SPOT Fills a Need Between Cell Phones and Emergency Beacons
The SPOT satellite messenger provides a unique set of satellite communication options combined with GPS location capability to permit sending of "I'm okay," tracking, and help messages when you are out of cell phone range. SPOT's Web and e-mail interface provide users with a range of options for setting up communications with pre-arranged contacts. SPOT is a relatively new product, but has already been credited with saving lives in the backcountry.
If your work or play takes you into the backcountry and out of cell phone range at any time of the year, you've probably thought about emergency communication. If you spend extended time in extreme and remote locations, you may have even considered options such as a satellite phone, an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (maritime EPIRB); or personal locator beacon (PLB).
Satellite phones are costly, and emergency beacons such as EPIRBs or PLBs are "all or nothing" devices that bring a full emergency response. SPOT is designed to give you another, more versatile choice, by providing more communication and response options at a reasonable cost. A SPOT unit has a suggested retail price of $169, and the basic satellite subscription service sells for $99-149 per year. There are some additional service and pricing options I'll discuss on my next post of this review.
I use a SPOT satellite messenger during all my outdoor travels, and was impressed with its overall utility and feature set. It is a valuable tool and "safety net" for the backcountry adventurer. I spend a lot of time in wilderness areas training or working on search & rescue missions with our regional Search & Rescue Team. Many of us carry a SPOT to keep in touch with the home front so they know we are OK. My family can track our location anytime and I can send a OK message, for that extra peace of mind. If you ever get to play and work in areas that have poor cell phone coverage or none at all , the simple fact is that, you still have a communication means. The SPOT is a valuable tool but as with any other tool it can have limitations. I've noticed a few negative blogs or comments made about the SPOT out on the web. Remember it is a tool and can fail or be operated by someone that did not really understand how to use the SPOT or has unrealistic expectations of the SPOT service. Now, with that said, I trust my SPOT with my wife on her trips out of town. I know that during her travels she will not have cell phone coverage for 100 miles. Do I depend on the SPOT as a sole form of communications and preparedness, NO! Like I said earlier it is a tools that can be used but you need to have an alternate plan in place also. Have a plan communicated in written form to a reliable family member or friend. The biggest part of this plan is your detailed travel plans and expected arrival. Make your arrival time realistic. You will need to call your contact person when you arrive at your destination. What is great about our SPOT is that my family or I can track the travel of the SPOT. If for some reason I loose SPOT signal or they don't check-in or arrive at the destination, I at least have a last know position to work from to find them.
Before the trip or adventure....SPOT strongly recommends that you send and verify an OK/Check message before using your SPOT on your journeys. At a minimum, you must send a check OK message to obtain a GPS fix:
· On first use
· Anytime you have traveled more than 600 miles
· Anytime you have changed the batteries
· Anytime you have not used the unit for over two (2) weeks
To learn more and see how to do a test procedure, click Read More.
List your own cell phone (if you have text capability) in your OK contacts.
To run the check or reingage a GPS Fix:
1) Press the ON/OFF button
2) Wait 2 seconds
3) Press OK and place outside with a clear view of the sky
4) Wait until the LED above the OK button goes off (can be up to 20 minutes).You have now completed the GPS Fix / System Evaluation cycle. If after 4 minutes, the LEDs above the ON/ OFF and OK button start to blink out-of-synch instead of in unison, you still do not have a GPS fix. If you haven’t used your unit recently it may still be updating the almanac or it might not see the 4 GPS satellites required to obtain a GPS fix, so it is highly recommended that you MOVE to a different location with a clearer view of the sky in order to get a GPS fix, and repeat Steps 1) through 4). The LEDs above the ON/OFF and OK button should blink at the same time until they go out if you have successfully obtained a GPS fix. Optimally, you run the test in cell phone range and can ensure that your cell phone received the text message with your lat/long location.
Keep it safe and have fun...
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