Need SPOT locator advice ASAP -Help!

[billcoe]

My wife wants to get me a Spot or Spot 2.

Spot One: http://www.climbmaxmountaineering.com/spot-personaltracker.aspx

Spot Two: http://www.rei.com/product/784892

 

I go running around in all kinds of strange places alone all the time. She thinks this will help me out - in case, or rather, when, I screw the pooch. Which she believes will be the situation sooner or later. Of course, I'm not different than anyone else here in that we all think we are invincible and impervious to any problems. I often change plans at the last moment. Occasionally see a mountain from the top of another mountain and spontaneously head over that way. I am often the only person who knows even remotely where I am, and even then sometimes even I don't know where that is. Less distance is traveled now of course, so I'd be easier to track, than when I was younger and in better shape.

 

Last year I came millimeters of doing an Aaron Ralson on my leg while still 100' off the deck. I'd done a rappel to a nice ledge that had a sizable rock on it approx. half way down a cliff. A large, crotch high, boulder in fact: which should have trundled straight off the cliff, but instead pivoted when I yanked on it and in what appeared to be a malevolent chase scene straight out of a Hollywood thriller, followed me around like an insane killer after a damsel in distress as I pulled back and swung towards the cliff to avoid it. By some strange twist of fate, it followed me right around and then slammed into the cliff, pinning my entire leg: yet allowed me a large enough clearance point that I could pull my leg out of the small hole it left. This, of course, took some extreme contortions to get the leg out as the boulder wasn't going to be moving anytime soon. I would have been less concerned as these contortions were occurring had any of my buddies known where I was.....or if there had been a human within screaming, crying, and little girl noises distance. Normally all that crying and wimpering does is attract a hungry Cougar, yet I was up on a cliff, and could laugh at that irrational fear this time. Perhaps even if I had a cell phone handy AND there was coverage:-) Beyond all that, as a background, I have a little bit of anguish and philosophical issue over going into the back county, screwing up, and then relying on technology to bail me out.....but then again, it may be better than sawing my leg off next time I meet an angry boulder that has my name on it.

 

Anyway, I don't know anyone with the Spot, or Spot 2 except my old partner, he's ambivalent but his wife supports it. Mine wants to be buying me one in the next day or so. I'm indifferent, especially when I see the $99.00 annual fee. We all die, and I don't know if I really am worth that, given those conflicting philosophical issues I mentioned above.

 

What can you all add to this idea of a Spot personal locator? Do you have one or know anyone with one? What is their experience? My old climbing partner's wife put this idea in my wife's head over pizza recently cause I think he's even crazier than me. He has the spot now I think, but may have upgraded to the Spot 2. Seems like a waste of money to me. What do you think?

[Rad]

If it makes your wife sleep better and she's paying for it what do you have to lose? When she's happy you're happy, remember?!?

[Drederek]

watched 'Touching the Void' last nite, if you're as tough as Joe Simpson you don't need one.

[Bug]

I hear they are as big as that boulder that pinned you.

[John_Scurlock]

I recommend you read this (which I originally saw in kitplanes magazine):

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9839898-1.html

 

I have a SPOT, my experiences are similar to the reviewer.

I also carry an ACR plb:

http://www.acrelectronics.com/

 

I use the SPOT for tracking, but the ACR plb is the gold standard for rescue.

[Pilchuck71]

I have heard debates within the rescue community about the precision of the SPOT. If memory serves me well, it seems most of the discussion was about the fact that a SPOT has put rescuers way off course due to less than optimal triangulation. I think everyone I have spoken to was referencing the SPOT1.

I think Rad has it though.

If your wife is happy.....

I have never had need for the Avalanche Beacon I carry but it is better than not having it and it makes my girl alot happier.

[wfinley]

I have the original Spot & have tested the OK feature all over Alaska and Wyoming. It works well and is small and light enough that I toss it in my pack on day trips just in case something happens. The new version is even tinier and in my opinion well worth the money. Being able to send an email or text message to your wife, dog sitter or whatever that says "I'm fine but won't be home tonight." is pretty nice.

 

As for issues with reliability in terms of sending a signal - it's no different then a sat phone or GPS. If you understand how to use devices like GPS or sat phones and know enough to be in an area with a clear view of the sky and not be in a deep valley or whatever then it works great.

 

In short... if I'm doing a big trip (i.e. fly-in alaska range or whatever) I carry a sat phone -- but if I'm doing a ski-in or backpacking trip or even a long day trip where we'll be 10 or so miles from a trailhead I carry my spot.

[Ryan Canfield]

i had to use the spot unit back in May on Mt. Shuksan. It sent the rescuers off course to a point where we were about a half mile away from.

 

They found us but it wasn't as precise as we hoped. I'd recommend the ACR units as they seem more reliable and heavy duty. Plus they don't have an annual fee, however they are more expensive...

[justinp]

Given the cost of the unit compared to a good GPS I would be suspect at the ability of the unit to precisely triangulate ones location. This seems to be the case when people have used them in the past. I looked into these a year or so ago and decided to hold off. They offer a chance to buy "rescue insurance" when the unit is purchased. After reading the fine print I came to the conclusion that it was a scam. So if you do go with one of these I would opt out of the insurance. If within a half mile is good enough for you then this may be a cheap and easy way to give your wife some piece of mind.

 

 

[ScaredSilly]

Bill, a friend used a spot on Denali and I was with him when we did a run up Rainier. IMHO the spot is fine for checking in so to speak but to be honest if I am up a river of excrement in a native american vessel without any means of propulsion I want a PLB

 

The new McMurdo is my choice:

 

http://www.rei.com/product/791972

 

 

BTW remember the fine print on the SPOT- Service Fee: $99.99 USD annual. Optional features include automatic tracking service (SPOTcasting) and guaranteed extraction service for countries or regions with non-responsive emergency services.

 

Hmm, the wife asked me what I wanted for xmas ... might have to suggest this unit.

 

PS I ran into Aaron Ralston last month down in the Utah desert.

[Pilchuck71]

Bill -

I just saw an ad for Big 5 sporting goods. SPOT for 49.99 after mail in rebate.

I do not know if you have those in your area or not but that is a sweet price.

 

[ASmith]

I have one, has always worked as promised. A happy wife is a happy life!

[Hampton]

FYI - the sale at Big 5 is for the older SPOT 1. I've seen this price point ($49.99) elsewhere as retailers try to clear old inventory. The newer SPOT 2 is more expensive.

 

Bill -

I just saw an ad for Big 5 sporting goods. SPOT for 49.99 after mail in rebate.

I do not know if you have those in your area or not but that is a sweet price.

[lazyalpinist]

I've owned both the Spot (original) and the Spot II. Spot II is significantly smaller, lighter, uses AAA batteries (like my headlamp and avy beacon) and is more useful. The Spot II is supposed to have better connecting ability too. (A major complaint on the original spot.) I haven't been using the Spot II long enough to make an accurate assessment about its connectivity.

 

I think the Spot II is worth it for the battery compatibility alone. Of course if your headlamp takes AA batteries...

 

Unlike the original, the Spot II has the ability to send two different non-emergency messages. (Like "I'm OK" and "Don't wait up we'll be home late.") They are whatever you choose, so one can be "too drunk to drive home from trailhead" or whatever. Then there are two help messages. One to family/friends that is more of a "need assistance" sort of message. Then there is the 911 button for the real emergencies.

 

My wife and I bought it for piece of mind and to eliminate mixed signals on when to call in a passed due party.

 

And, at $100/year it is about 1/4 the price of an annual cell phone plan. (And I never seem to have cell coverage until we're back on the highway.)

[Wastral]

I have the original spot because my parents bought it and sent it along with us. Up high on a mountain or out in the open it works as promised. MInus Very steep north facing slopes... IE a gully on N. Face... Forget gettting a message out.

 

When under trees or in valleys... Good luck gettting a signal out. Eventually, it may go through. Then again it may not. Tried valiently here at home under dense forest and message never went through... THen again tried 3 hours later and a message finally did go through. Maybe the wind parted the branches overhead. So, if you injure yourself it better be up out in the open if you want a guaranteed reception

 

Spot II looks like it fixed all these problems and added the very nice ok button along with being lighter.

 

We actually thought about making a "morse-code" message using the different buttons on the original spot, but ran out of time before we left.

 

Can do this even easier and quicker with the new spot with its extra button/message.

 

Personally, I think its quite gimmicky, the original at least. I would not buy it knowing what I know. Spot II? Maybe, if they truelly did fix the signal problem.

[NoahT]

I've benefited from having mine.

 

I think it's well established if one needs an epirb, buy an epirb. If one needs to reassure loved ones, spot will go a long way.

 

If it keeps them from unnecessarily calling sar because you're a couple hours late just once, then it's probably worth a couple extra ounces.

 

N

[goatboy]

Got this in the mail today:

 

 

 

December 14, 2009

 

Dear Valued Customer,

 

Spot LLC is dedicated to providing the highest quality and best performance products to our customers, therefore,

Spot LLC will be conducting a voluntary return on any new model SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger ™ (SPOT 2)

purchased since October 1, 2009. During recent testing, we discovered that some of the new SPOT 2 devices might

not meet battery and messaging operating specifications.

 

We highly recommend you return your product for replacement at your earliest convenience. Please visit

www.findmespot.com/exchange for complete details. Replacement product will be available in early 2010. Spot LLC

guarantees we will exchange your product free of charge and send your replacement unit when product is available.

 

This notice does not affect the original SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker (SPOT 1) devices. Customers can easily

identify the unaffected SPOT 1 product as it is clearly marked as the SPOT Personal Tracker. The operating condition

does not apply to any other SPOT products.

 

Sincerely,

 

The SPOT Team

 

[billcoe]

Thanks all, while I was waffling my wife basically told me that I'd missed my window of opportunity and can expect a 3 pack of underwear for Christmas (hopefully new or clean ones this year). I guess the girlfriend will now be getting the chased gold bangle and sapphire/diamond earrings I had tucked away for the wife...LOL

 

I was leaning against it as a lot of time I'm in real thick cover or on the side of a cliff where one wouldn't get all the satellites which the Spot seems to need to perform well anyway.

[crazybrit]

Ignoring for a moment the battery recall (can't meet spec) ... the specified battery life is a lot lower on the II than the I.

 

http://ridetoeat.com/spot/specs.htm for comparison

 

Probably still ok for climbing but for other activities the reduced life is a pita. I'm waiting for more reports on how the increased gps sensitivity actually works (more often than not failure to transmit location is because it can't get a gps fix rather than couldn't xmit to the globalstar).

[weevil]

I realize this is too late for your use, but for what it is worth, check out http://equipped.com/ . Doug Ritter has done some tests on the Spot.

It is a different beast, but check out the McMurdo FastFind PLB. I've got one and is is TINY compared to any of the other PLBs i've seen.

[RokIzGud]

They i are pretty big. I could fit like 6 king size Snicker bars in its place... Six!

[luvshaker]

I did a little research and it seems like the best thing the Spot has going for what I might need is the "tracking" feature for an extra 49.99 a year. I love climbing solo, but.... If I'm dead, or hurt and away from my pack, it might be tough to push the 911 button. All someone would have to do is follow my "tracks" in the computer (updated every 10 minutes) and there I would be.

 

Plus, when my kids are teenagers I could turn it on and put it in the trunk of their car to find out where the current party is, then show up in my sasquach outfit.

[Pilchuck71]

Plus, when my kids are teenagers I could turn it on and put it in the trunk of their car to find out where the current party is, then show up in my sasquach outfit.

 

Now that is what I am talking about!

I love it!

 

[billcoe]

Plus, when my kids are teenagers I could turn it on and put it in the trunk of their car to find out where the current party is, then show up in my sasquach outfit.

 

[denalidave]

Plus, when my kids are teenagers I could turn it on and put it in the trunk of their car to find out where the current party is, then show up in my sasquach outfit.

 

Great idea!