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225 of 240 found the following review helpful:
 SPOT ON!!!! Dec 12, 2007
By ATHiker
Please ignore the comments about Globalstar service below, he has no clue about this product. Globalstar is having problems with its duplex service S-band amplifiers which only affects two-way traffic. I should know I have a Globalstar satellite phone. SPOT uses the L-Band uplink (simplex modem) which is used to track trucks etc. this network is running at full efficiency. I have this product and it works better than my expectations. About this product: it is not a personal locator beacon and if you wish to use this solely for emergencies, I would recommend another product. A true personal locator beacon because it works in all conditions and all-terrain (I also own one by ACR). SPOT needs to have an uninterrupted view to the satellite. In other words in heavy canopy this product does not work very well but in broken canopy or in the open this product works great (samething is true with my handheld GPS). I use this product to communicate with family and friends on my progress when backpacking, biking, or just out and about. I do use this product in heavy canopy areas and send a signal when I cross a road or powerline crossing. I still carry my personal locator beacon for real emergencies but this product helps in non-emergency situations. For more operational details you can download the manual at www.findmespot.com
My cell phone doesn't work when I'm away from cell towers or underwater while scuba diving nor in caves. Similarly SPOT will not work if it cannot contact the satellite. As with all communication devices, they all have limits and parameters that they operate in. You should know this before buying any product like this.
77 of 80 found the following review helpful:
 Where Have I been Dec 19, 2007
By Roger H. Howe
I have just begun using this. Very impressed so far on what it can do. The check-in function allows after about 2-4 minutes of being on to click once and send either a text message to a phone or an e-mail to computer for up to 10 separate addresses. You manage the addresses by accessing your account on the internet. The tracking(an optional service costing another 50 dollars per year) also has worked for me. That service does seem to be more challenged to keep connected to the satellites than my Garmin Etrex which rarely looses it's connection. The SPOT has a blinking green light sequence that indicates whether or not you have lost satellite signal. If you see both the power and tracking light(ok checkmark) are both blinking in sync then SPOT indicates it has satellite connections and knows where you are. I was disappointed that leaving it in the top of my backpack did not always insure keeping a signal. When I held it in my hand and walked for about 10 minutes it would begin blinking in sync. I tested it in several more remote mountainous areas by leaving it horizontal on top of my pack and on my shoulder pouch of my backpack. Once it has the signal it usually will keep it in sync. However, if you just turn it on in heavy trees and deep canyons it is not very sensitive to finding the GPS satellites. This is the one weakness that I keep in mind. With the GREAT battery life, I have had great luck in turning it on when I leave home, then driving to the location I want to explore. When arriving I already have a synced signal and can now begin tracking my trip to the website and usually keeping the signal.
The website shows the track and you can click on the several points of the tracking and they display the multiple locations on Google Maps numbered in order of creation. The power of this device to me is that since I have no cell phone towers in the remote mountain areas I frequent, this will use the messages by satellite and be available for four uses 1)Checking in by message that all is ok 2)Create a log of tracking locations every 10 minutes while turned on 3)Using another list of up to 10 addresses from your setup on the website a different message can be sent for help that is not life threatening like car breakdown or need to be picked up at a location and finally 4)Call 911 which will send to your broadcasted location help and rescue. I found it powerful to test these by using the device in non-life threatening situations. Customer service was very quick in answering my e-mail questions with kind and helpful responses in less than 24 hours each time. Color me satisfied.
151 of 164 found the following review helpful:
 A rescuer's perspective. Dec 25, 2008
By Jennifer J. Whitcomb
As someone with Coast Guard Search and Rescue experience who is very familiar with SPOT, (also an AT and PCT alum) I wanted to add my review from the perspective of someone who has responded to distress beacons. I first learned about SPOT with an open mind, but have since found many reasons to dissuade mariners and others from using the device. I can't stress strongly enough the need to go with a 406 MHz beacon, such as an EPIRB / ELT / or PLB as the distress-alerting device of choice. As a reference, I'll point to SPOT's own web site.
Unfortunately, it is full of half-truths and other misleading information.
Below, I've included a transcript of their online video about its "Alert 911" function.
A point-by-point discussion/rebuttal:
Claim: "Every year, emergency authorities conduct 50,000 rescue missions. Many of these people are not found in time. Now there's a way to make sure that they are: the SPOT messenger is the first and only product that combines GPS technology with Satellite-based communication..."
Response: FALSE! Such technology has been available for many years: SARSAT-based 406 MHz EPIRBs / ELTs / PLBs. When synced with a GPS, they embed and transmit their coordinates to a satellite, giving the Coast Guard (and for inland positions, the Air Force) an immediate "E" (electronic) solution where they can send boats / aircraft / search teams.
Claim: "Whether you are snowmobiling, hiking or sailing, it is your personal connection to loved ones and emergency authorities, with the simple push of a button, from virtually anywhere, worldwide..."
Response: Not always true. You CANNOT depend on it! In Seattle, the Coast Guard had a case in September where a boater's loved ones hadn't received their scheduled "I'm OK" update from the vessel as expected. Suddenly it became a case of an overdue vessel. Turns out the boater had hit the button on the device, but the message was not transmitted. The CG called SPOT and learned that the company was having difficulty receiving transmissions from multiple vessels. Of course neither the sender nor their recipients was notified of this. CG units from Seattle to California were involved in this case. Something similar could happen inland.
Claim: "Over 50% of the US does not have cell phone coverage. With SPOT you're covered..."
Response: Um, not always (see above). Also, with any 406 MHz beacon, you're covered, as well. Without the yearly fee and extra fees for bells and whistles.
Claim: "Today, SPOT is saving lives all over the world." (Provides several anecdotes.)
Response: Certainly it has played an important role in certain cases. But show me one where SPOT worked and a 406 MHz EPIRB / ELT / PLB would not have.
Claim: (Case study - the Bertsches) So the wife receives an email stating plainly "This is an emergency. Please send help." Followed by a lat/long.
Response: So this is not to be confused with the message sent when you hit the "HELP" button, which reads: "This is an HELP message. Please find my location in this message below and send for help ASAP." Confusing?
Claim: The wife then says she received a SPOT message saying "I am OK." and was very relieved.
Response: What if she had been away from her computer this whole time? Had she seriously not yet been contacted by authorities? In the case of a 406 MHz alert, the Rescue Coordination Center that receives the alert puts a live person on the phone with the family member / emergency contact as part of prosecuting the case.
Claim: "If your loved one is going into the outdoors, you need SPOT..."
Response: No you don't. It's a false sense of security.
While SPOT's a neat tekkie tool for tracking someone's location in the wilderness or at sea, it should NOT replace a 406 EPIRB / ELT / PLB for emergencies.
It also lacks the 121.5 MHz homing signal that all 406s have, with homing equipment already installed on all Coast Guard aircraft. CG boats, civilian air and ground SAR and civil air patrol assets also have this equipment. The CG also has 406 MHz direction-finding equipment installed on many of its aircraft, as well, which can lock in on a signal from over 100 miles away. SPOT has no such advantage, as responding agencies have no way to detect its signal with their aircraft, boats, or ground teams.
SPOT's business model is clearly based on the continued profits generated by its subscription services, and is aligned with the GEOS company, which is in this business for profit (nothing wrong with that).
Contrast that with SARSAT (406 MHz) beacons, which exist to execute the federal mission of inland and maritime SAR. While beacon manufacturers like ACR and McMurdo look to make a profit, they have to adhere to strict federal (and international) standards to market their devices as SARSAT EPIRBS / ELTs / PLBs. The government (NASA / NOAA) funds and maintains the satellites (which are being significantly upgraded again in the next decade), and the Air Force and Coast Guard executes all SAR in the US and our territorial waters (and often beyond).
Another advantage of SARSAT (406 MHz) beacons - NOAA tracks all false alarms, follows up on their causes, and works directly with their manufacturers to minimize their reoccurrence.
And one additional reason the video on SPOT's site leaves me scratching my head: it uses footage of Coast Guard assets that were retired before SPOT was even on the market (44' motor lifeboat / CG HH-65A helicopter [illustrating a case off of AUSTRALIA, and the CG now uses C models with a different paint job]).
My one-star review is specific to its use as a distress beacon. As a fun way to track a friend or loved one via google maps, it's a neat gadget (so long as folks know not to panic if you miss a check-in, since their technology is unreliable). Just make sure you carry a 406 in case you get in real trouble.
146 of 159 found the following review helpful:
Very unreliable service, especially tracking. Sep 10, 2008
By Dolores C. Reeves
"Dolores"
I won't touch on the technical issues -- I want to focus on our groups real life experiences trying to use this product.
A group of us (pilots) bought the SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker and have been completely horrified by its lack of performance. The idea and promise is very compelling, however, the stability of their system is truly absurd. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be your emergency tracking and notification system. The problem is that their website is always crashing - which they call maintenance (never posted on the website beforehand though). Also, many of the messages sent from the Personal tracker never show up on their website. We've done several test where we lay a SPOT out in the middle of the ramp at our airport, press the help button, and about half the time the messages are never delivered. Our hope, for the longest time, was that this company would eventually get their system working correctly, or at least predictably, however that has simply not been the case. In fact, when you contact them by email their responses are very caviler.
Put your money into a system that doesn't have an annual subscription and is run by a very reputable group (the US Air Force) Buy a PLB!
51 of 57 found the following review helpful:
Happy Camper Jan 09, 2008
By Guzman
"MemoryLOSS"
This is a very nice product for the price.
The features are simple. It sends an email and/or text message saying you are OK. It can also send an email and/or text HELP message. OR, it can call the service emergency response center and they will call local authorities based on your location. Not bad for the price huh. A graduated response. Very good use of existing technology by a creative company that saw a potential market. Apparently, they use a similar technology to track kidnapped executives. Nice market expansion guys.
Trees can cause loss of the satellite signal. Use in a car is unreliable because the windshield attenuates the sat signal or the car itself blocks the satellites. In any case, use on a car dash is spotty. When out in the field, it needs to have a clear view of the sky. The most reliable way to use it is to just position it and leave it for 20min as the manual directs. I is 100% reliable when used as directed. Just be aware of the need to give it an opportunity to get the sat signal.
The tracking on Google maps is cool, but because the unit does not maintain a sat lock when moving, I have gotten inconsistent results. My GPS will give a very good track in comparison.
The extra insurance for a few bucks is cheap insurance. The terms of the insurance coverage are a must read...it takes a lot for them to kick in. But it's better than nothing, right.
Future iterations of this device need to be smaller and more integrated with the web features. The web based options are still kinda basic. I can see these issues being addressed easily and I would buy a smaller unti with more features...GPS navigation, GPSR/GMRS radio, weather radio, etc,...Integrate.
I am very happy with this device and would recommend it for most locations. It's fun to use and I hope I never have to use the more serious 911 button and call for emergency response.
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