Just ordered a SPOT II

[Robin]

I just ordered a SPOT II off of Amazon, $66 with shipping. I didn't see the need to go with the newer SPOT 3, I won't be tracking, I will just get the $99 plan.
I never really wanted one, but as we age, things change. Last fall while I was deer hunting behind my home on private land, I realized it was about time to have a safety backup. The forest back there is 2 miles x 4 miles and it could take a search party a while to find me. Not the young gun and bullet proof I always thought I was anymore. I probably never was, just lucky and careful.

I am planning a solo trip this spring, sometime in May for about 7 days, then in August I'm going to do a solo 100 mile circuit on crown land in Northern Ontario which I hope to stretch a 7 day trip into 2 weeks for fishing and exploring.
Then in the fall, I'll be back into Low's lake in the ADK's for a week long solo deer hunt out of my canoe (last week of October) Then back home in November to deer hunt my home woods, again solo.

That adds up to about 35 days out there, some of it really out there, so for the initial $165 for the first year and only $99 a year thereafter, I'm going to give my wife and myself piece of mind.

 

[Shearwater]

Yes, I use a SPOT as well. It definitely keeps Phyllis informed of my whereabouts although she knows not to get excited if my evening OK message doesn't show up some time. It always has up to nw but maybe someday it might not.
I like the idea of being able to just say 'no big medical emerg but need non-urgent extraction' rather than having to activate my PLB that can only bring in the SAR people.

I love living in the future
Cheers Ted

 

[Robin]

My first order was cancelled, seems they where out of stock. So I found an affordable SPOT II at a company called Dogbyte.com. Included in the price of $75 was a coupon for free tracking once I sign up ($50 value).
I get the SPOT II quickly and this weekend I bought my subscription. Unfortunatley, I couldn't get the free tracking added to my membership. I gave them (Dogbyte) a call, but of course they where closed. I kept at it and realized the free tracking required me to follow directions and not add spaces to the code words...DUH
I got the free tracking, which I wasn't going to buy anyway, but after I checked out the SPOT and sent an "I'm OK" message (of course I was ok, I'm standing in my front yard with my dog sitting on my foot) and it worked, plus I got to see my front yard on the tracking report. I like tracking.

Then, a little while later, I get an email from some nice lady from Dogbyte.com, "Our office is closed, I was working on something else, but I heard you message and I'm looking into it right now, I'm not sure what could be the problem."
I quickly emailed her back to explain my inability to follow instructions and to thank her for the great service and all is well.

So the SPOT works well and I got great service from Dogbyte.com.

 

[daveo4]

I borrowed a Spot 4 years ago and carried it on my three week, high Arctic trip. We were windbound for 3 days so the tracking dot didn't move and my wife started to get worried even after I told her not to worry unless it was moving faster than I can walk or paddle or it was headed out to sea. It is a neat gizmo but I was afraid it's use would possibly cause an unwanted SAR response. Make sure those on the home front understand.
dave

 

[Robin]

Good information, I need to have my support team (wife, sons, daughter) up to speed on these situations. Thanks

 

[rpg51]

I have said this in other posts - my conclusion is that its best to leave family with the security of knowing that you can get help with you plb or sat phone or spot but that you will not be contacting them.

Just curious - where were you in the arctic?

 

[daveo4]

No Title


rpg51,
Northern Baffin Island in Nunavut. That's about 430 miles north of the arctic circle. We paddled folding kayaks and started on July 26 about a week after the pack ice broke up.

 

[rpg51]

Looks gorgeous. Must have been quite an adventure.

 

[daveo4]

Incredible trip. I'd say trip of a lifetime but I hope not.

 

[rpg51]

No Title

Once you have the bug for the far north you never shake it. You'll be back.

Here is a shot of a camp site on the Thelon River, NWT.

 

[daveo4]

RPG51,
When did you do the Thelon trip?

 

[rpg51]

No Title

2004.

Here are some shots on the Horton River, NWT 2008. The last one is an overlook on Anderson Bay, (Beaufort Sea), and the Smoking Hills.

We aren't getting any younger so some emails are flying around about something next summer - maybe in the Yukon Territories. Something in the trees for a change. We look for trips that are in wild country but without huge carries. Whitewater is ok but not necessary and we don't want anything death defying. We are pretty conservative about what we run and what we carry when we are in that kind of country. These trips aren't cheap so that is an issue. We'll see. If nothing else just the possibility is incentive to lose weight get in shape!

 

[Robin]

Well, I have been using my SPOT since 2014 and I'm very happy with the system. It's been reliable enough, not every message gets out but I learned to send at least two a day, one out on the water and that seems to work fine.
I used it here a home again this year while hunting and while tree cover can cause problems with messages getting out, it gave me some sense of security if an emergency did occur.
Unfortunately SPOT raised the yearly fee to $150 last year (from $100), but I will renew again this season as it really helps this soon to be 70 year old some extra confidence to get out there.

Sending an ok message before a mile and 1/2 crown land portage.

 

[Guest]

I have had a first gen SPOT for years. My loved ones really appreciate daily "I'm OK" massages. Don't track either, but am considering the new one because it is lighter.-Suggestions?

 

[yknpdlr]

I first bought a SPOT Gen1 in 2008, as it was required by the rules of the YRQ Yukon River Quest cane race that i entered that year on the Yukon River. Tracking mode must always be enabled for the race. It worked very well, giving race officials and my pit crew team near-real-time knowledge of our location on the river. I have since upgraded to Gen II. I gave my old unit to a fellow paddler. Combining the SPOT 10 minute interval tracking location data with a computer program I wrote for updating time prediction of arrival at spectator view points and at the finish line gave my pit crew near perfect knowledge of our current location and of arrival timing to any location.

The only areas where a tracking signal was not sent by the device was when we were in portions of the river with high canyon walls blocking our southern view of the sky. It is up to us to define what the "help" button means. In our case, if we sent a help message, our pit crew knew that we would not be completing the race for some reason, just continue to monitor our movement and please meet us at the next available take out (which could be a couple of hundred miles further down river in the case of the Y1K 1000 mile race). I've completed 5 Yukon River races so far, and am not done yet.

 

[Iskweo]

Hmmmm. While it sounds good, and I did love following Alan's progress last year, I am not sure that a spot would be that great an idea. I tend to alter my trips and do whatever I feel like as I go. Part of being out there is the " going dark" on my social media. I dont want that to intrude on my time in the bush. I would consider a sat phone possibly but the deal would be to only use it for emergencies. Not daily phone calls to make the nervous nellies feel better. Yes I am a selfish b*tch. I have everyone used to this now and a phone call would just cause a panic...lol.

I can manage just fine on the lame little trips I take now. Also, a good death is hard to find and I would not want to squander a decent opportunity, nor deprive Karin of the " dang it, I told her " moment thus provided.

Christy

 

[yellowcanoe]

I used to have Spot. Gen 1. But it was only one way messaging. I always worried someone at home would get sick and wind up in the hospital while I gallivanted around. Sure they would know about me.. but how would I find out about them?
This last summer we only had a PLB and while on our short week long trip I worried about a relative who we found out the day before was taken to the hospital in kidney failure. Turned out to be cancer..
The relative is still present but I would feel guilty about missing a funeral cause I did not know about it. I think I would want two way texting capabilities even if they are canned messages

Everyones situation is different

 

[Canotrouge]

Hmmmm. While it sounds good, and I did love following Alan's progress last year, I am not sure that a spot would be that great an idea. I tend to alter my trips and do whatever I feel like as I go. Part of being out there is the " going dark" on my social media. I dont want that to intrude on my time in the bush. I would consider a sat phone possibly but the deal would be to only use it for emergencies. Not daily phone calls to make the nervous nellies feel better. Yes I am a selfish b*tch. I have everyone used to this now and a phone call would just cause a panic...lol.

I can manage just fine on the lame little trips I take now. Also, a good death is hard to find and I would not want to squander a decent opportunity, nor deprive Karin of the " dang it, I told her " moment thus provided.

Christy

The spot can be use just emergency as well, if you don't turn it on then it won't track.... We used one for years, but we both a used sat phone and now we are thinking of going the Delorme way. the Sat phone plan up here is $325 / 6months , and if you don't renew every 6 months you loose the unused minutes you have left...

The beauty of the Delorme is if you have 2, you can text each other during a trip, i.e. if I'm out hunting in one area and my body is in an other area, we can contact each other to know when to meet back or where we are etc etc....

 

[memaquay]

I have a Delorme, it's pretty good. I was paying forty bucks a month for it, but I dropped it down to the lowest payment plan, thinking it would be cheaper just to pay for the extra texts, since I don't send many.

 

[red langford]

Spot is the gift that keeps taking. I bought one use as communication tool for pick ups, but find it very very expensive for what I use it for. They do auto renewal too which I don't like. I don't get a chance to opt out until I've already been billed. I wish there was a monthly fee. Or a trip fee. But alas I guess Im stuck with it until my credit card expires then the'll have to call for updated info.