Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

GPS gadget Spot can save your hide, for a price



With as many as 50,000 search and rescue scenarios playing out in the
USA each year this GPS gadget for tracking progress of persons on water
or land with the benefits of one way communication and 911 requests may
have a use for someone you know in the future.

Full article from USA Today
Targeted at serious backpackers, boaters, hunters and other committed
outdoor enthusiasts, Spot is a chunky, 7-ounce personal tracker whose
main purpose is to bail you out of trouble. The product — it looks like a
bright orange PDA on steroids — taps into Global Positioning System (GPS)
satellites to determine your whereabouts. Then if you get into a pickle,
Spot, at the press of a button, will transmit your longitude, latitude and a
preprogrammed text or e-mail message to emergency 911 authorities
and/or your loved ones. Folks can view your location on Google Maps.


THE BOTTOM LINE * Pricey *
This product would be great for mountain climbers or sea travelers or back
packers in the deep woods. Desert travelers or canoe trippers could use
this product as well. Having a helicopter come right to you when your
in trouble has a certain peace of mind ~
Spot Satellite Messenger
Website: http://www.findmespot.com
Price: $170, plus $100 a year for service.
Score: 2½ stars (out of four)
Pro: Unit can summon 911 or send distress (or I'm OK) e-mail and/or text
messages to designated contacts.
Con: Controls and status lights are confusing. Didn't pick up GPS locations
in certain areas I tested.
***

Find Me Spot (The World’s First Satellite Messenger) Company Website

REI (in the customer service area) has a brochure on a similar device. You rent it! I got distracted and didn't pick up one. I'll try to get over and pick up a brochure.

Just Enable your GPS option on most newer phones. Then dial 911. If any cell site picks up your signal your are good to go.


I found this interesting He He He.

Information about GPS and Cell Phones.





Pat

ARKPAT wrote:
Information about GPS and Cell Phones.





Pat

I thought that site looked familiar!

A cell phone doesn't help if you don't have a siginal!

ARKPAT wrote:Just Enable your GPS option on most newer phones. Then dial 911. If any cell site picks up your signal your are good to go.


I found this interesting He He He.

Information about GPS and Cell Phones.





Pat

That is not my wife!!!

I have to pay for 911-GPS services here and we are in the far reaches where Wisconsin touches Lake Superior. I asked the clerk do we have this in our area here. He said, No!!

I personally think if you can't find yourself on a map than say home. We had news stories where people have used 911 and needed emergency services. ES could not locate them because they did not know where they were at all. These roads were there normal routes for their commutes to work????

Dan

Gerdo wrote:A cell phone doesn't help if you don't have a siginal!

Texting works quite well though sometimes! Most phones will seek a signal to get the signal out. I have received and sent text messages in areas that no phone call will not work.

Dan

Heh, I just started a conversation about this on my 4x4 club website...

If you've often got phone reception - yep you don't need this... However for those of us who can go for long periods without cell coverage - this could easily be a lifesaver...

I'm adding one to my glovebox... However for the majority of the population, there's no reason to own this; however true back country users who often have two choices - ham or satelite for emergency communication, this is a whole lot easier than getting a ham licence.

I have looked into the SPOT and its ilk and some of the places I plan on going there will be no cell coverage and not many people. But that will be the exception and to pay that much for the SPOT is a bit much so the prospect of being able to rent is very attractive.

But, isn't the SPOT a satellite GPS? I thought that meant anywhere. You just have to have viable batteries.

How did we survive without GPS and cellphones??????? Will

Sage
Some times we had adventures. We once, 34 years ago got stuck in Death Valley and we had to hike out. I was carrying 5 gallons of water in a back pack. We finally met a couple of prospectors (they were professors but were prospecting) and they gave us a ride to Furnace Creek, a guy with a Toyota Land Cruiser winched us out the next day.

I don't think I need SPOT, but if I did go deep wilderness camping like I used to, I'd be interested. But, unless it sends as well as receives via satellite, it is no better than my iPhone, which can also be located via GPS, as long as there is a cell phone signal.

Evan camping in state parks, I only have cell phone service about 50-70 percent of the time.

CD

I have a SPOT and carry it frequently while hunting, fishing or anytime while off the road system. I guess that is part of being in AK. One nice thing is that you can send a preset checkin message to let folks know everything is fine or to send in a plane to pick you up.

My cousin got one of those for when he goes out on the boat. He kinda got paranoid after those NFL players drown near his fishing spots. It has a couple cool features. There is a test button that you can setup to send an e-mail with a generic message with coordinates. You can send a a message (to your wife) telling her that you're OK.

We were joking that you can hire a fishing guide and keep it in your pocket. You can then transmit your coordinates whenever he takes you to a "secret spot".