I almost never leave home without mine. It is a wonderful little device and helps keep my wife's stress levels down when I'm out in the middle of nowhere. They have a new version coming out very soon, so if you are thinking of buying one make sure you get the new version as it has a number of significant improvements.
After reading a number of SPOT horror stories and more bad reviews than I found acceptable, I decided that I would be better served by a real SARSAT unit. There are no subscription fees and no call centers involved. Just a 406MHz signal sent to the international search and rescue satellite and the 121.5MHz homing signal for zeroing in on you. Of the two main choices, I went with the McMurdo FastFind even though the ACR unit is known to be very good also. For a very thorough review, check out this guy's site: http://www.equipped.com/McMurdoNewFastFind.htm
Either way, something is clearly better than nothing. Watching that news clip is chilling and it's very frightening to think about "What if that was me and I had no way of summoning help. Kudos to Ed Cooley for having the foresight to plan for an emergency.
Posted by Jack Garrett on October 24, 2009 at 1:15 AM
Koveh,
The device is around $150.00. It costs $99 per year to subscribe to the service and for another $49 you can buy an additional service that sends periodic emails to your contacts letting them know you are OK. It also lets people track you using google maps. And for $7.00 per year it coversyou for up to $100,000 for a search and rescue. It has features not fond on the SARSAT such as being able to send an I'm OK message, a non emergency send help to this location message in which you can have it email up to 5 contacts. It gives your location coordinates which can be accessed through Google maps. The 911 button goes out to search and rescue and also to people you have preloaded into your emergency contact information.
Like any device, it may have some limitations. They have a new device coming out in November which is supposed to have several improvements over the first version. You can find out more info at www.findmespot.com
I think the main reason for the poor reviews is the way the antenna works in the first version (supposedly fixed in the second). I've overcome most of those problems by buying a little bag which attaches to the top of my backpack so that the device is always laying flat and pointing straight up. I almost always have a signal and I use the special tracking service so it plots my location on a Google Map every 10 minutes. Couldn't be happier! Well I could, but that has nothing to do with the Spot. A 5DMarkII might help though.
Posted by Dan Walters on October 24, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Thanks for the info! May have to get one.
Posted by Jack Garrett on October 24, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Hey Erik, Do you think if you and I keep pushing this product, they would buy us both a 5d mark II?
Great idea jack! Contact the company right away and find out!
Posted by Koveh Tavakkol on October 25, 2009 at 11:07 PM
Thanks for the info Jack. While you contact them.. tell them I would be happy to field test one of these for them at no cost. I'm not too greedy, I don't need a 5DmkII, just a free unit.
Discussion
9 replieshttp://www.4029tv.com/video/21366663/index.html
Here is another link to a page that will show his progress:
http://www.traviswilliams.net/twin-falls-miracle-details/
Either way, something is clearly better than nothing. Watching that news clip is chilling and it's very frightening to think about "What if that was me and I had no way of summoning help. Kudos to Ed Cooley for having the foresight to plan for an emergency.
The device is around $150.00. It costs $99 per year to subscribe to the service and for another $49 you can buy an additional service that sends periodic emails to your contacts letting them know you are OK. It also lets people track you using google maps. And for $7.00 per year it coversyou for up to $100,000 for a search and rescue. It has features not fond on the SARSAT such as being able to send an I'm OK message, a non emergency send help to this location message in which you can have it email up to 5 contacts. It gives your location coordinates which can be accessed through Google maps. The 911 button goes out to search and rescue and also to people you have preloaded into your emergency contact information.
Like any device, it may have some limitations. They have a new device coming out in November which is supposed to have several improvements over the first version. You can find out more info at www.findmespot.com