I think I'd order the shorter connecting arm. I had to make a few modifications to get the angles right. There is a 'thumb tab' on the roller capture mechanism that I had to remove to allow it to fit flush with the windshield. I also had to modify the socket on the connecting arm a bit to get the degree of rotation I needed for alignment. See photos for details.

Before I sign off on the installation, I need to see what impact the Spot has on passenger viewing angles and check to see if it stays in position on the washboard roads.

If I'm hanging upside down following a roll-over, it might be a bit of a stretch to reach the Spot. I'll have to pick up one of Mr. S's emergency tools to cut my seatbelt :smilewinkgrin: :sign_goodluck:

[JackSilb]

Really smart on the mods. It looks great.

Did I ask you about a car kit? Is there a 12V adapter one could leave the unit on all the time?

thanks,
-JACK

[Michael]

Really smart on the mods. It looks great.

Did I ask you about a car kit? Is there a 12V adapter one could leave the unit on all the time?

thanks,
-JACK
Spot has no external power input, so no car kit is available. Spot seems to be sensitive to the input voltage level (therefore the need for lithium batteries), but there is no technical reason that it couldn't have an external power jack with a regulated 3VDC source. Perhaps on the next generation. For now, I'll just monitor the batteries -- not a very green approach, but no other choice at the moment.

[JackSilb]

I see they have many opportunities for the next version. I hope they will not come with the idea to jack-up the price along with the improvements.

-JACK

[Explorer 1]

I asked for one on my last birthday and my son gave me one. (Nice to have your kids old enough and rich enough to get you what you want, kind of a nice change of roles!):yeah:

I use it on my off-road trips and most recently on my Canoe trip on the Yukon River.

One thing I noticed is that with it checking in with the satellite every 10 minutes it will assume a stright line between the two points, which on the river was anything but a stright line. We were traveling about 8-10 mph and saw a real variance between where we went and where it tracked us, it would even be more pronounced in a vehicle covering a larger area much faster.

It was neat to give my wife a call from Carmacks, Yukon and have her answer the phone stating, "So your in Carmacks now"

Thanks,

Fred
Explorer 1

[JackSilb]

Fred,

I will have to wait 10 years or so to have my kids giving me such presents. But, I also don't want to be 10 years older. Therefore, I can wait.

Interesting observation. I wonder if they could store the positions on the device memory then send them over to track better the real route. I am sure they did not intend for the device to be used that way. But like us, people want more right!?

-JACK

[MrS]

This Spot unit of Michael’s is a neat and handy device. Not sure it fits my needs yet, but most people should find it worth the $$.

Last week Michael and I went out exploring/camping. Since MrsS could not go he added her email to the ‘I’m OK’ message.

I looked at the message when I got home. It’s a simple short message and has Lats & Longs. It seems Michael was able to add a few words. And there is a few links on the email, one being a ‘one click’ to a Goggle map that shows his location and surrounding areas that can be zoomed in-out as needed. So it’s about as easy as can be to receive info.

THANKS for the demo Michael.

[JackSilb]

I like the idea for the "I am OK message" and location.
"Me needs one for birthday". The family already know that.

-JACK

[Michael]

Thanks :ok-kewl:

That sounds like some useful info.


I forgot to mention one problem with the Spot Messenger. If you find one of these hidden in your trunk with the tracking mode turned on, it means your wife may have suspicions about your "extracurricular activities". :sign_goodluck:

[JackSilb]

He he he.

I may use this as an excuse to get one...

-JACK

[RidgeRunner]

I finally broke down (figuratively speaking) and got one. With discounted price and free tracking for a year after signing up for basic service I figured it was time to move on it.

Let's face it, when we're out there alone, or even with someone else it could be a handy tool and safety device. There are too many times when our cell phones revert to being paper weights. I'm out alone often on the bike and fairly often in the 4R. I've decided it goes with me anytime I leave town.

If I never have to use it in an emergency I'll be happy.:yeah:

Mick

[JackSilb]

Nice,

I am sure you will feel more confident on your solo trips.
Please keep us posted on your experience.

With discounted price and free tracking for a year after signing up for basic service

Where did you get it from? Direct from the site or from a dealer?

I spent some $ buying a new navigation computer, I am guessing my birthday present is gone.

-JACK