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Old 07-08-2016, 01:42   #31
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

We have a Spot One and a Spot 2. Both are fantastic for what they do, that is, keeping your family and friends aware of your location and also as an emergency system (of course we have not tested this). We use for 4WD trips in the Australian outback as well as sailing. For the past 10 days we were in the Northern Territory and could let our family know where we stayed each night. I have linked to both our Facebook page as well as our web site. At least five our of friends also have them.
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Old 07-08-2016, 03:36   #32
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

And that, clownfishsydney, is exactly what I am looking for. Does one or two basic functions well for what is intended for, in additional to being affordable. Thank you everyone for all of the useful feedback! Much appreciated!
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Old 13-08-2016, 02:40   #33
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Can anyone suggest a global tracker only? We are leaving our twins ashore as they go off to 'varsity and would like them to be able to see where we are at any time. We have voice comms via sat 'phone but if there is an affordable, global, tracker we would love to know.
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Old 13-08-2016, 06:54   #34
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Older Spot generations are tracker only.

AIS is tracker only if you are where AIS is being actively tracked (mostly not too farr offshore and mostly big harbours/civilised places).

Etc.

You can have a mobile phone tracker too all along the civilised coasts. There are special apps that take care of it.

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Old 13-08-2016, 07:55   #35
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulawayo View Post
Can anyone suggest a global tracker only? We are leaving our twins ashore as they go off to 'varsity and would like them to be able to see where we are at any time. We have voice comms via sat 'phone but if there is an affordable, global, tracker we would love to know.
Yellowbrick or Delorme inreach. Both use Iridium so they are global.
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Old 13-08-2016, 08:06   #36
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulawayo View Post
Can anyone suggest a global tracker only? We are leaving our twins ashore as they go off to 'varsity and would like them to be able to see where we are at any time. We have voice comms via sat 'phone but if there is an affordable, global, tracker we would love to know.
Bulawayo,

If you are out of AIS tracking range [or don't broadcast AIS] and you have text or email capability with your mobile and/or sat phones, you can send a simple position reports to Farkwar at no additional cost. [This is what we do...] That way you get a map with your comments embedded with each position report, if desired.

If you don't already have an efficient and effective email service on your sat phone, you may want to investigate UUplus. That way you get more for your tracking budget since you can use UUplus to pull weather products, send/receive email, text messaging, position reporting, etc.

We can configure UUplus to send a position report automatically as often as we want... And it works with cell or sat phones [or WiFi for that matter...]

If you are interested in more details, you may find them on the Satellite Communications page on our blog.

Best wishes finding what is right for your needs.

Cheers! Bill
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Old 13-08-2016, 08:20   #37
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

there are areas not covered by spot. mid pacific, per jeff hartjoy,m and mid atlantic per sailors who have btdt.
my first generation is and does exactly that which it is purported to doing. no problem and is a tad more accurate than my garmin gps. there is even an emergency feature. wow.
friends and family are able to put together a track for my use at a later date. lets my family know where to send the cat food in case of emergency.
for my mom i use my spot with each passage i make. for anyone else it is entertainment. see boatmanś passages..h aha h aha ha, damnthings work just fine.
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Old 13-08-2016, 12:40   #38
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Thank you, Hoppy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hoppy View Post
Yellowbrick or Delorme inreach. Both use Iridium so they are global.
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Old 13-08-2016, 12:53   #39
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Hi Bill.
One forum members has derided us for not being with the 21st Century but we happily embrace useful tech such as you have posted. Its sometimes challenging whilst out of first world area's. Your info is incredibly useful; we do have Iridium already. Many thanks.


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Originally Posted by wrwakefield View Post
Bulawayo,

If you are out of AIS tracking range [or don't broadcast AIS] and you have text or email capability with your mobile and/or sat phones, you can send a simple position reports to Farkwar at no additional cost. [This is what we do...] That way you get a map with your comments embedded with each position report, if desired.

If you don't already have an efficient and effective email service on your sat phone, you may want to investigate UUplus. That way you get more for your tracking budget since you can use UUplus to pull weather products, send/receive email, text messaging, position reporting, etc.

We can configure UUplus to send a position report automatically as often as we want... And it works with cell or sat phones [or WiFi for that matter...]

If you are interested in more details, you may find them on the Satellite Communications page on our blog.

Best wishes finding what is right for your needs.

Cheers! Bill
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Old 13-08-2016, 15:25   #40
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

Inreach does everything spot does, Plus two way texting and weather. Why would you ever buy a spot? Ours inreach was fantastic for our three month cruise from Texas to Bahamas earlier this year.
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Old 13-08-2016, 17:34   #41
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

The InReach has worked great for us. And we've been many places in the Northeast US with no cell coverage. We're going back to one tomorrow, and probably won't see a cell signal for at least the next couple of days.

Our whole trip, at 10 minute intervals, is on the DeLorme web site. It's easy to zoom in on one section or zoom out to see the whole thing. We post messages there when out of cell range.

We also send and receive text messages to and from family and friends using our cell phone and the InReach (via bluetooth) when we don't have cell coverage. The folks back home expect it. And we've texted back and forth with the yard manager when we were having repair work done in one of those cell phone "dead zones." In those areas the InReach is our only means of non-emergency communication. I wouldn't be without it when cruising.
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Old 14-08-2016, 03:48   #42
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

If you are also thinking of using the spot as a personal locator beacon-i.e
If you go overboard, I would consider something beefier. The 12v attachment cable port is covered by just a press-on rubber fitting, which is easy to tear off both the port and the unit. The waterproof nature of the SPOT, per the manual, depends on this cover being in place. Think about how easy it would be to lose the cover in a situation that would take you overboard, or just being in the water. Even taking it out of the pocket I had for it would jostle the cover loose. I advised SPOT this was why I was not re-upping and they said that the unit was really more of a land thing.

I used a SPOT 3 for my six month single handing trip where I was the only boat present for up to two weeks at a time, multi night crossings, etc. Checking in was sometimes a burden as it could take 20+ minutes to confirm the message was sent.

I cruised with a friend who had a Delorme and it was such a better product, fixing the issues I described above, and with the additional benefit of working as a communication device.

Finally, I actually did want to download my GPS tracks as an exhibit for my trip, but spot wipes them. So get to a place with internet every week or lose them - of course the reason you have a spot is probably because you are in a place without internet ...

All in all, my parents appreciated the check in messages, I'm glad I never had to test it in an MOB situation.

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Old 15-08-2016, 08:26   #43
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

For all those frustrated by the Spot website and limited position reports - there is an easy solution that will track an around the world voyage (at least in the spot coverage areas!) without losing any of the weigh points. Check out:

https://www.followmychallenge.com/en/
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Old 06-09-2016, 12:13   #44
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

I have used spot for ten years now with the first generation device. It works fine most of the time but sometimes messages do not go through so you must send more often and expect that a few messages won't make it.

One major flaw, they do not have reception in French Polynesia! Stops working 1000 miles east of Tahiti and will not work again till you reach New Caledonia. Check out their reception area map on their website.


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Old 06-09-2016, 12:49   #45
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Re: SPOT Gen3 GPS Tracker

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Originally Posted by svfinnishline View Post
For all those frustrated by the Spot website and limited position reports - there is an easy solution that will track an around the world voyage (at least in the spot coverage areas!) without losing any of the weigh points. Check out:

https://www.followmychallenge.com/en/
If this is from folks unaffiliated with SPOT, how do they expect to get better coverage than SPOT does? If this service IS from folks affiliated with SPOT, then I have no faith in their ability to track these units, based on my experience with a Gen3 unit. And if they expect to be paid for the tracking, shame on them.
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