SPOT Satellite Messenger Review & Discussion

[Tim]

I haven't heard of SPOT. Anyone have a link or willing to explain?

Here is a link to another thread, which has a link to the manufacturer

http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php?topic=1832.0

[s/v Faith]

Good catch Tim.  They are now one thread.  :)

[Oldrig]

SPOT messenger was the product-of-the-year in several boating magazines last year. It keeps track of your whereabouts using GPS and can send positions to a website, along with messages to friends and family, or to potential rescuers. Unlike an EPRB, the rescue agencies do not monitor the frequency directly. Rather, it relies on a private company to do that.

It seems to have been marketed originally to wilderness hikers, but has picked up lots of attention from the boating community.

Here's a link to the product's website:

http://www.findmespot.com/en/

It's intriguing, to say the least.

--Joe

[Joe Pyrat]

It's a cool little device, I use it so my family can see where I am using track mode and to send I'm ok messages when I'm out of cellphone range.  My biggest issue with it is it is only water resistant to 3 feet ro so and it has a limited time for such exposure.  If you get one, get one of those waterproof cellphone bags to keep it in.  The other downside is the annual subscription fee.

[Auspicious]

My biggest issue with it is it is only water resistant to 3 feet ro so and it has a limited time for such exposure.

On my recent delivery we taped the SPOT to the inside of a closed deck hatch. Worked great.

[Joe Pyrat]

I usually stick mine under the dodger, but I read a report from a kayaker who said it failed after he rolled his kayak several times in one day and the company would not replace it because he exceeded the limits of the warranty seemingly because he exposed it to water for more than 30-minutes.  I emailed them asking about this and got no reply.  So if you go into the water with one, it would seem one of those waterproof cellphone/GPS type bags which would still let you push the buttons would solve this issue.

[AdriftAtSea]

A ziplock bag would work and be a lot cheaper.

[s/v Faith]

A ziplock bag would work and be a lot cheaper.

  I always thought so too.  I used ziplocks for years in camping, and carcamping with no problem.  Rose and I had several items vaccum sealed on our trip, and other things we put in different sizes of ziplock brand freezer bags.  We mostly used the ones with the double seals, but had some with the zippers.

  On at least 3 occasions I can recall I found items with moisture in them, having been sealed in ziplock bags.  One was our spare inverter, which was DOUBLE sealed in ziplock bags.  One of the chainplates developed a slight leak and some water trickled into the locker below it.  The inverter was in the water for no more then 3 days, but inspite of the seals being sealed we had water INSIDE the bag.

  IMHO better to pop for the slighly more expensive dry stowage bags, or for something small like SPOT maybe even a clam case like those made by Pelican.

 

[Tim]

A good source (selection and price) for dry boxes and bags is http://www.nrsweb.com/

I have no connection with the company other than supporting them for 20 years of kayaking.

[Joe Pyrat]

I use the heavy duty ziplock bags for storing food and things that are in areas where condensation is an issue.  They are not as tough as I'd like for something like the SPOT, but they do work.  I've got a couple of little Pelican boxes for my cellphone and stuff like that, but you have to open them to use the keypad.

[CharlieJ]

Lock and Lock containers- O-ring sealed, 4 sided locks, buy some sizes at Walmart, rest can be ordered online. We have a dozen or more in various sizes. Both GPS units, the hand held VHF, batteries, anything we want kept DRY is stored in them.

Laura is using them for canisters for coffee, sugar, oatmeal, whatever. Also has one designed as a bread box which is soon to be our first aid kit.

They come in round, square and rectangular sizes

http://www.organize.com/brand-lock-and-lock.html?gclid=CO7vytPP_ZgCFQpinAod5kfCmg

[s/v Monomoy]

I fellow sailor on the TrailerSailor.com board found a link that provides for a free Spot when you purchase a year of service.  Normally you have to purchase the Spot for around $150, plus pay for the service, so this saves some cash.

Here is the link: http://www.findmespot.com/robby/

Modified to add the dates valid.

Valid March 19-27, 2009.

[okawbow]

Here's a heads-up for those who have the SPOT service. They will automatically renew the service and charge your credit card when your year is up. They don't want your service interupted in case you forget to renew. So, if you are using the SPOT for a 1 time trip, and don't want to renew right away; you have to call them and cancel your service.

[Joe Pyrat]

True.  This is directly from the service agreement.

3.2     All Service plans are Pre‑paid Plans.  Available plan terms may include:  a yearly term with prepayment in full, a yearly term with prepayment prior to each service month or a multi-year term with prepayment in full.  Pre-paid Plans automatically renew at the end of the Term for a new Term that is the same as the initial one unless you cancel by notifying SPOT no later than 30 days after such automatic renewal.  Where required by law, SPOT will provide you with advance notice of the renewal of your Plan.

[s/v Faith]

I have (as I said earlier in this thread) used A 2nd gen SPOT for 3 years now and have a delorme (InReach) communicator that I have used for over a year. I took both on my trips last year, cruising 6 months in the Bahamas TCI and Virgin Islands.

As a tracking device SPOT wins hands down. I do not have the tracking option on my SPOT, it costs an extra $50 a year and in my experience 15minute updates are unnecessary. I suspect that the need for SPOT to transmit so frequently is why Dave experienced the short batter life with his. I get about 2 weeks on a set of lithium batteries with SPOT, I hit the "ok" button every watch change underway or if making a shorter passage at random points to show my route.

Spot has a drawback that it only shows your tracks for 7 days, so you don't get a cool map of where you have been unless you capture a screen shot once a week.

Delorme InReach is handy, at $50 a month it is not cheap, but the 2 way text feature is handy. I have used it often, and even communicated with Chris Parker for wx (he prefers not to do this because of the short messages allowed, but can accommodate it when needed). Delorme DOES eat batteries badly, even when the tracking feature is turned off it seems to chew through a set of fresh lithium batteries in less then 48 hours. Worse yet, it can drain batteries when it is off... It seems there was a glitch that left the GPS in standby when turned off... I downloaded the update that was supposed to fix this but it did not.

Someone had posted on the net they were powering their delorme communicator though its USB port. I have tried that with several USB adapters and while it will power the unit for software updates and the like it turns on the "low power" flag and turns off the tracking.... I suspect it will not receive messages in this mode, but can not be sure. I had old messages that downloaded after I put batteries in it but that my have been a fluke.

I use my delorme with my ipad, so the functions of the software function perfectly (like everything on an ipad). It is easy to use and easy to sync. The battery life is a real buzz kill for the Delorme Communicator... That coupled with a "plan" that is nearly as much as my sat phone means I would not likely purchase it again.

I suspect the new SPOT 3 might be the ticket, if I were buying a unit for tracking now I would likely choose that over the delorme.

[s/v Faith]

Here is my SPOT messenger page, only one blip right now since I am sitting in Georgetown waiting for company to arrive.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=04qCzdKRUjPrgnYhuGC6IvFsno9iIRaDZ

Here is the link to my Delorme communicator page;

I will post later,the link I have allows people to send me messages....
s/v Faith