The Great Big SPOT Thread

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by mrt10x

So it seems the Spot II is now available readily for $99 all over the internet. I can get a Spot II through promotive.com for $149 with one year of coverage, now math may not be my strongest skill but I cant find a reason not to buy it through promotive??

Depends. The basic coverage is about $50, and tracking is about $100. If their offer includes both basic and tracking for $150, then it works out to a free Spot unit.

I find tracking useless though, and stopped purchasing it after my first year of service was over. I found it just killed batteries too quickly. I now use Ok often while riding.

The other thing I don't like about tracking is that people watching my track need to go to the site to see where I am, but Ok messages send active notifications to email or phone recipients. And of course that same web map page.

That's much more valuable to me than tracking.

[mrt10x]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

Depends. The basic coverage is about $50, and tracking is about $100. If their offer includes both basic and tracking for $150, then it works out to a free Spot unit.

I find tracking useless though, and stopped purchasing it after my first year of service was over. I found it just killed batteries too quickly. I now use Ok often while riding.

The other thing I don't like about tracking is that people watching my track need to go to the site to see where I am, but Ok messages send active notifications to email or phone recipients.

That's much more valuable to me than tracking.

good information..thanks..yes it does include tracking and basic coverage.. before everyone rushes to promotive.com be aware that it is a Prodeal website and you need certain qualifications to become a member... police, firemen, military, or work at one of the companies that they allow in.

[tmlee]

Originally Posted by mrt10x

So it seems the Spot II is now available readily for $99 all over the internet. I can get a Spot II through promotive.com for $149 with one year of coverage, now math may not be my strongest skill but I cant find a reason not to buy it through promotive??

I met and talked for a while with a SPOT rep a couple of months ago and, while remaining coy, suggested that a new SPOT device may be out in time for xmas this year, perhaps the reason for the lowered prices.

He also intimated that it would be like the SPOT Connect but with more user friendly buttons like the SPOT 2.

The SPOT Connect has only 2 buttons; power and 911. All other functions require the use of a smart phone to use and activate, making the process a bit unwieldy (boot up the phone, bluetooth connections, etc). So perhaps a new SPOT device may have more buttons than a SPOT Connect to allow easy use of tracking, OK messages, etc., but also allow use of a bluetooth smartphone to type and send a custom message?

I own both a SPOT 2 and a SPOT Connect. For the reasons above, I take the SPOT 2 with me and leave the SPOT Connect at home.

I would also like to see some sort of message received aknowledgement, at least for messages other than tracking.

[UnclebudinTX]

Originally Posted by tmlee

I would also like to see some sort of message received aknowledgement, at least for messages other than tracking.

If you add your own cell phone number in with the wifes it also serves as a aknowledgement device, as long as you have cell service....

[sandalscout]

Originally Posted by tmlee

I met and talked for a while with a SPOT rep a couple of months ago and, while remaining coy, suggested that a new SPOT device may be out in time for xmas this year, perhaps the reason for the lowered prices.

Glad to hear this, sounds like many of the features that the Delorme inReach has, which I think is a good thing.

[Hikertrash]

Originally Posted by stingraysktm

I bought one of the $50 deals too. It worked great for a few months but then stopped working (unable to find a satellite). I called up the Spot folks and they sent me a new one. Even an orange one which wasn't available with the $50 deal.

Give them a call.

Called them yesterday and they had me send it in for replacement under warranty. They said the SOS feature still would've worked, but I have my doubts and don't think I'll ever trust a SPOT for emergency use.

[GlennR]

I hate the idea of disposable batteries. I don't understand why SPOTs don't come with a rechargable battery pack, like phones, cameras, walkie talkies, etc.

I didn't find Lithium rechargable AAA batteries, but did find the NiMH AAA batteries. They are said to be good at -10c degrees. They are 1.2 volts each. Will they work?

If not, does anybody have a rechargable battery solution?

[Shov3BR]

Originally Posted by GlennR

I hate the idea of disposable batteries. I don't understand why SPOTs don't come with a rechargable battery pack, like phones, cameras, walkie talkies, etc.

I didn't find Lithium rechargable AAA batteries, but did find the NiMH AAA batteries. They are said to be good at -10c degrees. They are 1.2 volts each. Will they work?

If not, does anybody have a rechargable battery solution?

It appears to be all about battery discharge curve. If you look up the data sheets on the battery types only the specified batteries have a very flat curve. My guess is that the SPOT won't run reliably on reduced voltage.
If you want to use your SPOT just for tracking you might consider doing what I did and convert it to USB power.
http://advrider.com/forums/showpost....postcount=3073
I now have two SPOTs one for tracking and the other I carry with me, not on my bike for emergencies.

[TravellingStrom]

Originally Posted by GlennR

I hate the idea of disposable batteries. I don't understand why SPOTs don't come with a rechargable battery pack, like phones, cameras, walkie talkies, etc.

I didn't find Lithium rechargable AAA batteries, but did find the NiMH AAA batteries. They are said to be good at -10c degrees. They are 1.2 volts each. Will they work?

If not, does anybody have a rechargable battery solution?

1.2v will not work. The Lithiums are 1.5v


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Cheers
TravellingStrom

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by GlennR

I hate the idea of disposable batteries. I don't understand why SPOTs don't come with a rechargable battery pack, like phones, cameras, walkie talkies, etc.

I didn't find Lithium rechargable AAA batteries, but did find the NiMH AAA batteries. They are said to be good at -10c degrees. They are 1.2 volts each. Will they work?

If not, does anybody have a rechargable battery solution?

Well, if out on a 2 week hike, or someplace where charging is impossible, or impracticle, 3 extra aaa's are light and take little space and assure you will have a functional device.

[GlennR]

I went ahead and bought a pack of Lithium AAA's since everybody said they last for a long time.

I don't own a GPS yet and am looking forward to using the Spot for flagging the deadend trails I explore to see if I can figure out how to connect some of them together. It will be nice to get an idea of where I've been "on the map".

[sandalscout]

Glenn, you will likely be disappointed using the Spot in that manner, especially if in the woods. It can take 10+ minutes for an okay signal to get out, and that's after it makes a lock. a GPS sounds like it should be in your future soon, even if it's just a cheap one that doesn't have bells and whistles. Even a cheap hand held that connects to a PC (some old Magellans don't) will record tracks and waypoints and let you see where you've been later.

[GlennR]

Well.....darn.

I thought that the "ok" button would tag whenever I press it. I didn't realize I'd have to wait around 10 minutes for it to register. I don't usually stop for that long, unless I'm not "ok". I bought the Spot because I often ride alone.

Guess I'll study up on which GPS will do what I need.

[BlueLghtning]

Originally Posted by GlennR

Well.....darn.

I thought that the "ok" button would tag whenever I press it. I didn't realize I'd have to wait around 10 minutes for it to register. I don't usually stop for that long, unless I'm not "ok". I bought the Spot because I often ride alone.

Guess I'll study up on which GPS will do what I need.

I'm with the others that you'll generally have better luck with a GPS. Even one of the older ones that most people consider obsolete like the GPS III/III+ GPS V, some older extrex hiking ones, etc. They all record track logs you can go back and look at later on a PC.

However, that doesn't mean all is lost with the SPOT. It does take 10-20 mins for it to send a full 3 tries of the OK, but my experience is it does tend to send the OK pretty close to the location you first pressed the button.

although I haven't tried it like you want to, my experience is that where I physically press the OK button, regardless of how long it takes for the ok message to come through, the location that comes through is pretty close to where I pressed the button?

It just might take some playing around to see what you find?

BTW, if you add your own cell number to your OK list and have cell service, you can easily see when the OK comes through which sometimes can be very quickly after you push it.

[DangerMoney]

Originally Posted by GlennR

Well.....darn.

I thought that the "ok" button would tag whenever I press it. I didn't realize I'd have to wait around 10 minutes for it to register. I don't usually stop for that long, unless I'm not "ok". I bought the Spot because I often ride alone.

Guess I'll study up on which GPS will do what I need.

If the SPOT II has enough GPS satellites in view to know where it is (the status LEDs will tell you that.), it stores its current location when you hit "OK".

It may take up to 10 minutes for the SPOT II to send that location to GlobalStar (SPOT) satellite because they aren't any in view when you hit "OK". The SPOT II stores its last three locations when tracking until it can establish communction with a GS satellite. It will then send the last three locations.