SPOT Personal Tracker
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 List Price: $99.99 Sale Price: $99.99 Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item. Eligible For Free Shipping 
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Product Description
SPOT. THE WORLD'S FIRST SATELLITE MESSENGER.
With the SPOT Satellite Messenger, you and your loved ones have peace of mind knowing help is always within reach. SPOT is the only device of its kind, using the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sending its location with a link to Google Maps™ and a pre-programmed message via a commercial satellite network. And unlike Personal Locator Beacons, SPOT does more than just call for help. Tracking your progress, checking in with loved ones, and non-emergency assistance are also available, all at the push of a button. And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world even where cell phones don't.
Coverage
SPOT works around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa and North Eastern Asia, and hundreds or thousands of miles off-shore of these areas.
Messenger
- ALERT 9-1-1 - Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location
- CHECK IN - Let contacts know where you are and that you're okay
- TRACK PROGRESS - Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using your password and Google Maps™.
- ASK FOR HELP - Request help from friends and family at your exact location.
ALERT 9-1-1:
Use this function In the event of a life threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your exact location and that you need assistance. The GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies worldwide for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe.
HOW IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT will acquire its exact coordinates from the GPS network, and send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minut
Details
- Satellite messenger with GPS tracking for keeping users safe on adventure trips.Purchasing a service plan is required in addition to purchasing the SPOT unit.
- SpotChecking feature alerts friends and family of your precise location
- SpotCasting function lets friends and family follow your progress in real time
- Sends GPS coordinates and distress message to Emergency Response Center
- Satellite technology works around the world; measures 2.75 x 4.38 x 1.5 inches (W x H x D)
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Originally posted 2010-04-18 13:38:30. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Tags: amzn, garmin etrex venture, garmin etrex venture cx, gps, Limo, limo bus, locator, Personal, personal locator beacon, product, spot, tracker
Rating
My husband is an underwater fisherman off the coast of Maine from Sept. to Jan. – weather conditions and the nature of the job are inherently dangerous. Often there is no cell phone coverage.
When he’s out of the water, he hits the button and I get an email and a text so I know he’s out of the water, safe and on dry land. It’s great.
If something ever happened to the boat/him, knowing that he can push the 911 button and rescue services can get to him offers amazing peace of mind.
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This devicde works exactly as described. The directions as to how to enable someone to access the tracking function are not all that great. A brief demo on the web site might be of a help. Once you get it figured out the system is actually pretty simple to operate.
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Please ignore the comments about Globalstar service below, he has no clue about this product. Globalstar is having problems with its duplex service S-band amplifiers which only affects two-way traffic. I should know I have a Globalstar satellite phone. SPOT uses the L-Band uplink (simplex modem) which is used to track trucks etc. this network is running at full efficiency. I have this product and it works better than my expectations. About this product: it is not a personal locator beacon and if you wish to use this solely for emergencies, I would recommend another product. A true personal locator beacon because it works in all conditions and all-terrain (I also own one by ACR). SPOT needs to have an uninterrupted view to the satellite. In other words in heavy canopy this product does not work very well but in broken canopy or in the open this product works great (samething is true with my handheld GPS). I use this product to communicate with family and friends on my progress when backpacking, biking, or just out and about. I do use this product in heavy canopy areas and send a signal when I cross a road or powerline crossing. I still carry my personal locator beacon for real emergencies but this product helps in non-emergency situations. For more operational details you can download the manual at http://www.findmespot.com
My cell phone doesn’t work when I’m away from cell towers or underwater while scuba diving nor in caves. Similarly SPOT will not work if it cannot contact the satellite. As with all communication devices, they all have limits and parameters that they operate in. You should know this before buying any product like this.
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I am a deputy with a county Sheriff’s Search and Rescue patrol and had my first experience with the SPOT unit today. We had two motorcyclist lost in the back country for two days. Once they ran out of gas and food, they activated their SPOT unit. We kept getting messages with their exact location. We were able to locate them quickly and get rescuers to their remote location within hours. They were so far off of their “planned” route that it could have taken us days to find them without the SPOT unit. I wish all of our rescues turned out this good and were this easy to find! I plan on buying units for my loved ones.
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It saved my life the day I got it!
I Cannot Believe The Spot Device Saved My Life The Day I Received It!
I am alive today! I work and ride ATV’s with a great group of friends who all carry a Spot Device. It was an easy choice when I decided to buy the Spot Device, with all the positive words of so many on[...] and my friends. For my birthday a group of us decided on an ATV trip a friend ranch in central Texas. I had ordered the Spot Device at the last minute, hoping the device would get to my house before we left. I was disappointed when I was told the Spot Device was not delivered to the house on Friday, knowing I was leaving early on Saturday morning. To my delight when I left the house at 5:00 am I noticed the package behind the pillar of the front porch. My Spot Device was delivered and now I had little time left to activate it. I logged in to the website and in no time at all my Spot Device was up and running. When the sun came up on my 28th birthday the dirt was flying at the ranch. We rode for 4 to 5 hours before lunch. After lunch we headed down to a creek where the 12 of us were ridding and within 10 minutes of getting wet and muddy at the creek I collided with another rider in mid air. After everybody stopped and realized what happened I had already pressed the 911 button on my device. Some people in the group tried to call 911 and others pressed their 911 buttons. Due to our location no one had cell coverage. A group of riders rode back to the house to call from the house line. To their surprise the 911 operator had spoken to the Spot Operators and Fire and Ambulance services were in route to our location. After the Fire Department arrived I was air lifted to a trauma center. Even though there was more than one device activated mine was the first received by the Spot Operators. The timely notification and fast response of the Fire Department and Life Flight saved my life. Emergency Services give the credit to the Spot Operators for their fast and accurate notification and location of the incident. My Family was also notified and was in communication with the Spot Operators thru the entire ordeal. I cannot thank them enough.
I Still Cannot Believe The Spot Device Saved My Life The Day I Received It!
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I am living in Germany and imported the device from the USA (Bass Pro). It took unfortunately 8 weeks because the German customs was holding it back. I am running the device now for 2 weeks. The activation over the SPOT Web site worked fine. Foreign addresses and credit cards are accepted.
The device works without any problems in Germany.
Beside the messaging (included in the basic subscription for $99.99/year) I also use the tracking service (additional $49.99/year to the basic subscription). The tracking must be re-activated every 24h by pressing the Ok button for 5 seconds. Every 10 minutes the current position is sent to the satellite. This position is very accurate (within a few meters accuracy). In your account (on the SPOT Web site) you can access the messages and the tracking data as KML file (Google tracking format) and also display the positions in Google Maps and Google Earth. So far I like the device very much. In the next months I will use it on my wilderness trips.
Tip for how to publish the tracking data on your own home page: The tracking data is offered through the account that is password protected. I don’t want other people accessing my account. If you have a running PC with network (e.g. permanent DSL) then you can use a Webtool (e.g. iMacros for Firefox) for polling regularly the KML file from the account (be responsible for doing it not too frequently). After that the KML file can be copied over to your home page (e.g. write a small script that uses FTP). Then link it with Google Maps (see http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41136 for instructions). So anyone visiting your home page can watch your live tracking positions in Google Maps (use it e.g. when you are on vacation). Alternatively someone can define a so called “network link” in Google Earth that periodically reads this KML file from your home page.
Tip for the initial activation: If you enter the ESN (equipment serial number) on the Spot Web site for the initial activation, then include the ‘-’ character. Otherwise you get a misleading error message that the device is already in use.
Rating
This is a very nice product for the price.
The features are simple. It sends an email and/or text message saying you are OK. It can also send an email and/or text HELP message. OR, it can call the service emergency response center and they will call local authorities based on your location. Not bad for the price huh. A graduated response. Very good use of existing technology by a creative company that saw a potential market. Apparently, they use a similar technology to track kidnapped executives. Nice market expansion guys.
Trees can cause loss of the satellite signal. Use in a car is unreliable because the windshield attenuates the sat signal or the car itself blocks the satellites. In any case, use on a car dash is spotty. When out in the field, it needs to have a clear view of the sky. The most reliable way to use it is to just position it and leave it for 20min as the manual directs. I is 100% reliable when used as directed. Just be aware of the need to give it an opportunity to get the sat signal.
The tracking on Google maps is cool, but because the unit does not maintain a sat lock when moving, I have gotten inconsistent results. My GPS will give a very good track in comparison.
The extra insurance for a few bucks is cheap insurance. The terms of the insurance coverage are a must read…it takes a lot for them to kick in. But it’s better than nothing, right.
Future iterations of this device need to be smaller and more integrated with the web features. The web based options are still kinda basic. I can see these issues being addressed easily and I would buy a smaller unti with more features…GPS navigation, GPSR/GMRS radio, weather radio, etc,…Integrate.
I am very happy with this device and would recommend it for most locations. It’s fun to use and I hope I never have to use the more serious 911 button and call for emergency response.
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I use the Spot in my airplane so that my wife and business can see where I am. Spot updates my position to the internet every 10 minutes which can then be seen from a private web site. It’s saved me many a headache when I’ve been late as my wife can look online and see that I’m OK and also estimate my arrival time.
The 911 feature which will allert search and rescue to my exact postion is also a potential life saver. Even if the device is destroyed before impact it will have left a trail of postions leading to the final one. Steve Fossett would have been found a lot sooner with a Spot.
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I think we’d had ours for about 3 weeks when we accidentally left it on the roof of the truck on an off road stop. Of course, we did not realize it until we got home. We thought the unit was malfunctioning, as it “moved” about 1 mile overnight. Using the coordinates that the Spot transmitted, our regular GPS, and a picture of where it was located from the Spot website, we were able to locate it the next day… inside a packrat’s nest. The buttons have been chewed on a bit, but it’s still going strong. I certainly don’t worry about it not transmitting my location accurately. Great for when the husband is out in the woods.
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I’ve owned and used a SPOT for a year now. I’ve used it in rain, fog, blizzard and sunshine, in the forest, in the mountains and on the highway. I have used 911 once – it took all of 10 minutes – very fast. SPOT works as advertized. SPOT is adequate for 99% of outdoor adventures and offers capabilities found nowhere else. SPOT is not a replacement for a PLB or EPIRB in all cases – PLBs tend to be more rugged, less position sensitivity, and have higher power transmitters. But carrying a SPOT is a HUGE step forward in responsible backcountry travel. Although I don’t mean to insult anyone, I should point out that the weak link with SPOT (and PLBs) is Search And Rescue. SPOT will get the message out, but whether or not the local SAR will be able to respond is dicey. If you are fortunate enough for SAR to be the US Coast Guard, rest assured that they will respond to SPOT just as fast as SARSAT.
The usage model with SPOT is much different than that of a PLB. Nobody knows where you are or how you are doing with a PLB. With SPOT, there’s no reason not to keep your loved ones informed and doing so will create the electronic bread crumbs enabling SAR to find you if you are unable to activate 911. My point is that if you drop dead of a heart attack while carrying a PLB, nobody knows where to look.
Would I carry a PLB? Only as a backup to SPOT and only if the price comes way down. I would definitely have an EPIRB if I were ocean traveling – but I would still use a SPOT.
Downsides to SPOT? Globalstar financials is the biggest risk. And the user interface on SPOT was obviously designed by engineers and it is a great IQ test. Those who complain about SPOT not working failed the test. SPOT should be enhanced to support more people.
I have more usage info and tips at the following
https://sites.google.com/site/hobbyhintstricksideas/Home/spot-messenger-information