Post by: MLBowhunting on November 12, 2010, 02:45:55 PM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on November 12, 2010, 06:13:31 PM
Post by: MichaelD on November 12, 2010, 06:43:54 PM
Post by: Cylvertip on November 13, 2010, 12:36:40 PM
I'm able to send the boss (and mini bosses) a message when I'm in the middle of some hell hole with no phone service so she can sleep at night. :tup:
As stated, cheap insurance.
Post by: Bob33 on November 13, 2010, 12:58:57 PM
Imagine: you've broken your leg and can't walk, and you press the "911" button. Now you wait. And wait. And wait. Was your message received? Is help on the way? When will it arrive?
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on November 13, 2010, 09:27:35 PM
But, after having this for 3 yrs, the $110/yr contract is worth it, especially with all the solo hunting I do.
Post by: halflife65 on November 15, 2010, 03:59:57 PM
Post by: Cylvertip on November 16, 2010, 10:45:55 AM
I have sent a bunch of messages, all have been received.
Post by: Bob33 on November 16, 2010, 10:55:54 AM
http://www.amazon.com/SPOT-Inc-SPOT-1-Personal-Tracker/product-reviews/B000YTZV74/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 (http://www.amazon.com/SPOT-Inc-SPOT-1-Personal-Tracker/product-reviews/B000YTZV74/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)
A rescuer's perspective., December 25, 2008
By Jennifer J. Whitcomb (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: SPOT Personal Tracker (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
As someone with Coast Guard Search and Rescue experience who is very familiar with SPOT, (also an AT and PCT alum) I wanted to add my review from the perspective of someone who has responded to distress beacons. I first learned about SPOT with an open mind, but have since found many reasons to dissuade mariners and others from using the device. I can't stress strongly enough the need to go with a 406 MHz beacon, such as an EPIRB / ELT / or PLB as the distress-alerting device of choice. As a reference, I'll point to SPOT's own web site.
Unfortunately, it is full of half-truths and other misleading information.
Below, I've included a transcript of their online video about its "Alert 911" function.
A point-by-point discussion/rebuttal:
Claim: "Every year, emergency authorities conduct 50,000 rescue missions. Many of these people are not found in time. Now there's a way to make sure that they are: the SPOT messenger is the first and only product that combines GPS technology with Satellite-based communication..."
Response: FALSE! Such technology has been available for many years: SARSAT-based 406 MHz EPIRBs / ELTs / PLBs. When synced with a GPS, they embed and transmit their coordinates to a satellite, giving the Coast Guard (and for inland positions, the Air Force) an immediate "E" (electronic) solution where they can send boats / aircraft / search teams.
Claim: "Whether you are snowmobiling, hiking or sailing, it is your personal connection to loved ones and emergency authorities, with the simple push of a button, from virtually anywhere, worldwide..."
Response: Not always true. You CANNOT depend on it! In Seattle, the Coast Guard had a case in September where a boater's loved ones hadn't received their scheduled "I'm OK" update from the vessel as expected. Suddenly it became a case of an overdue vessel. Turns out the boater had hit the button on the device, but the message was not transmitted. The CG called SPOT and learned that the company was having difficulty receiving transmissions from multiple vessels. Of course neither the sender nor their recipients was notified of this. CG units from Seattle to California were involved in this case. Something similar could happen inland.
Claim: "Over 50% of the US does not have cell phone coverage. With SPOT you're covered..."
Response: Um, not always (see above). Also, with any 406 MHz beacon, you're covered, as well. Without the yearly fee and extra fees for bells and whistles.
Claim: "Today, SPOT is saving lives all over the world." (Provides several anecdotes.)
Response: Certainly it has played an important role in certain cases. But show me one where SPOT worked and a 406 MHz EPIRB / ELT / PLB would not have.
Claim: (Case study - the Bertsches) So the wife receives an email stating plainly "This is an emergency. Please send help." Followed by a lat/long.
Response: So this is not to be confused with the message sent when you hit the "HELP" button, which reads: "This is an HELP message. Please find my location in this message below and send for help ASAP." Confusing?
Claim: The wife then says she received a SPOT message saying "I am OK." and was very relieved.
Response: What if she had been away from her computer this whole time? Had she seriously not yet been contacted by authorities? In the case of a 406 MHz alert, the Rescue Coordination Center that receives the alert puts a live person on the phone with the family member / emergency contact as part of prosecuting the case.
Claim: "If your loved one is going into the outdoors, you need SPOT..."
Response: No you don't. It's a false sense of security.
While SPOT's a neat tekkie tool for tracking someone's location in the wilderness or at sea, it should NOT replace a 406 EPIRB / ELT / PLB for emergencies.
It also lacks the 121.5 MHz homing signal that all 406s have, with homing equipment already installed on all Coast Guard aircraft. CG boats, civilian air and ground SAR and civil air patrol assets also have this equipment. The CG also has 406 MHz direction-finding equipment installed on many of its aircraft, as well, which can lock in on a signal from over 100 miles away. SPOT has no such advantage, as responding agencies have no way to detect its signal with their aircraft, boats, or ground teams.
SPOT's business model is clearly based on the continued profits generated by its subscription services, and is aligned with the GEOS company, which is in this business for profit (nothing wrong with that).
Contrast that with SARSAT (406 MHz) beacons, which exist to execute the federal mission of inland and maritime SAR. While beacon manufacturers like ACR and McMurdo look to make a profit, they have to adhere to strict federal (and international) standards to market their devices as SARSAT EPIRBS / ELTs / PLBs. The government (NASA / NOAA) funds and maintains the satellites (which are being significantly upgraded again in the next decade), and the Air Force and Coast Guard executes all SAR in the US and our territorial waters (and often beyond).
Another advantage of SARSAT (406 MHz) beacons - NOAA tracks all false alarms, follows up on their causes, and works directly with their manufacturers to minimize their reoccurrence.
And one additional reason the video on SPOT's site leaves me scratching my head: it uses footage of Coast Guard assets that were retired before SPOT was even on the market (44' motor lifeboat / CG HH-65A helicopter [illustrating a case off of AUSTRALIA, and the CG now uses C models with a different paint job]).
My one-star review is specific to its use as a distress beacon. As a fun way to track a friend or loved one via google maps, it's a neat gadget (so long as folks know not to panic if you miss a check-in, since their technology is unreliable). Just make sure you carry a 406 in case you get in real trouble.
Post by: Dr. Death on November 16, 2010, 11:05:27 AM
Like anything electronic you always have that slight chance that it fails, nothing is 100%. But it sure is better than nothing at all IMO....
Post by: whacker1 on November 16, 2010, 11:17:21 AM
I like the concept of Spot, but as you mentioned the reviews aren't great. I have been reading reviews on various outlets and they are all similar. 50-60% in favor & 40-50% opposed. Various reasons for the opposed reviews.
Post by: rainshadow1 on November 16, 2010, 11:28:54 AM
That's essentially what spot does. They're pre-written messages, and sent to a limited list of e-mail or cell numbers, but it doesn't involve SAR or other authorities unless you need it to (the 911 button.)
If anyone else offered that service I'd comparison shop.
I love mine. It's not 100% reliable, but it's close. And what it means to me, most of the time, is that I can change plans at the drop of a hat, and I don't have to worry about the wife having a conniption! I can even stay on a track overnight or something, and she won't call out the military! That's worth it's weight in gold to me.
I hope 911 works if I ever need it. I assume it works, because I know "help" and "ok" work 99% of the time.
It's not an ideal system, but as a private party system, it's sure the best I know of! No way to rent a sat phone at the drop of a hat, several times per month for $100 per year... not even close.
Post by: LittleJohn on November 16, 2010, 11:50:27 AM
NO NEGATIVES IN MY BOOK
Post by: ICEMAN on November 16, 2010, 06:12:02 PM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,11775.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,11775.0.html)
Post by: Machias on November 17, 2010, 04:43:25 PM
Post by: follow maggie on November 17, 2010, 08:47:23 PM
Post by: ICEMAN on November 18, 2010, 05:40:53 AM
How many times have you had to light a fire to survive the night? Probably never, yet you carry matches? The spot device is similar. You may carry it when soloing for the slight chance of having to use it.
Sending messages to your loved ones is well worth the $100yr. Chump change for keeping the wife happy.
Another benny is the ability to document waypoints as you go, when you get back, you have a map record of where you were... Yeah, yeah, I know you can do this with your GPS...but it is a handy feature.
Post by: littlemac on November 18, 2010, 06:20:00 AM
My GPS batteries were down and I left it in the Jeep as I was not planning on wandering too far with nightfall less than two hours off. One thing led to another and before I knew it the snow had started to fall more heavily and bingo, I was one of the "stories" you hear about. I have hunted the area for 30 years and never thought I could get twisted up.
Ultimately for the sake of time and with darkness nearly upon me I took a compass reading and made for a road I knew in the area where several elk camps were. I asked a guy in one of them if I could bum a ride back to my rig. I had seen his truck parked near mine the day before.
Although I most likely would have done the same thing with or without the SPOT, it would have been nice to have for an ultimate back up if I'd broken a leg or been in an area I didn't know as well.
Of course the moral to this story (which I have never failed to follow since) keep the GPS charged up and carry extra batteries.
I noted here that many use it to keep the misses happy. Having used a SAT phone in the Yukon multiple times, I learned quickly that my continued hunting opportunities would be greatly enhanced if she knew I was doing fine. I can certainly see where the $100.00 is a small price to pay annually to keep loved ones from worrying in your absence by sending the OK message each evening.
Thanks for the reminder about SPOT, I may have to pick one up for next season.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 19, 2010, 08:26:29 AM
Post by: Ice Cap on November 19, 2010, 08:59:04 AM
Is it 100% dependable? Of course not. The only time I have not been able to get a message out has been while in a deep ravine or extremely heavy tree cover. If you don't have a southern view of the sky then the unit is unable to acquire the sattelite coverage that is required. The newer second generation SPOT devices will record your last three tracking positions and will transmit once a sattelite is re-acquired. There are a number of other devices on the market that can track your location and or report your location in an emergency. ALL of these are based on the premise that sattelite coverage is available!
Post by: whacker1 on November 19, 2010, 09:55:29 AM
How about some more Info on SPOT alternatives for those of us who don't know about alphabet soup: SATSAR / EPIRB / ELT / or PLB ? Product suggestion anyone. I have a spot (gift) haven't activated it yet.:yeah:
Post by: CamoKevin on December 30, 2010, 11:27:11 PM
ACR's website: http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2885 (http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2885)
Look at it this way, how much did you spend on your scope? how about your rifle or bow? for those who go out by your self then your should think of it like a pair of boots, just one of those things you need to get the job done and get home to the wife and kids.
Kill Safely,