sobeit Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 This would be usefull for the snowmoble club for tracking the groomers, I guess you guys coulf go online and see where our groomers are?But, the club is broke, I doubt we have any money for things like this this winter, bet yah we will sell less than 20 permit this year.............. Dam.. I hop not, if we sell less than 50 permit we loose our club status......... Hey GG - check with SPOT - they are offering a really good deal to snowmobile organizations!! It is by far the best deal I've heard of (and, no, I do not work for SPOT or anyone even remotely affiliated ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Groomer Guy Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Ok Thanks, Will check that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Just think Groomer Guy, if you sell 20 permits you don't have to groom near as much. Big saving on diesel fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Groomer Guy Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 And your Point?...... Even if we sell only 20 permit in our club localy we will still get 200+ Sleds a day on the trails We are on a few major top trails, we get alot of trafict coming from every area... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Don't waste your money. I bought my spot, signed up on their website, and set up a profile. I was excited to find yet another item of safety equipment that would make not only sledding, but ATV'ing and hiking even more safe. What a let down. I was hiking yesterday in a parcel of land that is very much like a snowmobile trail or ATV trail. Mixed terrain, tree cover and rocks. I sent a test message from my truck which was parked in the open, with a clear view of the sky. I also sent several other "ok, check in" messages throughout the entire trip into the bush. Not one came through! It is important to note that my new Garmin Oregon 300 GPS worked flawlessly which was great as the trail was covered in snow and the trail markers were also somewhat obscurred by snow and bent over trees with snowload on them. The SPOT failed miserably. When I got back to the cottage, I once again sent a test message. This time I left the SPOT unit sitting right out in the open and motionless for over half an hour. Finally, one of the tests came through. This basically means that the unit MUST have a totally clear view of the sky to work. No trees. No snow in the air. No low cloud cover and be montionless for a lengthy period of time. How helpfull is this? If conditions have to be perfect, from a weather point of view, then this is a total waste of money. Same holds true for terrain. Most of where I ride (Haliburton) is certainly mixed terrain, tree covered and for sure large rock faces and outcroppings. Not wide open fields or other open spaces. I will evaluate this again but the first test sure came up bogus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Don't waste your money.I bought my spot, signed up on their website, and set up a profile. I was excited to find yet another item of safety equipment that would make not only sledding, but ATV'ing and hiking even more safe. What a let down. I was hiking yesterday in a parcel of land that is very much like a snowmobile trail or ATV trail. Mixed terrain, tree cover and rocks. I sent a test message from my truck which was parked in the open, with a clear view of the sky. I also sent several other "ok, check in" messages throughout the entire trip into the bush. Not one came through! It is important to note that my new Garmin Oregon 300 GPS worked flawlessly which was great as the trail was covered in snow and the trail markers were also somewhat obscurred by snow and bent over trees with snowload on them. The SPOT failed miserably. When I got back to the cottage, I once again sent a test message. This time I left the SPOT unit sitting right out in the open and motionless for over half an hour. Finally, one of the tests came through. This basically means that the unit MUST have a totally clear view of the sky to work. No trees. No snow in the air. No low cloud cover and be montionless for a lengthy period of time. How helpfull is this? If conditions have to be perfect, from a weather point of view, then this is a total waste of money. Same holds true for terrain. Most of where I ride (Haliburton) is certainly mixed terrain, tree covered and for sure large rock faces and outcroppings. Not wide open fields or other open spaces. I will evaluate this again but the first test sure came up bogus. I have had it send tracking messages from within my Garage! Try it again, I have found the sensitivity to be good. When sending an OK message, you cannot be in tracking mode and you should press the button for 2 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament. Thanks for the tips though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. Actually FQ, you are absolutely correct and the replacements are not due until sometime next year On the other hand, a satellite phone is cheap these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Thanks, Domino and rws ... great news. Might make it worthwhile giving SPOT a try. I was considering it, but then wondered, "Why would I ever want to find Domino?" :P :P I was thinking the same thing..................maybe we can pretend we care where they are? :P Ooops, look at that, the batteries have been dead for the last 48 hours!! ooopsy! Seriously, sounds like a great product for those who sled in remote areas it should be a must! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsedtoSkidoo Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Thanks, Domino and rws ... great news. Might make it worthwhile giving SPOT a try. I was considering it, but then wondered, "Why would I ever want to find Domino?" :P :P I was thinking the same thing..................maybe we can pretend we care where they are? :P Ooops, look at that, the batteries have been dead for the last 48 hours!! ooopsy! Seriously, sounds like a great product for those who sled in remote areas it should be a must! Why not just use a cell phone.........or sat phone? I hate all the independant gadgets........Just give me one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rws Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. The trouble you are referring to is on the duplex side...two-way communications...ie sat phones. SPOT uses the simplex side of the Globalstar sats. The Simplex system is fully operational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. The trouble you are referring to is on the duplex side...two-way communications...ie sat phones. SPOT uses the simplex side of the Globalstar sats. The Simplex system is fully operational. Either way. I am not impressed with a product that was almost $200.00 to buy (taxes in) and another $99.00+ for a subscription. I will give it another chance on a future evaluation but so far it has just not performed. My Garmin Oregon 300 has been awesome! Reliable and easy to use. I wish I was as happy with SPOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Mine works very well have not had any complaints yet either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. The trouble you are referring to is on the duplex side...two-way communications...ie sat phones. SPOT uses the simplex side of the Globalstar sats. The Simplex system is fully operational. Either way. I am not impressed with a product that was almost $200.00 to buy (taxes in) and another $99.00+ for a subscription. I will give it another chance on a future evaluation but so far it has just not performed. My Garmin Oregon 300 has been awesome! Reliable and easy to use. I wish I was as happy with SPOT. Maybe it's your unit that has a problem? (SPOT that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. The trouble you are referring to is on the duplex side...two-way communications...ie sat phones. SPOT uses the simplex side of the Globalstar sats. The Simplex system is fully operational. Either way. I am not impressed with a product that was almost $200.00 to buy (taxes in) and another $99.00+ for a subscription. I will give it another chance on a future evaluation but so far it has just not performed. My Garmin Oregon 300 has been awesome! Reliable and easy to use. I wish I was as happy with SPOT. Maybe it's your unit that has a problem? (SPOT that is) Thanks for clarifying that ! Fred might have taken that personally ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rws Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 I followed the instructions to the letter. The unit was just not very good in the conditions of the day. I have since done some more research on "Globalstar" the satellite carriers for SPOT. It seems that many of their satellites are dead or in bad shape and it means basically hit and miss service. That is why people are switching away from Globalstar satellite phones it would seem. I also read that different geographical locations will play a huge role in how SPOT works. To be fair, I will try it again before including it in my sledding equipment. No use carrying extra weight in the form of junk. I hope it comes through. It is an expensive Christmas tree ornament.Thanks for the tips though. The trouble you are referring to is on the duplex side...two-way communications...ie sat phones. SPOT uses the simplex side of the Globalstar sats. The Simplex system is fully operational. Either way. I am not impressed with a product that was almost $200.00 to buy (taxes in) and another $99.00+ for a subscription. I will give it another chance on a future evaluation but so far it has just not performed. My Garmin Oregon 300 has been awesome! Reliable and easy to use. I wish I was as happy with SPOT. Check-In tries sending a message 3 times spaced 5 to 10 minutes apart then quits....you will receive only 1 message even if all attemps are successful. If you haven't received a message within 30 minutes your email/cell provider is probably at fault for the delay. One thing to check is if your email account is rejecting messages as spam...best to go into your email account and set it up to allow all messages from noreply@findmespot.com. Check-in requires a GPS fix. Help tries every 5 minutes for 1 hour then quits....meaning getting 12 messages if all attemps are successful. Help doesn't require a GPS fix. 911 tries every 5 minutes until the batteries go dead. If I remember correctly batteries will last 7 days when in 911 mode. As you can see as the urgency of function increases so does the attempts of SPOT sending a message. In my testing messages generally are received within 5 minutes of pressing either the Check-In or Help button...with the longest ever being 20 minutes in the Check-In mode. I'd re-test your unit again in both Check-In and Help mode. Be sure the unit has a clear view of the sky and let it have time to acquire satellites. Check your SPOT online account messages against the sending parameters for each function and against messages sent to your email/cell. If messages are missing from your online SPOT account you possibly have a defective unit and if there are delays or missing messages between your SPOT online account and your email/cell provider then that is not a SPOT performance problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rws Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 I did a test run on my SPOT today...had to make a trip into Manitoba so thought it would be good to check its performance. I pressed the OK check-in button at 1:03 and started the tracking mode about 5 minutes later. I placed the SPOT on my dash for the test. At the end of the trip I canceled the tracking mode and sent an OK at 5:18. It worked 100% as it should. Check my SPOT shared page to see results I used the SPOT last winter on my sled on many trips and it worked flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Being pretty "tech saavy" for the most part, I followed all the directions to a tee. I also went into my e mail account and my wife's account who is also a recipient of my SPOT messages, to confirm there is nothing being "bounced back". As I said, I will re test the unit before continuing my rant. I wish that it would prove me wrong. It promises to be a great safety addition. When I went into my account on the SPOT website after the first outing with the unit, there was but one message that went through. That was from my driveway at home. Not a single message came through when I was back in the bush. I have since done a lot more reading on the internet and there are numerous complaints of lousy service and messages not getting through. Sadly, more negative than positive. I will post my findings after the next test run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Being pretty "tech saavy" for the most part, I followed all the directions to a tee. I also went into my e mail account and my wife's account who is also a recipient of my SPOT messages, to confirm there is nothing being "bounced back". As I said, I will re test the unit before continuing my rant. I wish that it would prove me wrong. It promises to be a great safety addition. When I went into my account on the SPOT website after the first outing with the unit, there was but one message that went through. That was from my driveway at home. Not a single message came through when I was back in the bush. I have since done a lot more reading on the internet and there are numerous complaints of lousy service and messages not getting through. Sadly, more negative than positive. I will post my findings after the next test run. Yes, please let us know, it should be interesting. So far the SPOT is no NoPhone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailblazer Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Well I must say I'm happy with my SPOT. Here's my tracks from my recent trip to Elliot Lake and back to Sudbury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishHog Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 So I'm really thinking about buying one of these for the safety factor when in remote areas of northern Ontario. The thing I'm struggling with, is the "help" feature. Great idea, if I was around home and could send a message to friends, but what about when I'm sledding in Northern Ontario. Who can you send a "help" message to, that could help. If its not a 911 emergency, but just a help I don't want to spend the night in the bush call, who do you call. Thoughts? FishHog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 So I'm really thinking about buying one of these for the safety factor when in remote areas of northern Ontario. The thing I'm struggling with, is the "help" feature. Great idea, if I was around home and could send a message to friends, but what about when I'm sledding in Northern Ontario. Who can you send a "help" message to, that could help. If its not a 911 emergency, but just a help I don't want to spend the night in the bush call, who do you call.Thoughts? FishHog You could have an arrangement with a friend/Spouse/Mouse as to what to do if they receive an email from you requesting help. If you are broken down, they could sent help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Tested SPOT again this past weekend. Not impressed again. Sent several check in messages and all but one, never made it. The unit seems to be functioning fine, it indicates so. I have used it with a clear view of the sky, and allowed it to sit without movement for up to half an hour. Still most messages never get through. I was happy to find that GPS city now has RAM mounts for the SPOT so...like a fool I bought two. One for the sled and one for the ATV. I will give it one more try before I deem it next to useless. It just seems unrelieable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Tested SPOT again this past weekend. Not impressed again. Sent several check in messages and all but one, never made it. The unit seems to be functioning fine, it indicates so. I have used it with a clear view of the sky, and allowed it to sit without movement for up to half an hour. Still most messages never get through. I was happy to find that GPS city now has RAM mounts for the SPOT so...like a fool I bought two. One for the sled and one for the ATV. I will give it one more try before I deem it next to useless. It just seems unrelieable. It would seem that your unit is defective I would suggest talking to SPOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailblazer Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I used mine on the sled inside a pocket on my sleeve on Sunday. Worked great. Only missed to 2 contacts with the satellite. That may have been while I was deep down in a rut digging our sleds out. LMAO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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