Product Review: SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker
There is a new device on the market that combines GPS data with a satellite phone system called SPOT which is short for Satellite Personal Tracker (The O represents the earth). The device's main purpose is to provide the ability to check in, request help from a designated contact(s), and also contact 911 in case of an emergency. And because its satellite based all of these features are available even when you are out of range for standard mobile phones.
SPOT uses a GPS receiver and a Globalstar satellite transmitter. Like other 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), all communications are one way, but SPOT offers more flexibility when you consider the check in and tracking features. The unit sells for around $150 and requires an annual service. Basic service which included all emergency services is $100/yr or $9.99/mo. The tracking feature is an additional $50/yr. That to me seems like quite a bit less than what it cost to own an EPRIB or other PLB plus you get the additional non emergency features.
The device itself is a small unit that is not too cumbersome. It has a need for a specific type of AA batteries. The documentation lets you know that the device is meant to be used with lithium batteries. While regular batteries will work in a pinch they are not recommended for regular use.
I did a little bit of research when I first received my SPOT. To my surprise I am an early tester of the production unit. The unit has only been on the market since November of 2007. I did need to call support to find out how to get the tracking feature up and running for the first time. Support was helpful and I was familiar with all of the features in only a few minutes. There are only 4 buttons on the device. HELP, If you press and hold the HELP button for two seconds the device will send a pre-configured help alert . The device sends a help message every five minutes for one hour, or until the alert is canceled. To cancel a HELP alert you press and hold the HELP button for 3 seconds. ON/OFF is your standard ON/OFF button. To use it you press and hold the button for three seconds to turn SPOT off. When on, the LED above the ON/OFF button will blink once every 3 seconds. OK This button is used to send "I'm okay or checking-in" messages. When pressed, recipients receive a notification containing the message you've configured on SPOT's website and a Google Maps link showing your position. If you've signed up for the additional "Unlimited SPOTcasting" service, pressing and holding the OK button for five seconds updates SPOT's website with your position once every fifteen minutes for twenty four hours. 911 - Pressing and holding the 911 button for two seconds sends a distress signal to emergency services. The unit will continue sending position information to emergency responders every five minutes until the alert is canceled or batteries die.
The LEDs can be difficult to understand and was the main reason I had to call support. Once you become familiar with the device the simple way of telling if things are working well is to see the green lights blinking in unison. If the green lights are alternating then you are not sending updates and probably do not have a GPS signal. I hope that in the next version of the device they move away from the blinking lights and include some sort of LCD display.
Armed with a working device I first tried it in my Jeep. I had no problems picking up a signal and tracking my position. A few days later I placed it in my boat and went fishing on the river near my house. The device was able to track my position when I was in open areas but did lose signal in areas that were heavily wooded. While my Lowrance H2OC was able to maintain a signal the entire time I spent 2 ½ hours on a section of the river and only had 2 locations reported back by the tracking feature. For a device that should report back every 15 minutes this was a less that perfect result.
After using the device on several fishing trips I found that I was not very interested in the tracking feature. There was a novelty to the data first time around. It’s cool to see your location get plotted on Google maps but I quickly found that the data from my GPS was much more precise than SPOT. So if I wanted to map my previous fishing trip then I would rather refer to detailed GPS data. The other option is that since the tracking data is being up loaded to the findmespot.com web server then a friend or family member could check on your status. I had a major concern with this feature. For someone to log in and view your status they would need to have your account information. The SPOT service does not have a concept of role based access. Therefore you would have to share your account information with someone if they were to view your trip status. Unfortunately this would also mean giving them the ability to change your account setting too. SPOT needs to update their web portal so a customer can create a few limited access accounts that can only view location information. Aside from these few minor criticisms the tracking feature would be a neat way to share information about a long trip with others who were not with you. For me this might be a multi-day camping trip in the Everglades or a motorcycle ride across the country. Other possible uses may be for tracking business related equipment movements such as tracking rental fleet boats or even for tracking kids.
While I was not blown away by the tracking feature I did find the emergency services features to be very functional. Since I have not had an emergency requiring 911 services I can not personally testify to this feature. SPOT is tracking these on their web site and the first one has been recorded.
http://www.findmespot.com/experiences/livessaved.aspx
In summary, this is the 1st generation of the product. Functionality is limited to essential buttons but if you are looking for a device that will provide emergency services near or far then it is worth a look. As far as the tracking feature goes I think its a minor feature but not really a must have for the regular fisherman. I want to thank Captnron of The Skiff Shop for providing the gear and having me test it.
Review by: tom_in_orl
Date posted: 02/07/08
