Anyone here ever use the Spot GPS Messenger platform? I'm looking at options for my upcoming Alaska trip.

Any insight appreciated.

 

I've got one.
Spot has had a few problems with some units, but mine has always worked fine. If you had a bad unit, you had to send it in and wait for a replacement. I know some guys who bought their "bad" units at REI and just went back to the store and were handed a new one. I bought mine from REI just because of that ability to walk in and exchange it if needed.
I got the tracking and the search and rescue insurance on mine. I figured a helicopter ride would cost more than the 12.95 for S&R insurance.

 

Thanks mcrider. I'm looking at the messenger or the Spot Connect. The Connect work through your smart phone via bluetooth for more enhanced messaging. I like the idea of the Messenger being independent of my phone.

And yes, I'd buy the SAR insurance too.

 

Yup. We use them at work as a man-check system for guys working alone out in the bush. The first generation didn't have the track mode and weren't always that reliable in certain remote locations. The new ones seem to work better and the track mode is great if you have someone on the other end actually checking on you. We had one faulty unit and it was replaced no questions asked at the dealer. I'm not familiar with the Connect option; the reason we use the SPOT device is because we're working in locations where there is no cell coverage.

Have a good trip.

 

I just bought one for snowmobiling and biking. I ride a lot on my own and the piece of mind is nice. I have been testing locally and it does what it says it will do.

I considered the Connect option by that then requires two functioning electronic devices. The SPOT unit is not hard on the batteries but the cell phone can be. Especially when riding in areas with poor or no cell reception. For that reason I did not go that way.

 

I have the SPOT Messenger. Got the 2nd generation one last Xmas and have had zero problems with it. There were some issues with the 1st generation ones. I take it whenever I'm out on a ride by myself and on overnight trips. It was a great tool on my last big road trip and used it every day for about 10 hours at a time. The 4 Li AAA batteries lasted about 10 days. Sent a couple of worry-warts an "I'm okay" message at lunch and when we stopped every day and they really liked getting those. I also had some people follow our route on SPOTAdventures. We left from Dallas and rode up to Milwaukee...up the UP and back down towards and through TN and back home...around 3700 miles and never once did it fail to find a satellite except when I was underneath something solid. I just clipped it to my luggage or put it in the map sleeve of my tank bag - it needs a pretty clear view of the sky.

As you know, you will often find yourself in areas of zero cell coverage and it's a great tool in-case something bad happens. Remember that Winger who went missing last year in Wyoming? That's what convinced me to get one since they probably would've found his body much sooner had he had the tracker. He wouldn't have been saved, but it would've given his family/friends a quicker resolution.

The Spot connect you speak of...is it the newest one that is just about to be released any day now? I just read the info on that the other day and was very interested in its ability to work with a Smartphone (the website only lists compatibility with Android - no other phones are listed) because it allows you to use the phone to type in messages while out on the road. As you probably know, the Messengers send custom messages but you have to set up what they will say and who they'll go to before-hand on your computer. That may not sound like a big deal but one of the options is a non-emergency "send help" button. It could be used for either a mechanical or medical problem and so how would your contacts know whether to send Roadside or an Ambulance for a non-life threatening situation? If I were you, and I believe you have an Android, I'd definitely go with the Connect. It solves my biggest complaint with the unit...of course, I have an iPhone so for now, it's not an option.

Next time, I'm buying the medical evac insurance they offered when I set it up. Figured out too late (offer had expired) what a good deal it was. For your trip especially, you might look into that.

 

I also have the 2nd generation SPOT Messenger. Used it on my Alaska trip in June 2010. It worked great over the 11,660 miles in 29 days. Had a shared web site for the tracking. My family and friends really liked the tracking. I used the canned messages to start my day and to send a message when I stopped for the night. Auto tracking was on for the travel time. Had one message for my HOG roadside assistance and of course the 911 message (fortunately did not need to use either of those!). Also bought mine at REI. Used a RAM mount on the handlebar.

 

I have one and I have the tracker service option so friends can see where you are and you can save your trips called Spot Adventures. http://www.spotadventures.com/user/p...?user_id=52230 I use a Ram Mount, my only complaint is that the service is not 100 percent realiable, there are times I see how the tracking as been lost and then it will resume looking like you traveled in a straight line from A to B, still happy to have and it gives me a little peace of mind; I also purchased the optional insurance.

 

One other thing.
I tether my Spot to my person. I want it to be with me in case of a get off. I might be a long ways from the bike or unable to move to get back to the bike to activate the Spot.
I also keep my phone in a jacket pocket for the same reason, although it is bluetoothed to my communication system.
Just a thought?

 

It's out now, but Spot can't quote any rates for the message service and the app isn't available yet. The purpose for which I will have this or a similar device is too important for me to blindly rely on unproven bleeding edge technology. That said, I like the flexibility to send custom messages with the Connect. But I also like the fact that the Messenger doesn't rely on an external device (my phone) to function. I can keep my Android phone charged as I have two cigarette lighter and two USB ports in my right glove box. But if I hit the ground hard, I suspect the Messenger would be more able to take the blow and still function than my Samsung Epic phone would be. I also wonder if the Connect has the ability to send a 911 message without a Smartphone if needed. I have plenty of time before my ride for the Spot folks to sort it out.

The video shows an iPhone and mentions compatibility with the iPod Touch also.

I'm definitely taking that!

Great minds think alike!

So please explain something on the messaging for me. Are the canned messages preset by Spot, or can you create them and upload them to the device? If you can create them, do you upload them to the Messenger itself via USB or to the Spot website? Can you edit the recipient list on the fly, assuming you have a PC with which to connect to the Messenger? I will have a small tablet PC with me with which I could edit my messages and send them from the middle of nowhere when I'm camping. But, if the Messenger just prompts the Spot network to send a message stored on their servers to my recipients then I would need Internet access in order to edit those messages. The Spot people aren't very forthcoming or those with whom I've spoken just don't know about how it works.

Satellite uplink bandwidth is very expensive. It makes business sense that the Messenger would just send a standard length uplink message to the Spot servers and they would sort out the details and forward the proper messages to the intended recipients and Spot Adventures site. This would partially explain why Spot hasn't released any plan costs yet.

Any insight appreciated!