sledjunk Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well Santa brought me one and I have been playing with it a bit. So far, most of the messages have come through, including the check in messages while sledding in HF on the weekend. I did not use the tracking function while riding but did use it in the truck on the way home. It was in a cubby inside the dash and still worked well (about 80% of the messages got through). I have also been doing some experimentation with NiMH batteries. I am using some older 1600 mAh batteries and find I can get about 48 hours in tracking mode. The power light turns red after about 8 hours, but that is expected with rechargeables as the voltage of the cells is 1.25V as opposed to 1.5 for the lithium or alkaline cells). I will need to do some more benchmarks as well as analyse the actual capacity of the batteries before I make any final decisions but I am leaning toward running the SPOT on the rechargeables for the most part. I usually carry at least a spare set for the camera anyway and do not expect to be using SPOT in tracking mode. FQ, I suspect that, as others have suggested, your unit may have a problem. It would most likely be with the internal antenna and, as such, the diagnostics may not be detecting the issue. I suggest you contact the manufacturer. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Hey Sled...I used mine at HF two weeks ago and it was okay. Just okay. About 70% of the check in messsages came through that I sent but most of the time when in tracking mode it sent only two messages as I circled all of North Road and East road. I have it mounted almost flat, facing the sky in the RAM cradle I bought. It seems to be functioning. Just not what I expected for the price. As you used yours in HF too, have you used it elsewhere on other trails. My other tests were hiking in some backwoods trails and it was lousy. Marginal to say the least. I am not looking forward to the hassle of returning it. Maybe I was expecting it to work as flawlessly as my GPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledjunk Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Hey Sled...I used mine at HF two weeks ago and it was okay. Just okay. About 70% of the check in messsages came through that I sent but most of the time when in tracking mode it sent only two messages as I circled all of North Road and East road. I have it mounted almost flat, facing the sky in the RAM cradle I bought. It seems to be functioning. Just not what I expected for the price. As you used yours in HF too, have you used it elsewhere on other trails. My other tests were hiking in some backwoods trails and it was lousy. Marginal to say the least. I am not looking forward to the hassle of returning it. Maybe I was expecting it to work as flawlessly as my GPS. Mine is sitting in the tank bag and I only used it by sending check in messages at HF. I was riding with my daughter so we really didn't cover a lot of area and that was my first (and only, so far) test on the sled. I was quite impressed that the GPS had a lock inside the truck in the cubby. BTW, if the power and help or checkin lights flash out of sequence, it indicates that the GPS is not locked. Does yours have a lock? I understand the hassle but it might be worth a call at least. They may have a local warranty center or offer some suggestions. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Hey Sled...I used mine at HF two weeks ago and it was okay. Just okay. About 70% of the check in messsages came through that I sent but most of the time when in tracking mode it sent only two messages as I circled all of North Road and East road. I have it mounted almost flat, facing the sky in the RAM cradle I bought. It seems to be functioning. Just not what I expected for the price. As you used yours in HF too, have you used it elsewhere on other trails. My other tests were hiking in some backwoods trails and it was lousy. Marginal to say the least. I am not looking forward to the hassle of returning it. Maybe I was expecting it to work as flawlessly as my GPS. Mine is sitting in the tank bag and I only used it by sending check in messages at HF. I was riding with my daughter so we really didn't cover a lot of area and that was my first (and only, so far) test on the sled. I was quite impressed that the GPS had a lock inside the truck in the cubby. BTW, if the power and help or checkin lights flash out of sequence, it indicates that the GPS is not locked. Does yours have a lock? I understand the hassle but it might be worth a call at least. They may have a local warranty center or offer some suggestions. Good luck. It is puzzling. I am getting a "lock". Only once did I ever not. That was under heavy snowloaded branches, in dense forest cover. It seems to be okay, just okay, when perfectly flat. When it sit's under any angle, it seems very sketchy. When I have some time I will call the support center and see what the hassle is to trade it out. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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