SPOT Satellite

I have had mine for a little over a year. Use it sledding, camping, fishing, etc. I personally like it for the 911 button (that was the main reason purchasing it). You never know when and where, you may need help. I also have tracking on it, which is cool. The OK button is a nice feature, sends out an email with a google map link of where you are at. Most of my riding group has me put their wife's email addy in it when we are on our rides.

Overall, it is just another tool. You still need a GPS. I also carry a FRS radio, and cell phone. Try to have all my communications covered.

Quick little story, that may help sway your decision. Borroed out my SPOT last year to a co-worker. He was going on a 4 day winter camping excursion in the Boundary Waters (northern MN, very remote). Him and his buddies were on day three of their trip, when out of the blue two people came walking up to them (out of breath and in a panic). My co-workers group were 4 portages into the BWCA (this is a very good hike, most people only go in two portages in the summer when conditions are good). They had no cell service where they were at. These two guys were in a party of 6, and they were one portage back (from my co-workers group), when one guy went down (having a heart attack). They sent two guys to follow tracks (thats how they found my co-workers group), and two guys north (Forest station just on the obrder of Canada) to try and get help, and left one guy back with the guy that needed help. The first words out of there mouth (before even saying hello) were, "is anyone a doctor or have medical experience". Unfortunately my co-workers group could not help in the situation with medical experience, but my co-worker handed the SPOT over to these guys and said go back to your downed man, and press the 911 button. They took it, and went back. My co-worker figured he would never see the unit back, or ever see these guys again, and have no clue what had truly happened after this point. But, they saw these guys on their way out of the BWCA, and got the SPOT back. So, the question was asked, "how did it work out"? These guys went back, and were hesitant on pushing the 911 button (ultimately never pushed it), S&R did show up at about 4:30 PM (the guy went down at around 10AM in the morn). The two guys that went north ran in a forest service worker, and relayed the message, forest service called S&R. S&R was deployed around noon time frame, finally found them at 4:30PM. Once S&R was there, the guy that took the SPOT, said "should we have pushed this button?". S&R looked at him dumbfoundly, and said we would have been here 3 to 4 hours earlier with a helicopter vs. here now (4 hours later) calling for a helicopter. They did airlift the guy out, and he did survive, but he could have been to medical attention much faster with the use of SPOT vs. a general location for S&R to look for the party.

I always carry my SPOT with me.

It is not like a GPS that has a screen that can tell you which way to go. All it does is send out a message where you are every 10 minutes or so in tracking mode. There is an Ok button, a help button and a 911 button but I never use them. You can then go back and seee where you have been after you get back home. The only reason I bought it over a regular GPS right now is the fact that my wife can see where I am at from our home computer. It tracks in real time so she can see when I leave and when I am heading back home. It is more of a piece of mind thing for her. I hardly push the ok button and just use the tracking feature. But it is cool to go back and see where we were at different times.

I don't think it would help a directionally-challenged person unless you got lost and someone else had to come and find you. I like having a SPOT and my wife really likes it for peace of mind, but if you are looking for something to help a "directionally-challenged" I would recommend a GPS.........I love my Garmin Rino 530.

Environmentalist said:

The GPS is next on the shopping list. My wife is actually the one that suggested that I get one, just so she knows if we are having trouble. Plus, during the summer me and my daughters take the Jeep up in the mountains all the time. When the Jeep is stuck...well it's almost as bad a stuck Apex.

Any issue with coverage? Is the "message" only an email?

Click to expand...

We have found that in certain areas when reviewing our tracks we have not been tracked. Usually the problem areas seem to be when we are the north side of a tall range.
The custom message is sent out as a text to a cell phone.

Email or text messages on cellphone.

We purchased one last year. My in-laws worry a lot when we are out. We all spent a number of years on our local ambulance service. Though being out of it now, we still have scanners.

After the deadly avy here a couple years back, that happened in an area that we ride through......they spent all day worrying. We had no idea. Avy happened 15 minutes after we went through. They even got calls from other people asking about us......which made things even worse. When we pulled up that night, my MIL was in tears (they were watching our pups). Even my grown son worries, so he can track us too.

Now they can track us all day on the computer. They can see when we are stopped for a bit (like lunchtime), and our whole route. I've customized the messages put out, plus given a call list of local peeps in case we do "Need help, not life threatening", or 911.

For us.......it was a good investment as it helps family have peace of mind. It's the least we could do for them. They know we do our best to ride safe, and watch conditions. It's also good for us in case we do run into some kind of trouble (or come across it).

I do alot of solo backcountry stuff. My wife likes the ok button just to be sure i am ok. She now tells me to spot her when i am out there.

tim

The best electronic gadget I have. I am solo in on the mt lots. My wife feels much better when I can send her the ok every night and morning.

spot sends your choice of email or sms text messages to 10 contacts you select and enter into your account info.

we had to use the 911 feature last spring for a friend that broke his back dropping into a hidden creek, chopper was there in 2 hrs with 2 RCMP officers and 2 EMTs.

spot sends a message to their control center in Texas I think it was, then they call your main contact first to verify you are in that area. when they have confirmation from your contact, they call the closest authorities to your location. spot control center then calls your main contact to keep them updated on the progress as they are informed.

Sounds like they may have improved their call feature, I personally am mainly interested in the I'm OK feature in case I have to spend the night. I heard that it didn't work all that well before.

I've had one since they came out, dropped the tracking feature, have the S&R insurance.

Before SPOT: been heli rescued in the past, group of 9 of us, chit went down, a SPOT would have saved hours, it was -40F out, people got frostbite. The second time someone in our group needed rescue, bad cell coverage, S&R wouldn't come unless they called you back on the phone (Baker)!! Been late getting home after someone's sled broke down at Lake Ann, really late getting back to coverage, of the people waiting to hear from our group some were freaking out and calling S&R.

After SPOT: Haven't needed the SPOT since I've bought it, but its a matter of time it'll pay off. I do like to hit the OK button if I'm not in cell coverage to let the wife know I'm alive and its getting late. One person in your group should have one. Only issue but not deal breaker, needs a good line of sight to the sky to get the signal out. :beer;

here is a little trick i learned. With the help button. You can program any message you want. When on my last sheep hunt i programmed "got my ram"
in the help message. I was able to let my buds know i was succesful. I have heard other people use the help feature in this way. animal down, come help pack meat. either way you can program it any way you want on teh ok and help. But not the 911 feature.

I bought the Spot 2 at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately they have been recalled so I am without it right now. I did use it a couple of times before I sent it back and the Tracking feature was working, nothing else was, and that was pretty cool. Wife can track exactly where you are at (Don't take it to your GF's house). Or when you get home it's pretty cool to see where you were in relation to other nearby meadows that didn't even know were there. The 911 feature is my main reason for purchase. 40 miles from the truck and chit goes south....great piece of mind. Running late and don't want the family to panic, okay message. Come across another group in need of emergency assistance...911. Excellent tool I won't be without, once I get it back:beer;