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Peter
Laval, Québec, Canada
Jan 19, 2012
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SPOT 2 FOR THE LONELY HYKER
Pros: small, light, users friendly,
Cons: don't see any...
I really like it and I feel safe going on hikes with it, since i am always alone with only my dog.
Recommend? YES
3 viewers found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
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northern ontario guy
northern ontario
Dec 1, 2011
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IT WORKS AS DESCRIBED
Pros: quick sat acquisition and messaging
Cons: no way of testing sos button
while I haven't used the emergency function, I use the check in and tracking features regularly and am pleased with the results.
some comments re tracking need to be taken with a grain of salt, it isn't like a gps where you get data points every few secs or 100m, you get points when the thing is able to see the sky. So don't expect it to do that, you will see gaps in your path, it's just a matter of physics.
there is no way to test the SOS button to ensure the hardware works before going out, would be nice if they had a switch to disable the mayday call online just to confirm it got that far.
Recommend? YES
10 viewers found this helpful.
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Rodrigo
Brazil - SP
Aug 26, 2011
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SPOT 2 SATELLITE
Pros: works. didn't test rescue and emergency buttons
Great. Everybody could check in real time our position. I didn`t need rescue and emergency buttons. SPOT internet site could be more user friendly. Tracking mode worked very well.
Recommend? YES
24 viewers found this helpful.
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Lindsey
Leadore, ID
Aug 16, 2011
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SPOT 2 GPS MALFUNCTION
Pros: tracking is great when not broken
Cons: 8 out of 14 devices quit working
I am supervisor responsible for 12 field crews that do extended stays in backcountry. For the past two years we have used the first SPOT which worked well, but wasn't very user friendly. This summer we upgraded to the SPOT 2 and have had terrible luck. Two months into the summer and 8 of 14 SPOT 2 devices that were purchased have malfunctioned. The issue: The GPS light blinks red and does not send a message when put into tracking mode or when checking in (the Help Button will still work but it will not give a location, therefore it is useless). We have tested the broken SPOTs with the check in feature and by resetting the tracking mode many times over the coarse of several days at various locations. None of the broken SPOTs were able to gain a GPS location again. The manufacture thought the issue was a result of non-lithium battery use, but we have always used only lithium batteries as instructed. The company has been very good about replacing the broken devices, but it is no consolation for not knowing where our field crews are and not knowing of their well being.
There is obviously a flaw in the design of the SPOT 2 device. Hopefully the manufacture will recognize this issue and make improvements to future devices. I strongly recommend purchasing the original SPOT device if safety is of any concern.
Recommend? NO
39 viewers found this helpful.
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Peter
Ontario, Canada
Jul 20, 2011
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EATS BATTERIES IN THE TRACK MODE.
Cons: high battery consumption.
Eats batteries in the track mode. Uses only Lithium batteries that are difficult to acquire in a rustic location
Recommend? NO
53 viewers found this helpful.
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Tod
Mukilteo, WA
Jul 10, 2011
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A MUST FOR REMOTE TRAVEL
Pros: small, compact, long battery, durable (so far)
I purchased the SPOT 2 for my multi-day dirt bike rides in remote areas of the Pacific Northwest. We are typically in heavily wooded areas, several hours away from civilization and any type of cell phone coverage. I have used the SPOT 2 on several trips now and it has worked exactly as expected. I will typically send an AM and PM "I'm OK" message back home each day. Each and every one was received along with an accurate link of my location.
It's mounted on my dirt bike and it takes quite a beating from the vibration and environmental conditions.
Recommend? YES
59 viewers found this helpful.
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Stéphane Lévesque
Trois-Rivières, (Québec, Canada)
Jun 3, 2011
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SPOT 2
J'aime bien cet appareil et avec les possibilités de préprogrammer des messages courriels et textes sur des cellulaires, ça sécurise ma famille car je fais beaucoup de moto dans les chemins forestiers.
Recommend? YES
58 viewers found this helpful.
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Don
Greater Toronto area
May 26, 2011
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LIMITED USEFULNESS IN HIGHER LATTITUDES
Pros: small size. relaively inexpensive
Cons: unreliable
Like many others I purchased this based on the claims made in the marketing literature.I realise that functionality is limited North of the 60th parallel but when I tried to activate the unit each day over a three week trip in east Greenland the system indicated that the communication attempts were successful. When I returned home I found that fewer that 50% of messages had been received. So it's back to a Sat phone for me. At least you know if you got through. I tried to communicate with Spot Messenger to discuss the issue and didn't even get a resonse.
Recommend? NO
64 viewers found this helpful.
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Thought it was to good to be true
Asia
May 17, 2011
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TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY
Pros: none (how can there be if it doesn't work)
Cons: didn't work - enough said,
I bought a Spot 1 on the basis it's an ideal method to alert my family & others if I fall over the side of my boat when sailing singlehanded in coastal waters. It worked once on a test (I was actually quite impressed at the time because it picked up a GPS signal & sent a message whilst surrounded by tall buildings). I then kept trying to send tests each time before I went sailing, and none of the messages got through - clear hozison to horizon view - no other active GPS's nearby - you name it I tried it. I put it down to satellite glitches, but despite trying repeatedly over a period of months, and being in touch with Spots's customer service techies & trying all combinations of pressing & holding & watching the lights - nothing. Despite it seeming to successfully start up & self diagnose I tried to get something out of the warranty, but despite it being clearly a newly registered (by me) unit they walked away because I bought from a re-seller who sold them also via e-bay - that was the easiest way to buy, so I did.... but ... Spot don't honour warranties for anything bought on e-bay ... period. I bought mine a long time ago, when the price was right up there. Massive dissappointment at the unit & the company, despite almost ideal functionality for my purposes - To good to be true ??? Yep, it always is - and they had no suggestions as to what might be wrong with the unit. And of course I had to be very precise with my words in my final e-mail with them to get them to cancel my subscription roll over .. and when making observations about how dissappointed I was I got snubbed. So forget it - Unit cost & first years subscription written off.
Recommend? NO
61 viewers found this helpful.
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John
Prince George, BC
May 2, 2011
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MIXED RESULTS
Pros: alleviates family concerns when hiking/skiing
Cons: original units may have a high failure rate?
I bought two units to replace an older unit. (Attractions were an improved lighting/buttons system, improved sensitivity, and lighter weight. One of two units I purchased failed while tracking during the second trip out. Looking on line I see several others who had the same experience... so be sure you test your unit on a couple of trips before you head off to do anything important. (Mine failed while my son was hiking across the middle of a frozen lake - causing a lot of stress back at home.) The warranty response from GlobalStar was outstanding. Within three business days of notifying that I had a concern, a replacement arrived at my door. My other unit has worked as expected. Winter GPS sensitivity (no leaves) has been good (at 54 degrees north.) Lights are a definite improvement over the older model. Batteries appear to last at least as long as advertised.
Recommend? YES
62 viewers found this helpful.
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CC
Vancouver, BC
Apr 22, 2011
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SPOT2 DOESN'T WORK WELL IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Pros: concept is great
Cons: doesn't deliver on potential
I've been using Spot2 for over a year and the percentage of "I'm ok" messages that actually make it to recipients email is very low, about 33%. Used in Pacific Northwest, mountainous and big trees for terrain. The user has no way of knowing if the message actually made it - you are told (by flashing buttons)that you have "gps" connection and that your "message" is sent, but most of the time the message never arrives as your preset email recipients. Not very confidence inspiring, especially if a real emergency were to happen. I'm going to buy a ACR PLB for those emergency situations as it is tried and true. As for my SPOT? I hope to find someone to buy it, it will probably work well in flat terrain. I'll try customer service first though, maybe they can help me out. Poor experience with thus product so far.
Recommend? NO
70 viewers found this helpful.
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Monica
Vancouver, BC
Apr 10, 2011
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DUBIOUS EFFICACY
Pros: great communication device
Cons: no longer works
I thought this product was great for the first 2 weeks I had it. I liked the selection of messaging options and its highly accurate GPS location, and the simple link to google maps made it easy for my friends and family to understand where I was. I found the online interface easy to navigate, and I appreciated the reported durability of the product (shock-resistant, water proof [1m for 30min], long battery life, etc).
I took the SPOT to southern Chile, and soon found it was less than stellar. I know that the southern end of South America has limited reception, so I was not upset when I found that only 50% of my messages were going through, however I was a little miffed at the fact that the device would still tell me that my messages were successfully sent (indicated by a green light by the message symbol, instead of a red light to indicate it had not been sent).
Most alarmingly, on my 5th day in Chile, 3 days into an 8 day hike, it would not turn on anymore. I have no explanation for why this happened. It had not been dropped, it had not been immersed in water and new batteries made no difference. It had been raining off and on for 3 days, so the SPOT was exposed to some moisture, but with a reported water-proofness of 1m for 30min, a few drops of rain should not have had an impact.
I would like to be able to recommend the SPOT to others as I think it is a valuable tool, but it needs to be able to turn on first.
Recommend? NO OPINION
76 viewers found this helpful.
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TheZeus
Vancouver, B.C.
Mar 30, 2011
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UNETHICAL NEGATIVE BILLING
Cons: terrible billing practices.
I bought this device for flying and shortly afterwards had to stop because of a medical issue and let my SPOY account lapse. Today I get an email saying they will be charging my account for 2010. I bought the device with a one year package. I was called twice by a salesman and told them I wasn't interested in renewing. I would not buy this product based on this alone.
Recommend? NO
79 viewers found this helpful.
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Dissapointed
Calgary
Mar 8, 2011
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BILLING
Cons: unethical billing, doesn't work up north
Does not work in northern (Arctic) environments.
They (SPOT) charge your credit card annually and the onus is on you to stop the payments. They don't send you receipts or reminders - unethical.
Recommend? NO
73 viewers found this helpful.
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OutdoorDude
Southern Ontario
Jan 3, 2011
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BIG IMPROVEMENT OVER SPOT 1
Pros: works under tree cover. fast startup.
Cons: expensive annual fees
Use it so the family back home can track my progress on cycling/canoe/hiking trips. Spot 1 couldn't find satellite reception on wide roads lined with trees (Bow River Parkway) and would miss two out of ten tracking messages in open fields facing the sky on a sunny day. Spot 2 didn't miss a tracking message on a 4 day canoe trip which included long portages in thick woods, heavy cloud cover and torrential rain. Also reliable on mountain bike rides stuffed into a side pocket of my hydration pack. Battery seems to last forever.
Recommend? YES
88 viewers found this helpful.
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Montague
Ottawa, ON
Nov 19, 2010
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SPOT 2
Pros: small, light and works
Cons: expensive batteries
Works very well, I was using mine during hunting season and lost it, but had the tracking turned on.
I went into town the next day and downloaded the coordinates it was transmitting.
Loading those into my Garmin Colorado, I was able to hike back the 2 kms and find my Spot, which was lying face down in deep leaves under a tall pine, yet it still sent good signals that allowed me to find it.
This tells me that if I need it to work in an emergency, it will do so in the enviroment I normally hike in.
Recommend? YES
95 viewers found this helpful.
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BOXRR
Waterloo, ON
Oct 29, 2010
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SIMPLE TRACKING GPS
Cons: none
like the products simple application, fast response time and it gives my family comfort when i am out on my Motorcycle.
Recommend? YES
83 viewers found this helpful.
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dstall
Salmon Arm, BC
Oct 25, 2010
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GOOD PRODUCT
Pros: small and good battery life.
Cons: the only problem is that in heavy tree cover or mo
Very nice device. I take this everywhere I go now on my quad. It now has equal billing with my Garmin GPS76CSX, one on each handlebar.
Recommend? YES
78 viewers found this helpful.
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Roxy
Clearwater BC
Oct 6, 2010
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GREAT GPS TRACKER
Have used the original Spot messenger and the Spot 2 has a much faster response time in sending messages. Great for those ruggged back country areas where radio reception is spotty or non existent. This is an excellent tool for check ins when working alone in the bush.
Recommend? YES
89 viewers found this helpful.
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Paul M
Calgary, AB
Sep 12, 2010
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SPOT 2 GPS MESSAGING DEVICE
Incredibly easy operation and web setup.
Brilliant web portal for organizing trip reports complete with map-stamped photos, GPS track overlays, etc.
Recommend? YES
87 viewers found this helpful.
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Mark
St. Catharines, ON
Sep 8, 2010
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WORKS WELL AND GIVES FAMILY PEACE OF MIND
Pros: works as advertized, alleviates fears of family
Unlike several of the other reviews I have had good experiences with starting up the device as well as using it under cover. I am sure that there will be times when it does not work 100% due to topography but that is the case with the GPS units that I have used to date.
The big advantage of this device over others is the peace of mind it gives to my family. By checking in and allowing my family to follow my progress, they are not as concerned when I am on my own. If I get in real trouble they also know that I have the Help or SOS buttons.
Recommend? YES
80 viewers found this helpful.
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SF Yosemite, SF Rock, Brian
Yosemite, CA
Sep 7, 2010
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BEWARE! UNETHICAL AUTO-BILLING! RIP OFF!
Cons: unethical auto-billing!
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT! YOU'LL BE SORRY! It works marginally at best and not at all in typical
mountaineering areas. (Long review, but make sure to read the last paragraph)
BUT THE WORST PART IS THE AUTO-BILLING POLICY! Spot forces you to have an auto-renewal
subscription of $160 every year. And if you want to cancel it, you better be ready a year later to
remember the exact date to do it. They renew on your renewal date, but they charge your credit
card on the last day of the 1st week of the NEXT MONTH. Then you get your credit card statement,
and then you call to cancel, and forget it you are outside the 45 day window from the renewal date
not the credit card billing date.
For Example: Your renewal date is 7/1/10 Credit Card billed 8/6/10 You only have 45 days since the 7/1/10 date, i.e. 8/15/10, to cancel NOT 45 days since the credit
card billing date. Once you notice the charge on your credit card, you are way too late to cancel.
THIS IS UNETHICAL. Spot figured out that if they delay the billing to the next month instead of
billing you at the same time as your renewal date (which all other auto renewal services do in
order to get their money ASAP), you will not have enough time within their 45 day window to get
your credit card statement and call to cancel.
AND when you call to cancel, they will not refund the amount if you are outside the 45 day window,
but they will allow you to deactivate immediately in which case you pay the $160 but you can't use
the service, AND you can't tell them to schedule the deactivation for a year later. So you have to
remember next year at the exact right date when to call and deactivate, OR ELSE you will be caught
off guard again with the auto-renew. THIS IS A RIP OFF SCAM!
ALSO, Customer service won't help you at all! If you decide to contest the charge with your credit
card company, Spot's customer service will promptly tell you that they will forward you to their
collections department. They got all angles covered to RIP YOU OFF!
ONE LAST THING: I asked why they don't send out an email letting you know about your auto-renewal
(They already send you lots of other emails). WELL, they do send out emails in states that require
it by law, but in states that don't require it forget it.
THESE GUYS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO SCAM PEOPLE OUT OF MONEY EVERY YEAR ON A PRODUCT
THAT DOES NOT WORK THAT WELL TO BEGIN WITH! BUT YOU WILL FIND THIS OUT TOO LATE, AND THEN YOU WILL
HAVE ALREADY BEEN BILLED AGAIN! I WON'T EVER DO BUSINESS AGAIN WITH SUCH AN UNETHICAL GROUP.
Recommend? NO
132 viewers found this helpful.
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Rick
Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Sep 1, 2010
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WORKS IN SOME ENVIRONMENTS, BUT NOT IN OTHERS.
Pros: it reassures my family, when it works.
Cons: i am never sure if my message was sent.
It only sends a message reliably from open areas. Under trees, it does not work at all. From a boat on a lake, it can always send a message. From the shore of a tree-lined lake, it might successfully send a message, or it might not.
Recommend? YES
90 viewers found this helpful.
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Cookie,
Canmore, AB.
Aug 23, 2010
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BEST TRACKING GPS
Pros: small,lightweight,great battery life,easy to use
Cons: plastic cover makes help & sos buttons hard to use
You need to prepare your custom messages and contact numbers before you go on line to register and create your account as the on-line system times out if you take too long. Even then, allow a good half hour. The telephone Help line was excellent and very personable. Our first multi-day trip in the backcountry and on to the Wapta Icefield went well, and our contacts received the "OK" and custom message on schedule. You do have to leave each message in Send mode for a good half hour before cancelling it. We had preplanned to send a Help message, which was received by our contact, and then the contact received the "Help has been cancelled" message, which is rather useful.We did not test the SOS message, that feature is tested when you first create your account and the system receives and recognizes your unique serial number.Our only dilemma, was I going to be the leader on the rope to fall into the crevasse, or the last in line who may disappear without a trace! We elected to put me in the middle of the rope, just in case. The obvious answer is for each team member to have one, however, the annual membership costs may exclude a majority of the impecunious climbing fraternity! Kent, don't throw it away, the GPS light only flashes when it connects when you are sending a message. You could always send it to me!
Recommend? YES
89 viewers found this helpful.
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Alex Alegado
Las Vegas, NV
Aug 17, 2010
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GREAT PRODUCT
Pros: very convenient to use.
I love how the Spot just works. I helped a friend implement a GPS tracking solution for a round-the-world ride a few years ago and it cost almost $2000 for the GPS transponder, $60/mo. for three months of satellite tracking service, and the sweat equity to install the equipment and maintain the online database that allow people to visit his website to view his progress.
With the Spot you buy the unit and the annual service and it just works. No back office data-processing required to create a usable, web-based map for your friends to view!
The online web maps are nice but I found the implementation to be limited: You can display tracking data for the last 24 hours or the last 7 days. Beyond that the data remains stored in your account but not available for mapping purposes on the site. I would've liked the ability to make maps that sort the tracking data for a given range of dates.
Instead, they let you import your tracking data to a different website that lets you display your tracking data on an event-by-event basis.
You can download the data and do what you want with it, of course.
Recommend? YES
99 viewers found this helpful.
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VFROG
Pakenham, ON
Aug 9, 2010
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A GREAT GPS TRACKING PRODUCT
Pros: size, ease of use, reception,
Cons: battery life not as long as expected.
First time using on a two week trip and it performed exceptionally every single day. Retained signals in rainy, heavy cloud weather. Great piece of mind for my family seeing where I was on a Trans labrador motorcycle trip. Took a huge amount of vibrations mounted on the bike over the gravel roads.
Recommend? YES
79 viewers found this helpful.
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Cory
Incline Village, NV
Jul 16, 2010
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WORKS GREAT!
Pros: nice improvement over the original spot
Cons: doesn't work in southern africa
I upgraded from my original SPOT to SPOT 2. They allowed me to transfer me existing subscription to the new unit with no problems. New unit seems to work better when under a canopy. The first generation unit seemed more sensitive to foliage and some messages did not get through. But, the SPOT 2 unit is a good improvement to the original SPOT. Smaller and lighter. Doesn't work in all areas of the world like a Satellite phone, but for most of my trips. It does the job at a fraction of the costs.
Recommend? YES
94 viewers found this helpful.
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Kent
London ON
Jun 18, 2010
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POS
Pros: it made my wallet lighter
Cons: don't trust your life with it
Received new Spot2 put batteries in turned it on, set it out in the middle of my yard for 4 hours and it never picked up a satellites. The on button just flashed. Next morning tried to turn it on and nothing. I'm glad that I didn't have to trust my life with it. I'm leaving for the Northwest Territories in a week, I guess I'll be renting a satellite phone for the trip. Spot2 heading to the land fill.
Recommend? NO
113 viewers found this helpful.
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John Brunswick
California
Jun 8, 2010
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PLB, YES AND BETTER
Pros: everything, works great!
Cons: not a two-way device
I don't understand why Len in Madawaska Highlands, Ontario, Canada says this is not a PLB. It contact Geo Alainance www.geosalliance.com whom contacts your family along with the Federal Goverment or the local emergency agency in the area your located. I understand they've had over 500 rescues in just over 2 years. A standard PLB, ACR or E-perb over send your location in a 100 meter area to the federal goverment. Plus this device allows you to send three other types of messages to your friends and family " Worldwide" "almost"
Recommend? YES
112 viewers found this helpful.
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K9Sarg
Calgary, Ab
Jun 3, 2010
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SPOT2
I spend a considerable amount of time in the wilderness alone (in all seasons) Any who does knows it's inherately risky. Such ventures can turn life threatening in an instant. Using a cellphone is not an option Spot gives me, my family and friends peace of mind.
Recommend? YES
95 viewers found this helpful.
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Mainuh
Southern Maine
Jun 1, 2010
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SPOT 2 AN IMPROVEMENT
Pros: msg confirmation, better indicators, custom msg
Cons: shoter battery life
Sold my spot 1 to upgrade to the 2. Seems to have less tracking misses. Still seems much less accurate than my Garmin 276C GPS as far as actual location. The custom message and message sent confirmation are a big plus for this unit. Also, the ability to send an OK or custom message while in tracking mode is a plus for the 2.Battery life could be a little better but capacity probably a little less due to AAA's in the 2 compared to AA's in the Spot 1. Still a pain that the spots are only kept for 7 days unless you upload to spot adventures... 14-21 days would be more apropriate for covering longer trips. As long as you understand that this is a cheap consumer device to supplement your travel and safety it is good. Too many think they're getting some kind of fail safe liver saving device. While it is possible it could help you in a pinch, I would hope my life never depnded on it, as it really needs near perfect conditions to transmit preoperly and it's fairly common for it to miss 10-20% of the tracking spots based on the type of riding I've experienced in Maine, NH and Canada. But, my wife (who got it for me as a Christmas present) likes to be able to see our progress on rides, especially the multi-day ones.
Recommend? YES
95 viewers found this helpful.
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spidennis
south padre island, texas
Jun 1, 2010
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SPOT 2 REVIEW
Pros: easy to use!
Yup, this was a pretty cool device to have along on my entire coast of texas UNLITTER kayak tour. I was sponsored by Unlitter.com and it was great for spreading the word as I traveled and it made for some great entertainment for those following along. Would I make it? How far did he go today? where did he camp? which way did he go? how far do you think he'll make today? He's still going? He made it! Yeah, one cool little device, and it had those emergency backup buttons, just in case!
Recommend? YES
83 viewers found this helpful.
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Len
Madawaska Highlands, Ontario, Canada
May 7, 2010
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PERFORMS VERY WELL, NO MAJOR ISSUES
Pros: small, well built, google maps - awesome
Cons: spot web page could be improved.
We live in a no-cell area. We do a fair amount of driving on dirt roads with little traffic. We also take our ATV's trail riding and go back country skiing. Our Children (early 20's) also use the ATV's.
Before SPOT, even though the traveller was equipped with an FRS radio and a GPS device, there was no way for those back at the cabin to know the traveller's location or status. Both my Wife and I appreciate the peace of mind that SPOT gives us.
We have had the device for about 3 weeks now, and have given it a fairly thorough shakedown, including ATV riding in the bush, walking under the forest canopy, and sitting on the dash of the car. We have tested all of the features, except for the SOS.
When trail riding, we are getting a success rate of around 80%. I didn't have an ATV mount for Spot, so it was carried either in a jacket pocket, or in the ATV's saddle bags. The jacket pocket seemed to work better than the saddle bag, probably because SPOT was bounced around a lot in the bag. I have recently picked up an ATV mount for SPOT and expect the transmission success rate to go up. When walking, I keep SPOT in my jacket pocket, I tried the carry case, but frankly, it's a PIA to try and get SPOT into it, so I don't use it. Success rate in my pocket is better than 90%, I think it only dropped one tracking message all of the O.K. messages were delivered. Sitting on the dash of the car, the success rate is near perfect. I picked up a windshield mount for SPOT, but I don't think I'll ever use it, tuck it on the dash, and it pretty much stays put and does its thing.
SPOT is not a PLB, or a EPIRB, if I was doing a lot of serious outdoor adventuring, I would probably look into getting one to augment SPOT. We like SPOT for it's Tracking, O.K. and Custom Message features the Help and SOS message features are certainly nice to have, but not the main reason we purchased SPOT.
I would recommend SPOT to anyone who spends significant time in potentially dangerous situations, where there is no cell coverage. The ability to sent emails and TM's to friends and loved-ones at the end of the day, letting everyone know that all is O.K., is well wort the price. It's nice to know that in a pinch, it will operate on ordinary AAA batteries as well.
Recommend? YES
138 viewers found this helpful.
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Robert
Cameroon
May 1, 2010
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GREAT BARGIN, WORKS NICELY
I use this to track my flights in Africa. Great accuracy and yet a real bargin. Consistency is pretty good though misses from time-to-time. Overlay to Google maps is awesome
Recommend? YES
123 viewers found this helpful.
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just a user
calgary, ab
Apr 28, 2010
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SPOT 1 VS SPOT 2
Pros: smaller lighter
Just got my spot 2 but it seems to have better communication capability. Great to have company willing to offer an upgrade incentive
Recommend? YES
144 viewers found this helpful.
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Russ
Toronto, ON
Apr 27, 2010
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GPS 2-WAY COMMUNICATION
Pros: small size, portability
Cons: see review for a minor item
My application is primarily to keep friends and family informed of my location as I wander the world. The emergency and roadside assistance call facility is a nice bonus. One minor item to watch for: the uplink transmission indicator glows green after a transmission attempt. It does not confirm receipt. That's why Spot has set it up to try again, twice over the next 20 minutes, in case the first transmission did not get through. The unit needs a reasonably clear view of the sky. I recognize that there have been some negative reviews in early 2010, but, in my opinion, Spot handled the situation reasonably well, and the updated product is excellent.
Recommend? YES
131 viewers found this helpful.
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Dennis
Sturgeon Falls, Ontario.
Mar 15, 2010
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MODIFIED SPOT 2
Pros: great piece of equipment
Cons: none that i see
Received the updated Spot 2 and must say is new condition and flawless in perfomance! Just hard to understand the negative reviews.
Recommend? YES
200 viewers found this helpful.
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Gonz123
Ottawa, ON
Mar 2, 2010
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WASTE OF MONEY
Pros: user replaceable batts permit unlimited
Cons: spot has blocked usage, has not met commitments
Spot has not made good on their warranty and recall obligations, the recall replacements are hacked together units with damaged cases, excess glue, battery covers that don't fit, and radically downgraded water resistance specs compared to the original spec (now just 1m/30min vs 5m/60 min in their marketing literature).
Compared to GPS enabled PLBs that have an I'm OK feature based on GPS test, you can send many more I'm OK updates with one of these and use tracking features that are impractical with a PLB because of the high battery consumption and high cost of replacement batteries ($160 each, permitting up to 60 lifetime I'm OK messages for the ACR PLBs).
Subscription service is expensive (US$99/yr vs free for PLB with no I'm OK service and $39/yr for I'm OK service).
Recommend? NO
185 viewers found this helpful.
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SailingYYC
Calgary, AB
Dec 21, 2009
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COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT, WORKS AS ADVERTISED.
Pros: compact, light, spot itself easy to use.
Cons: spot website is slow and poorly thought out.
As another reviewer mentioned, all SPOT2's have been recalled for transmission and operating characteristics not meeting spec. It is truly nice to see a company offering these types of recalls in Canada, another plus.
Having said that I've not had issue with my device, works better than expected even indoors, under heavy cover, and in the concrete jungle.
Recommend? YES
269 viewers found this helpful.
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Dougals of PG
Prince George BC
Dec 17, 2009
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SPOT 2
Pros: check-in and track simultaneously
Cons: having to send it back on a recall!!
Aside from having to send this back to SPOT on a recall for some glitches that might appear, but haven't yet, in ours, we've had great results with this unit! We've been using the original SPOT for a couple of years for our back country park rangers and fish and wildlife biologists, found the original SPOT a great adjunct to our safety protocols (we're often a LONG way from phone lines or cell towers). This one takes it a step further, particularly with the ability to put it in tracking ("spotcasting") mode AND send check-in messages "on the fly", as it were, without having to turn the unit on and off and wait the requisite time for your OK message to go through, and then have it automatically slip back into tracking mode. That alone is a HUGE improvement. Being able to put a second, "custom" message in is also helpful, to tailor your message to the day's activities. Great little unit!
Recommend? YES
252 viewers found this helpful.
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Dennis
Sturgeon Falls,Ontario
Dec 9, 2009
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SPOT 2 MESSENGER
Pros: could save your life!
Cons: none
I recently purchased the Spot 2 Messenger unit. I live in Northern Ontario and literally as I speak it is a blizzard outside. I figured this is the perfect time to test this unit. After placing the unit inside my front window and turning it on I activated the OK function. At 10.03 I sent the message and at 10.10 it was at the designated e-mail site with the Google map location. Unbelievable! It gives me great confidence in using the unit for security in the outdoors of Northern Ontario. So much for many of the negative reviews!Good work Global. D. McKinnon
Recommend? YES
297 viewers found this helpful.
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