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No doubt there'll have been previous posts about these, but I was thinking about buying a Gen3 to allow someone to follow my track in realtime. Are there any other options? I don't want to use a smartphone etc.
Also, where's the best place to buy these? I think Amazon are around £105 (plus delivery?) I'd need to get my hands on it, and it configured, by Friday...
I'd look at the subscription costs of the various options before committing to buy.
'Live tracking' is the most expensive option.
One of the 'they're a bit late home let's ping them' options might be better?
I don't mind paying for live tracking. I want someone to be able to see where I am.
I got mine from Global Telsat Communications as they seemed to be the cheapest after taking all postage into account.
The first unit I received didn't work properly, so I sent it back and they sent me a replacement without any hassles.
Set-up on the Spot website was relatively pain free.
I realised I'd need to order it as soon as possible to guarantee delivery, so I've gone ahead and bought one.
GTC buyer here too. Just about to renew for year 3.
There are other devices that do the same job but SPOT is by far the most ubiquitous.
I've one. Have had Gen1 and 2 as well. Use it on most rides as I ride solo a lot. Wife likes that she can at least pinpoint the ditch I've died in.
By default, anyone you want to track you will need access to your SPOT account. If you want to make it available without someone having that access then Spotwalla.com will sort you out. This also lets you publish a planned route so that progress along it can be tracked.
Seem a lot cheaper than they used to be. GTC seem to have it as £114 over £107 on Amazon, and basic trace service is £110+vat on GTC vs €104+vat on SPOT.
Is there a restriction on where you can buy the service, i.e. must buy EU service for EU coverage? Im only asking as off to the US at the end of the month and fancy getting one of these while over there.
Thanks for that. I'm trying to get my head around the different subscriptions - its not the clearest of websites, but perhaps it will be more obvious when I get the unit and activate an account.
I'll look at Spotwalla as well.
Stato - no, coverage is worldwide no matter where you buy the service.
When I say worldwide it doesn't actually cover the whole world - the satellite picking up your signal needs to be within range of a ground station, so they don't work in Antarctica for example.
I've been using one (Gen3) since the spring - long, solo rides and dodgy mobile signal give the missus some satisfaction of knowing where I am. Doesn't like tree-cover though - I've ridden for 3 hours without it pinging a signal.
NewRetroTom: almost but not quite.
You (and your SPOT) need to be in the footprint of a satellite as per the coverage map at [url= http://africa.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=108 ]SPOT website[/url]. When I was looking into coverage a few years ago they were using the Thuraya network which, at the time, didn't have reliable coverage below Mozambique/Zambia. It seems like they now use Globalstar with a much wider coverage.
I ended up with a [url= http://www.ybtracking.com/ ]YB[/url] (previously Yellowbrick, but copyright issues followed by release of flying monkeys) running on Iridium. As well as a pre-programmed emergency notification list it allows for two-way SMS so if you are still conscious you can explain your predicament.
Spot 1 can be bought cheap, they work, subs are cheaper. Used one for years.
The GPS reception is poor though, as above. Maybe see if there is another device with better reception.
Spot 1 has never missed, basic but works well.
What makes you say reception is poor?
So do you buy the unit and then have to buy the subscription as well ? A sub isn't included for the first year ?
Looking at one for me and the mrs to share...
Yes, buy unit and then sub, think mine with tracking is £110 a year
The Spot 1 GPS reception isn't poor, it just needs a clear view of the sky. I've been using one for ~5 years and it's been A*. I don't have the tracking sub anymore just the messaging one.
[edit] I bought mine from eBay Singapore as they weren't available in the UK at the time. Annual renewal is via their website and entirely painless. I would not rely on mobile signal for something like this when it *has* to work.
As an alternative, in the UK, I have been using the live tracking feature on a Garmin working via my phone. Dependent on phone reception but fine for the wilds of North Yorkshire.
The unit isn't expensive, you can pick them up cheap (mine was £5 new 😀 ) it's the £100 a year subs that costs but for me it's worth it.
What makes you say reception is poor?
Looking at my track log in a wooded environment. It's all over the place, where its managed to get a ping out at all.
Tiger - how on earth did you get a new tracker for a fiver ? Good luck ?
I have a spot trace hidden in the motorbike. Works really well and lasts ages on a set of lithium batteries. It detects when the bike is moved and sends me a text message and then automatically begins tracking.
You can easily set up public pages for people to follow along on a google map. This is good and bad; once had a call from my mum (who had a link) asking "what were you doing in Scarborough last week?"
Rachel
Well? Well? What [i]were[/i] you doing in Scarborough last week? 🙂
@Moly Tree cover isn't a 'clear view of the sky' hence your problem. Spot needs a clear view otherwise it doesn't work properly.
That's exactly my point. It seems to be the GPS reading that's the problem, because it seems to put me in places I wasn't rather than simply missing or delaying pings.
Garmin mange to make GPS receivers that work under trees, so Spot should be able to.
Well yes but SPOT make it clear they need a clear view of the sky to work properly. They don't claim anything else. It's a bit like complaining Garmin don't send emergency signals but SPOT manage to. Garmin don't and they don't claim to.
You might not like it but you've not been misled. Why buy a SPOT if you wanted it to work under conditions they don't support?
[i]Garmin mange to make GPS receivers that work under trees[/i]
I suspect that there's a lot of extrapolation with Garmin devices based on speed, previous location etc when there's an intermittent ability to get a location.
and their battery life tends to be a lot shorter.I suspect that there's a lot of extrapolation with Garmin devices based on speed, previous location etc when there's an intermittent ability to get a location.
Friend found them in Decathlon in France for 5euro so he bought a few.
SPOT is Satphone not GPS isn't it?
Anything that's signalling to/from a satellite will struggle under wet tree cover.
My Spot occasionally misses a timestamp but it's never put me in the wrong place.
There's still no better alternative anyway, so it's moot.
Is it possible to purchase a monthly tracking package on an ad-hoc basis rather than a full year? Are they calendar months or a month (four weeks) from date of purchase/activation?
Not but if you came up with a PAYG system you'd put SPOT out of business
SPOT is Satphone not GPS isn't it?
We'll satcommunicator (being pedantic) but you're right, it sends stuff. Stuff that is critical (like location) so interpolation (AKA 'making it up' like Garmin appear to for most of their data) isn't appropriate.
[i]Not but if you came up with a PAYG system you'd put SPOT out of business[/i]
"Pay Per Ping"
you can have that for free;)
We use SPOT 3's at work to track staff when out lone working (forestry). Does really well even when we're in thick woodland! Good wee bits of kit. Can't remember what subscription we've got, but we have the cheaper live tracking feature (updates location every 10 minutes). Very handy for us as we frequently work in areas with no mobile signal.
Well yes but SPOT make it clear they need a clear view of the sky to work properly. They don't claim anything else.
Just because they admit it's got poor reception, doesn't make it any better. Trees are quite a prevalent feature in the outdoors, so it's a significant disadvantage IMO. Emergency kit should be able to be relied upon. When was using it in Sweden, probably 2/10 of my pings were half a kilometer off my actual course. And that was pretty thin tree cover.
It's a bit like complaining Garmin don't send emergency signals but SPOT manage to. Garmin don't and they don't claim to.
Hardly.
I suspect that there's a lot of extrapolation with Garmin devices based on speed, previous location etc when there's an intermittent ability to get a location.
No there isn't - the receiver is simply a lot more sensitive. You can be stationary, turn it on under trees and view all the satellite's it's picking up a signal from. You can also do it indoors. If Garmin can make one that sensitive, why can't Spot?
It's still generally a good device, but if you can find one with better reception get that instead.
SPOT failure (ok so there are no success stories in this, just the one failure but it's discussed)
http://14erskiers.com/franksblog/2010/06/spot-gps-messengers-worth-it-or-worthless/
Alternatives:
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Personal-Locator-Beacon-Reviews/Buying-Advice