Why in the age of smart phones with navigation applications and precisely tuned dedicated GPS units that track your position to within a few feet, does one need what in essence is a satellite pager? The same person who can't get cell phone coverage outside of city limits and owns a top of the line GPS that can only tell you exactly where your at when you need emergency assistance. This is the territory that SPOT is trying to own. SPOT has received a bad name in its short life because it isn't a phone and it isn't a GPS and it isn't a personal locator beacon. But it does contact who you want, it does track where you are at (more on that in a minute) and it can notify people if you are in an emergency situation. So lets take a closer look.
First, why does SPOT have a bad name. Well SPOT is first and foremost marketed as a messenger tool with the ability to assist you in the event of an emergency. The company at first, and possible still try's to come off as an satellite emergency notifier but the provided manuals give this area equal space to the more mundane aspects of the unit. The vast majority of the market share SPOT is trying to navigate is controlled by companies selling units called PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). These dedicated units require no subscription after purchase like SPOT does thus the mud racking. Plus PLB's are the less is more item.. A one shot life saver. Press the emergency button and a distress signal is transmitted on a frequency dedicated to search and rescue teams in your area, which will come to your aid. While SPOT has more more communicative options.
After buying a SPOT unit, made and operated by GlobalStar, Inc, the user must activate the unit with an annual subscription for basic service with additional payment options for improved benefits. PLB purist scoff at this notion claiming that a for profit company using its own satellites is not as effective as using the internationally recognized rescue satellites used by all other land and marine based responders. However, SPOT provides a lot more service than just a one use "Rescue Me, I'm here" button and to date SPOT has saved thousands of subscribers using its system. I have no problem with paying a for profit company for its business as long as it delivers.
The unit is the size and width of a hamburger patty with a solid face with of mostly circular design with deep set buttons along the bottom third. When turned on the unit sips power off lithium battery's. Unless told to perform a task it merely blinks green that the unit is on with a estimated standby time of three months. When tasked with a job the GPS light will blink green that it is attempting to find a satellite and then blink when it is sending the message. All errors show with a red blinking light. After it has completed its task it will continue to show the user that it did or did not send the message for up to an hour. This means the owner doesn't have to stare at the unit for twenty minutes waiting for a message to go out, but can look at it later to see the results.
COMMUNICATION.
I spend a lot of time in areas outside city limits like canyons, mountains, deserts and waterways, ergo I spend a lot of time outside of cell phone range. It's important to my wife that she knows I am okay. And it gives me piece of mind as well that she is not concerned about my welfare. SPOT allows you to press a button whenever you want and it transmits one way messages to anyone placed on a online contact list. This is set up using your account profile pages before you go off the grid and can be changed as often as you want depending on your needs. You can send what I call 'pings' to cell phones receiving text and anyone's email. When using the Check In button on the unit, it sends the name of your unit, your location in Latitude and Longitude and a preset message, "I'm Okay".
If you use the Custom Message button, you can change the verbiage, again using your online profile, to suit the needs of the trip. One day it could say, "At the top of the mountain, heading back to trail head" the next, "Found the last geocache, heading home." It also sends the name of the unit and location in lat/long. My wife is the primary recipient of my custom messages which say something like , "Finished with workout, coming home, will call when I get in range".
In today's age of instant email and lightening text, SPOT is hit and miss on connection. Granted your using satellites and not cell phone towers and T1 lines. Using a stopwatch and my cell phone as a contact, I would activated the Check In function and measured how long it would take from pressing the button till the message hit my phone. I did the same with the Custom Message. The best time has been 90 seconds. The longest 17 minutes. However, every time either button was activated the message was received. The unit will make 3 attempts over 20 minutes to send a message, (the person receiving only gets one 'ping') so even at the longest time, it is within the company time line.
GPS
SPOT units track your whereabouts but the user can not see the coordinates because there is no data screen. However, as mentioned before using the basic communication buttons a trail of digital bread crumbs is created with outgoing messages. For an additional annual subscription fee a tracking program is provided on the unit that when activated by its button on the unit, will transmit your location every ten minutes for 24 hours or the unit is turned off. These are not sent to individual cell phones and emails but to either your online account or pre-created SPOT Adventure Shared page. If you create an Adventure page for your event, you are given the URL link for that specific event and you then send it to whomever you want or even social media websites. It will update the Shared page with your current position and update the previous two positions in case the 'ping' did not get out. The map is a Google Map model with the usual map viewing options. This is a very cool tool and well worth the investment. There is no need to download data from a GPS to your computer and then software the route to send to friends. You can also come back later and upload photos from your trip and if your digital cameras internal clock is accurate the program will automatically link photos to where you were on the trip.
Coming from a dedicated GPS world it does take a few Adventures to adjust your viewing paradigm. With a dedicated GPS, it tracks your every foot and zigzag of movement. The SPOT only sends a 'ping' every ten minutes. When seeing this, you have to adjust to that fact even though you just did ten switchbacks, the tracking function will be a straight line from point to point. Its a as-the-crow-fly's mentality. The map will also show the location of any one way message you send. Those people will only get the messages and not a track every ten minutes.
Your subscription saves all 'pings' and tracking for thirty days. If you do not set up an Adventure page before you head out, you can do it when you get back. By selecting the dates you want to use for your adventure, the page will automatically export all your tracks that are in that range of dates to a map.
PLB
No one wants to be in a situation that demands rescue. The fear and panic is only elevated when you are in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilization. SPOT is not a classic personal locator beacon, nor do I suggest you purchase one for such a need if that is your only concern. SPOT has two covered buttons on the unit, Help and SOS. These are set along the outside edge of the face at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. To activate you have to pry the cover off with your fingernail. This is also a point of contention with PLB purists as it's believed that a rescue unit should be able to be activated with one hand. Its a fair point.
Help, on the left side, sends a message to your set up contacts, again with your unit name and location and a custom message. If you purchase additional services, there are options for road side service and marine assistance. SOS is on the right side of the unit. Pressing SOS will activate a 'ping' every 5 minutes for 24 hours. This message takes outgoing priority on GlobalStar satellites. The message is sent to their emergency center and they arrange communication with the nearest Search and Rescue or1st Responder unit to your location. An additional service that can be purchased is GEOS Rescue Insurance which provides up to $100,000 for your rescue efforts.
SUMMARY
Filling a niche that continues to become mainstream with each passing month, SPOT is a unit that first and foremost guarantees successful one way communication between user and contacts. This not only brings piece of mind but draws friends and family into your life using your Shared Adventures pages. There is a big difference between needing a rescue because your stuck along the freeway with no more inner tubes for your road bike and having a broken ankle ten miles from your car. In the rare event that outside assistance is needed to effect your safe or timely return, Help and SOS are there for you to dictate your level of assistance.
Here at Endurance Pursuits, I guarantee I will be using SPOT weekly for my training that occurs in and around the Superstition Mountains. My training area a 30 minutes drive from cell service and my wife as soon as possible wants to know I am safe, in my car and heading down the mountain to come home. As an endurance athlete living in the desert, I feel I am doing my family and friends a service by taking steps to protect myself.
I am not going to just exist. I am going to live.
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