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 I just discovered a very cool device called a Spot Satellite Messenger, Spot for short. This thing acts like a personal locator beacon but is lighter and more useful. If you're not familiar with a personal locator beacon it's a device that has one function - call for help. It uses satellites so it works almost anywhere. It transmits a signal that is received through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). Some of these devices have built-in GPS units so the signal that is transmited includes information to locate you. Others just emit a signal that a rescue effort can triangulate once they get into the area.
I own one of the PLBs from ACR and carry it with me when I hike alone. It weighs almost a pound but it is nice for peace of mind. The model I have doesn't appear to be sold anymore and the newer models are lighter but they still weigh around 12oz.
Now a company has announced this thing called Spot which has the ability to signal for help but it also has the ability to send messages to the person of your choice saying that you are OK. The concerned person back at the ranch can look up your location on the Spot website, complete with a map, even when you are not in a desperate situation and Spot only weighs 7.4 oz!
According to the Spot website the device will be available in November and it will cost $149 (a bit better than the $300+ I spent on my PLB). The Spot device will also require a $99/year subscription - still not too bad. |
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| Published by rwhitney in gear |
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I'd say it's different than a PLB not better. A PLB is strictly for life and limb emergency situations. As such it transmits a strong 5 Watt distress signal that will reach through a tree canopy and bad weather. Also, while most PLBs have GPS receivers, the GPS is the secondary means of location identification (primary is doppler). If you've ever been in the forest or in bad weather with your GPS, you know the limitations. SPOT is a neat device but should only be considered an emergency device after careful consideration of the limitations. |
Submitted on by Kevin Stoltz |
I am with SPOT, Inc.
I think it's worth clarifying that the transmitting power of SPOT vs a PLB has little to do with the overall reliability and performance of either unit. PLB's need to transmit at the rate they use in order to reach the satellites they use which are much higher the sky than the satellites SPOT uses. SPOT uses the Globalstar Simplex Data Network. Those satellites are only 876 miles above earth, and are designed to work with the 400 mW power that SPOT uses.
You can find out more at http://www.findmespot.com |
Submitted on by John Dark |
Here's an interesting first look of the SPOT by a survival skills expert: http://www.equipped.org/SPOT_ORSummer2007.htm |
Submitted on by WildeGeek | website |
In the Far North-West (Yukon) we just got rid of our GlobalStar phones becasue of unreliable reception from those sattelites. I purchase Irridium Sat Phones which have proven to be much more reliable. So....SPOT sounds great , unless you are in Alaska or Yukon. |
Submitted on by Jacob Balmer |
$99 a year is ok? You don't have that with the ACR. And The Globalstar network it runs off hasn't been getting good press. The industry standard is the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system . Commercial, general aviation and even the military will be on the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system. Globalstar is ok for the continental U.S. but not anywhere else. Be sure and do your homework before you make a purchase. Lower price doesn't always equal better value...especially when your life is on the line. |
Submitted on by Frank |
I wouldn't trust my life with spot, But i guess if you want a cheap version of a sat phone its okay, Any copas/sarsat beacon will launch search and rescue in 5 minutes. Not to mention spots transmitter is less than that of a cell phone "0.2 watts" and beacons like Microplb or Microfix puts out 5 watts. If your under a tree when you use it i don't see how it would hit a bird? |
Submitted on by John Koehler |
I've been using one of these SPOT messengers for several trips now. I agree that the transmitter is weak. However, I've found it useful to communicate at the start and the end of each day where I am. I just find a good open area and send an Ok signal. I've found the tracking feature (one ping every ten minutes) to be very unreliable while hiking. |
Submitted on by rwhitney | website |
Please give me more detail about this and where to mpurchase |
Submitted on by Mokhtar Hj Bahnan |
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