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Riding Alone/Gps tracking


snowman

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Also the Inreach will automatically provide an exact location on a digital map which may be helpful to who you are communicating with and allows for the "breadcrumb" trail either for your use or the person following it when you are in the field.  As well the built in SOS capability/infrastructure which if the "brown stuff really hits the oscillator" directs your request to the appropriate resources whether that is the OPP or police/Coast Guard boat or helicopter/Herc out of Trenton ect.  all from the push of one button based on your location.  In some cases even if you called someone the time needed to organize who to contact could cause a delay in response, plus the need to accurately give a location that the SOS does automatically.  

 

Having said all that there are certainly cases where the Sat phone would be better because of the ease of voice communication vs text and some like the SPOT sat phone have the SOS functionality built in.  

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57 minutes ago, Pstn head said:

It’s also small and light enough to keep in your jacket pocket where imo a device of this nature should be, on you at all times in case the machine is not reachable.

Nothing like sinking to bottom with rescue device on sled. Good advice. would it be easy to push button thru a jacket pocket though??

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36 minutes ago, Viperules700 said:

Nothing like sinking to bottom with rescue device on sled. Good advice. would it be easy to push button thru a jacket pocket though??

If never had to try, (thank God) but it’s not impossible. 

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Some friends were in Quebec snowmobiling. They lost their "spot" on the trail. The 911 button  was activated about a dozen times as sleds drove over it. The daughter was at home and was monitoring there tracks. Shear panic set in, 12 sos calls,

whats wrong? No cell service. Hours later she did get them. They didn't even realize the spot was gone.

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I run SPOT and one of my riding partners runs InReach.  Its very slick as he has it paired to his Mobile Phone.  Only drawback with InReach is the $$$.   Nice when you are texting your wife from the middle of nowhere. "I'll be late for dinner, BTW, what's cooking?"

 

 

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On 01/12/2017 at 7:02 AM, gobills said:

Thanks that sounds pretty cool.  I think some guys use the spot component.

I have used SPOT.  I have deactivated ALL products from Globalstar as they have jacked up pricing, added "Network Fees" and bill in USD.

 

Ask yourself, am I in cellular coverage, if so, just grab an old iPhone and put a Tablet plan SIM in for $5-$10 month, and you can be tracked using Find my iPhone, and/or Find Friends.  Both native to the iPhone.

 

911 is a free call from any active or non-active cellular device.  Calling 911 has to be faster to get help than SPOT emergency Services.

 

 

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I too reviewed both Inreach and Spot and quickly concluded that the cost of the service was not worth it for me. Having said this I usually sled in areas that have reasonable cell service and thus the decision was easier to make. Of the 2 services I was leaning towards inreach as it seemed more user friendly to me. If the costs ever came down I would jump at the product  

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I ride with Murphy.  If I ever need help, I am pretty sure he will ensure that I do not have cell service.

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7 hours ago, Old Sledder said:

I too reviewed both Inreach and Spot and quickly concluded that the cost of the service was not worth it for me. Having said this I usually sled in areas that have reasonable cell service and thus the decision was easier to make. Of the 2 services I was leaning towards inreach as it seemed more user friendly to me. If the costs ever came down I would jump at the product  

X2

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I do a significant of solo riding (probably 75% of my sledding actually,) but all of it in generally excellent cell coverage and in SWO so most pretty populated (might have a bit of a hike to closest farm if push came to shove.)

 

I have run an online tracker for many years and had good success.  There's lots of options out there, I just happened to re-purpose an exercise app called endomondo that my buddies andI use to track our 24h MTB races.  Your friends can watch you online, plus it keeps a history, and I like to look back at the tracks I've run over over the years, be it sledding, skiing, biking, kayaking, etc.  There isn't a snowmobile category, so I select horseback riding.  Buddy msg'ed me one day "you ride horses?" and I had to politely suggest he look at distance travelled and mentioned it's a different kind of HP:) 

 

If I'm going out later, I sometimes ask my buddy to keep an eye on me, just in case.

 

 

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Anyone one know how cell service is going west out of Cochrane towards smooth rock and kap ? We may ride on the holidays if things are open and wifey wants to make sure my tracker app will work ,it’s needs cell to work ,she is not big on us going without some kind of contact ,although in the past years it was fine but now it’s not for some reason 

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28 minutes ago, Muskoka Man said:

Anyone one know how cell service is going west out of Cochrane towards smooth rock and kap ? We may ride on the holidays if things are open and wifey wants to make sure my tracker app will work ,it’s needs cell to work ,she is not big on us going without some kind of contact ,although in the past years it was fine but now it’s not for some reason 

When i was up there it was fine.  Im with Rogers.  It did not work going up to the Canyon in certain spots.  From smooth rock to Kap everytime we stopped we had service.

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44 minutes ago, gobills said:

When i was up there it was fine.  Im with Rogers.  It did not work going up to the Canyon in certain spots.  From smooth rock to Kap everytime we stopped we had service.

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1 hour ago, Blake G said:

An interesting read, but inaccurate.  In the Burk's Falls area cell coverage is spotty at best once you venture off the Hwy 11 corridor.  Very hit-and-miss on Pickerel Lake where I live.  Really too bad cell repeaters could not have been  added to the broadband towers that our government funds helped install here.    I would be wary of depending on location devices that require cell signal here.

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Thanks guys .im on telus .anyone knpw about service around cochrane? Getting reved up to do this run .hope some trails open on the holidays 

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7 hours ago, Muskoka Man said:

Thanks guys .im on telus .anyone knpw about service around cochrane? Getting reved up to do this run .hope some trails open on the holidays 

 

Mukoka Man:

 

http://www.comparecellular.ca/coverage-maps/

 

I've heard these maps may not be accurate....

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funny we spend thousands on items we will only use a handful of times a year for recreation but, a few hundred to stay safe, keep loved ones in touch with us, is our breaking point where we start wanting to pinch pennies. Ski

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8 hours ago, skidooboy said:

funny we spend thousands on items we will only use a handful of times a year for recreation but, a few hundred to stay safe, keep loved ones in touch with us, is our breaking point where we start wanting to pinch pennies. Ski

Its funny you say that.  As I said I have been on the fence about the InReach for over a year and as I was on my ride tonight to I had my SPOT and safety stuff to prevent tragedy if something went wrong but no real method to deal with a minor incident that didn't require SOS (broken sled ect).  Having the in reach would make things much simpler and turn many events that could occur into non events.  So basically I have made my mind up and will be getting the InReach in the very near future.  Peace of Mind is well worth the small amount of money in the grand scheme of things.  

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