Anyone using SPoT Tracker for Trips?

[Black_dog_bikes]

I just purchased one for my Winter southern tier ride. I think the bread crumb tracking feature is great. It will give friends and family piece of mind during my trip. Also my wife is a Math teacher and she is already thining of ways to include the tracking website on her smart board with Trig questions about satelite triangulation and speed / distance questions for her other math classes.

[mapman]

I just purchased a spot for a cross country trip on the Transam next spring.  I'm taking it to be able to check in every night with friends and family even if my cell phone doesn't work in remote areas.  There are 4 of us going and I'll include each wife on the distribution list. 

I have been around them in the long distance/endurance motorcycle community.  I think over all they are well worth the peace of mind.  The main thing is to use it before the trip and make sure you know how it works before you go.  They are technology and don't work exactly the way you may think.  For instance a friend was using a spot which he turned on and hit the send button.  The transmission always failed.  The problem was he needs to let the Spot locate the satellites after turning it on which may take 5 minutes and then hit the send button.  It works every time that way.  So some poeple just can't figure it out and give up.  Overall though I think that are great.  I seriously doubt many long time users complain about the them.

[buster]

I've owned a "SPOT" of 4 to 5 years. I use it for bike touring and back country canoe trips. The tracking function is a great form of entertainment for friends/workmates who are checking on your progress during your trip. On my bike trips, I tend to keep the SPOT on my person in the event that I land in a ditch/covert as a result of a inattentive driver. The 911 function is somewhat reassuring, and hopefully during such an event I would be of a state of mind were I would have the ability to activate it.

[GCharles]

I have been using a SPOT device for over 2 years now and it is a great device, one of the few electronics that I can honestly say just works.  It is so good that I am still using the first generation of the unit, even though the performance of the new gps chip set is said to be even better.  I have traveled all over North America with it and have had relatively few problems with the device, most of which have now been fixed by the addition of new Satellites, thus increasing coverage areas.  I too have paid the additional money for the rescues service, which I had the unfortunate pleasure of using this past summer on my Atlantic Odyssey trip.

I have a detailed summary of the rescue and some of the issues associated with it on my site, located http://www.wabisabiyourlife.com/2010-altantic-odyssey-journal/2010/9/15/anatomy-of-a-spot-messenger-rescue.html.  Now I was in a Kayak and not on a bike, but I was in a reasonably remote area and the lessons I learned are relative to anyone considering using a SPOT device not only for tracking but also for the 911 feature.

In the end, I continue to use the SPOT messenger because I believe it offers a great combination of features that benefit not only the user but also our family and friends who spend way to much time worrying about us while we are out doing long distance treks.  For that purpose alone it is worth the money.

Happy Holidays,

Glenn

[John Nettles]

I too have paid the additional money for the rescues service, which I had the unfortunate pleasure of using this past summer on my Atlantic Odyssey trip.

I just wanted to check to see if Spot or the Coast Guard charged you anything other than the yearly service agreement for this "rescue"?

Thanks and I thank you for the detailed account of what transpired.

[pptouring]

Great topic! I've been looking at getting a Spot for several months now and yesterday we decided to get one. Mostly so our friends and family can track our tours and Brevets, but I can see where the SOS feature could come in handy.

[tonythomson]

Just had an email back from SPOT which says
"The Spot 1 is larger, heavier, has a weaker GPS chip, but has been rated by some to be more reliable than the Spot 2.
 
The Spot 2 is smaller, lighter, has a stronger GPS chip (which means it will pinpoint your GPS location much faster), includes a 'Custom Message' feature, a 'Message Indicator' light, etc; but as we mentioned earlier some people prefer the Spot 1.
 
If we had to pick one we would say the Spot 2 because in theory it is superior to the Spot 1. In actuality, the Spot 2 is saving lives and keeping friends and loved ones in touch with each other just like the Spot 1, so it really comes down to your individual preference."

Has anyone any thoughts as to which is best - I lean towards the 2 mainly for weight difference.

[CyclesafeSr]

On the GDMBR last summer, I rode part way with a guy who had the older larger cheaper Spot 1.  I had the Spot 2. 

I was always able to connect.  He was occassionally unable to.  I always finished up waaaay before he did and had a confirmation that the message was sent.

The Spot people must have quite an inventory of the Spot 1's which they are almost giving away.  Of course both models require the annual subscription.

The Spot gave my wife great peace of mind that I hadn't yet been wacked by a truck or eaten by a bear.  Of course phoning is better, but Verizon provided a signal only about 20% of the time - dispite their coverage map showing more like 60%.  All Spot's will eventually be replaced by phones as coverage improves.

[pcclark]

Would not leave home without it.  Unless an emergency happens which so far has not happened to me, on the trip itself it is more for the peace of mind of your spouse and friends.  I have some medical issues and my wife and friends seem to worry about me.  Also my friends enjoyed following my progress.  If you are writing a journal and taking pictures, it is a great way of keeping journal entries and pictures organized for the after tour book (haha).  It is not perfect however, sometimes it has difficulty acquiring the necessary satellites and your message does not get sent.  This does not happen very often as long as you follow the advice of the manufacturers.  I have used mine for several years and still think it is worth the price.

[eschlers]

I wonder if renting a SPOT is an option? I think they would be very handy, but I wouldn't want to pay for it when it's just setting the den.

[tanslacks]

I own a spot 2 and it works great.

This is the first site that popped up on a google search. I'm not sure, but at these prices I would probably consider buying one.

http://www.lowergear.com/product.php/id/261