Spot etc?

[Don Newcomb]

Part of the issue with SPOT may have something to do with the GlobalStar satellite system on which it relies. GlobalStar has had some problems with their satellites going bad. Most voice customers have abandoned GlobalStar in favor of Iridium, INMARSAT or other satellite service because of service holes, which result in dropped calls. Now, this should not directly impact messaging services, like SPOT. However, you may have to wait for a satellite to pass by before the message can be sent. I also am given to understand that periods of high sunspot activity adversely impact GlobalStar.

[Shutterbug]

Do you have one or are you just going on other peoples reviews?

I have been using my spot 2 for a couple of years and I have never had a message not go through.

My wife however knows not to worry unless she receives a help message.

Just the fact that I have it makes her life easier, especially when I have the kids with me. That makes it well worth the cost to me.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I have been a Spot user since they first came out. I was a strong advocate for Spot until I actually needed it. Last year in October, I was hiking the Clear Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon. A member of my party had a life-threatening medial emergency. The one and only time I have needed the SOS feature, it was not received. Apparently, the signal was blocked by the canyon walls. It wasn't a failure of the Spot device. It was an issue of the positioning of the satellite at the time. My criticism is the Spot doesn't show whether the message was received or not. Fortunately, my friend recovered and I got him out without a helicopter rescue, but it could have gone the other way. I have now switched to the Delorme Inreach because it has two way communication. It sends and receives messages. If an SOS doesn't get out, I will know that it was not received.

[Don Newcomb]

.....The one and only time I have needed the SOS feature, it was not received. Apparently, the signal was blocked by the canyon walls. It wasn't a failure of the Spot device. It was an issue of the positioning of the satellite at the time. .....

This was something I thought about after it was too late to edit my previous post. All satellite systems have issues with positioning. With geosynchronous satellites you need a direct view of the satellite's fixed position somewhere off towards the equator. If you are on the wrong side of the mountain you may have to hike all the way around before you can get a connection. LEO satellites OTOH are constantly moving around. Unless you have a clear 360º view you may not be able to hold a continuous connection. However, with a messaging system like SPOT you don't need to hold a long connection, just a few seconds can be enough. Having said that, a place like the Grand Canyon is the worst possible place to try to use a system like SPOT. You would have to catch the satellite almost directly overhead for it to work.

[Another Kevin]

Part of the issue with SPOT may have something to do with the GlobalStar satellite system on which it relies. GlobalStar has had some problems with their satellites going bad. Most voice customers have abandoned GlobalStar in favor of Iridium, INMARSAT or other satellite service because of service holes, which result in dropped calls. Now, this should not directly impact messaging services, like SPOT. However, you may have to wait for a satellite to pass by before the message can be sent. I also am given to understand that periods of high sunspot activity adversely impact GlobalStar.

For what it's worth, Delorme InReach uses Iridium.

[dirtypaws]

I have had a Delorme Inreach for the past two years. I do a lot of solo hikes in my area and my wife and children feel a lot better just knowing that I have a means to contact them while out and about. They also like the idea that I can call in the calvary if I really get into trouble. Well worth the price just for the peace of mind and the fact that without something like this they might not let me roam the woods alone.

Fwish - what's your experience been with the inreach? Have been looking at that or the newer Inreach SE for an emergency locator (would still carry my cell phone). It seems to be more reliable than the SPOT in terms of connectivity, but it definitely costs more.

[Maui Rhino]

Dirtypaws, I have been very happy with my inReach paired with my cell phone. It has reliably sent and received messages, even when I was camped at the bottom of a cliff several hundred feet high. I turn it on at sunset, send a message to check in with the wife, get a reply back that my wife and kids are okay and turn it off. I'm usually done in a few minutes. The peace of mind is fantastic for my wife. Wife happy, life happy. The map package for my phone is not that good compared to my backcountry navigator pro app, however, so I don't use it for navigation. It could work in a pinch, though. I upgraded from a Spot I system which never worked in my area at all.

[Don Newcomb]

For what it's worth, Delorme InReach uses Iridium.

Does that mean that the InReach has global coverage. Despite it's name, GlobalStar's coverage is not actually global. So, I assume that SPOT only works in some regions.

[Coffee]

I used the Spot 2-3 times per day on the JMT. Based on my review of what got through, I would say that close to all of the messages got through when I waited the recommended 20 minutes after the message light first appears. This lets the spot go through its full cycle (I believe it tries to send three times). A few times I didn't wait and I know that at least one of those messages did not make it.

Spot out is quite primitive and really needs some firm confirmation of a successful message but I would use it again even with the limitations since it provided peace of mind to family members and also was fun for them as they charted my progress on the maps.

[Don Newcomb]

Looking around, the InReach SE would seem to be the best such system around. It has the advantages of being a rugged, stand-alone unit that has global coverage and bidirectional communications. Even in the worst location (a canyon on the equator) you can wait until you see the signal as the satellite passes overhead and send and receive messages then.