Spot, Spot II, Spot Connect

[Astral Blue]

While I do not own a SPOT unit nor have friends who own one, a friend pointed me to this post recently. In this situation, SPOT was off by 17 miles! If this is true, I find it unacceptable -- even if it has already been corrected. Here is the post.

Assuming this account is true, it would be enough to discourage me from purchasing a SPOT unit and relying on it if an emergency arises. I might use it to let my friends know where I am, but that's it.

For emergencies, EPIRB units are proven to be reliable.

[onestepcsy37]

we've had the original spot for several years now. works great in florida and the bahamas, our cruising grounds. use it once a day to let the kids/family/friends know
we're still alive. got it after number one daughter called the coast guard when she hadn't heard from us in 24 hours.....

[four winds]

Recently activated my SPOT while placed on the bridge deck in the cockpit, just for function verification as I haven't used it in a while.

With a new Google Earth image in place recently, my boat is visible.

The location mark was 'spot' on, in the cockpit of my boat.


edit,... just looked again, actually it is about five feet off.

[RUSTYNAIL]

Ooops, I need to be more specific, about EPIRBs "activate when wet"... most newer 406 EPIRBs, (not PLB's) have a small magnet in the bracket somewhere so they don't activate when wet until they come out of their bracket, manually or by the Category I bracket's hydrostatic release that releases the EPIRB between 1 and 3 meters below the water surface. Some boaters have taken their EPIRBs in their dinghy in a ditch bag w/o the bracket and when they got wet, they unknowingly activated. If you want to find your bracket's magnet, get a paper clip and hang it from a string when the EPIRB is removed. The bracket magnet keeps a very small reed switch inside the EPIRB in the electrically open position while the EPIRB is in the bracket unless it is manually turned on...Sorry about getting away from SPOT.

[IslandHopper]

I have no idea what anyone here is talking about......

[four winds]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

I have no idea what anyone here is talking about......

No worries, no matter what we think we know, sooner or later, we are wrong.

SPOT SATELLITE MESSENGER :: HOME PAGE

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by four winds

No worries, no matter what we think we know, sooner or later, we are wrong.

SPOT SATELLITE MESSENGER :: HOME PAGE

Your a champ....

[Cormorant]

We have a Spot 2 that works very well for sending a daily OK message to family when we're cruising -- which, sad to say, is only about 3 weeks a year, most years.

What bugs me is the annual $100+ subscription cost. I wish they offered a "Pay as You Go" plan -- maybe a month for $15, or based on a per-message rate ($1 per OK?), so that infrequent users pay less than someone who uses the satellites every day all year long.

Still, a great service, and a miracle of modern technology. I can only hope that prices will drop as more competitors enter the market.

[Cormorant]

I should add that one week a year I take our boat out on a solo cruise. During that time I keep the Spot strapped to my arm in case I should somehow fall overboard or suffer some other disaster. Great peace of mind for me, and for my wife.

[ovrmyhead]

Originally Posted by Ram

I have a spot for sale $30 its yours works perfect!

Buy it! I have the original spot, works great for everybody back home. We spend a lot of time in places you cant get enough reception for skype and it lets them all know we are doing ok. My Mother says she feels like a super spy zooming right in to where I am. Thinks she can see the top of my head when I'm sitting in an open air coffee shop, I dont want to quell her excitement so I dont mention how old the shots are that she is seeing

[Bash]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

I have no idea what anyone here is talking about......

We've always found this to be your most endearing quality.

[SailboatLarry]

Is there a way to force my friends spot to send me his location? I was getting updates @ 0900 hours daily. Today at 1300 hours still no mail. We had weather and I am a bit worried. Do they normally send at the same time daily?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SailboatLarry

Is there a way to force my friends spot to send me his location? I was getting updates @ 0900 hours daily. Today at 1300 hours still no mail. We had weather and I am a bit worried. Do they normally send at the same time daily?

Not sure. Think it is a passive tech. If a beep is missed, you call/sms your clients/friends to beep you an extra beep or else you wait patiently for next sched.

b.

[SailboatLarry]

Thanks For the reply. I am sure they are fine as long as a cuban gunboat didnt spot them...
They are very annoying. I am sure no nation or pirate would keep them in custody long.
But I still love them Two 70yo sailors are out there doing it. Hope I am sailing at 70.

[SailboatLarry]

OK I was just informed that there is a dead spot of the western tip of Cuba. Starting about 40 miles north of Havana all the way past the western tip.