Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I would buy this product again
by John from Myrtle Beach SC USA
Pros: Ease of use
Cons: would be better if it could be used for short text messages instead of just the canned message.
Review: I don't necessairly need the spot for safety. My boat has a location device for that. I needed the spot to alert my wife that I am ok while at sea. I send her an alert every 2 hours and it eases her mind about my safety. She knows she has a close location.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Keep Love Ones Informed
by Gary from Overland Park KS USA
Pros: Small, waterproof, batteries last for extended period.
Cons: The tracking format must be reactivated every 24 hours. Would prefer it stay in that fomrat until turned off.
Review: The "SPOT" kept my family informed of my whereabouts while I was cruising on my boat offshore for days at a time. They knew where I was and when I was going to get to my planned destination. It can take the worry factor away.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Waste of money
by Mike from Apple Valley, CA
Pros: I heard it saved a life on a 18000' peak in Mexico.
Cons: Poor Customer Service response time, erratic signal, not as advertised.
Review: This is the message I got from them [after two un-returned e-mail requests for help, one failed return phone call that they promised, and two attempts to suggest improvements/changes to my usage]. I am tech savvy, so this was disturbing. On a 12 hour hike in the mountains to above 12000', above the tree line, I got only 10 or so tracking messages. I understand it cannot send signals all the time but this was ridiculous. The reason I bought it was for the tracking and 911. Now I cannot be at all certain the 911 signal goes out when I press it.
See the e-mail:
Hello Mike, The attached photos display conditions that are significantly obstructed, and that could have prevented the Spot unit from maintaining a GPS fix throughout the entire time the Tracking was on, therefore not being able to transmit messages every 10 minutes. None of the pictures you have attached show a clear view of the sky (horizon to horizon), which means that a constant transmission of messages would have been out of the question due to the conditions the Spot unit was in. Furthermore, going up a trail and going down the same trail would show different results as the changes in elevation would be completely opposite (i.e. Spot unit is going downhill instead of uphill, x tree was on the left and now its on the right, x side of the mountain was on the right and now its on the left, etc.)
Sephora
Spot Customer Service
Be informed before you purchase. The last person I spoke to said to try it in a field or wide open are for optimal conditions. I live in the desert and hike in the mountains. There's not much vegetation to get in the way, but apparently, if it doesn't have a 360 degree view of the sky, forget it. Know what you want and what you are using it for. I canceled my service.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Excellent Results
by Condor from Navasota
Pros: 2.5 years of superb service, every time I check in.
Cons: Too late for my ocean crossings.
Review: Very disappointing, my first 'Check-in' message, was off by 15 feet. Shoddy at best!!! I am 69 years old, and have been in 149 different countries. This service was not only, not in existence, but, not available until now. As a pilot, I could have used it as a check-in position reporting system for ATC, while crossing ocean's. I can not say enough good about the 'Spot' service! Ladies & Gentlemen, 'Bravo, well done'. I wish you every success. I will probably take my 'Spot' to my grave, and push the button, when all of you ---- least expect it!! Thank You, for American quality product, & service. You are saving lives every day. Larry L. Dunbar
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spot is great!
by Randolph from Rome GA USA
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Sometime misses check in
Review: Love it . Have it in Peru now testing it and does as advertised. Shows me at home parking my plane at hanger within 15 feet!
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
No customer service
by PropPilot from Birmingham, Al
Pros: size and cost compared to PLB
Cons: Not dependable and lack of company support
Review: I really wanted to like this product. After reading the reviews here I contacted the marketing folks at FindMeSpot to inquire about most of the 3 star and lower reviews in regards to the intermittent quality of the signal/transmission and the apparent lack of customer support for those that have had issues. I quickly received an email back for a nice lady detailing that this was an area the Spot wanted/needed to address and she was forwarding my questions to the appropriate party who would get back to me ASAP. 1 week later and still no response or results from my original message and now that I've reached out to her again to follow up I'm told that she's been reassigned to a different area and any inquiries I have needs to go to the marketing department. This is a neat device in concept but just not well developed. To add insult to injury the company just isn't suited to service the product. It may be a workable item for simple messaging while away from cell towers (although the reviews are inconsistent) but I certainly can't risk my life in depending upon it in a real crisis to get SAR looking for me if my plane goes down. Don't risk it if it's really a critical need, get a full PLB.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Great lifesaver
by randolph sumner from Rome GA USA
Pros: Great price and accurate
Cons: Sometimes globalstar misses a signal
Review: A great addition to aircraft location. Shows my location on Google Earth precisely next to my hanger within 10 feet! Sometimes the tracking messages are not sent 10 minutes but longer. Used it also to track me on a mission in Nicaragua and worked well there. I would recommend it to anyone flying in remote areas wanting to be found.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Works as advertised
by Ken Glenn from Bowling Green, KY
Review: Delivered from MyPilotStore in two days. Activated on-line. No Problem. Used outside with direct contact to sky. OK and Help Messages arrived within 5 minutes. Had question from telephone support. Called at 7:00AM, question answered immediately. If Product works out in field as it did in my front yard, it will be a Great Product! OK Button to be only pressed briefly, or will change into tracking mode.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Spot Sensitivity Issue
by A Customer from Red Lake, Ontario, Canada
Pros: Ability to send messages to e-mail in open areas.
Cons: Poor chip in unit -not sensitive
Review: I am currently using the Spot on my snow machine in Canada. The manufacturer needs to put a more sensitive chip in the unit as it will not track if I put it in my coat. I installed it on my snow machine on a Ram mount which allows it to track but still not in tree cover where my Garmin GPS will track, while inside my coat. I feel the unit is more like a gadget with the low sensitive chip and if it was changed to one like the Garmin 76CSX it would be a useful tool. So far the unit is working fine while getting a cold ride on my sled.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Don't depend on it in an emergency!
by Tim from Ketchum ID USA
Review: Tried using it for 2 weeks in South America and Wyoming with two different units (bought one for my friend). Neither one worked on a consistent basis. Fun toy but it is no more than that.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Great device
by Charley from Paso Robles CA USA
Pros: Worked exactly as it said it would.
Review: I used it in a trip through Baja California and it worked great. My friends tracked my progress and although I never used the "911" feature, I felt confident it would have worked.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Please contact SPOT if you have any issues
by SPOT Marketing from Milpitas, CA
Review: Hi all, Thanks for your reviews and purchases of SPOT. This is the SPOT office chiming in. We strive to take care of our customers and want to make sure that any of your concerns are taken care of regarding SPOT. We stand behind our product and so do thousands of people everyday from professional adventurists to weekend backpackers, aviators and mission critical rescue workers to name a few. We're proud to have helped be involved in the rescues of over 110 people and have sent millions of messages worldwide. If you have any purchase questions or other questions about your SPOT experience please contact marketing@findmespot.com Thanks!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
by A Customer from Denver, CO
Review: I purchased the SPOT on December 30 but SPOT would not honor the tracking promo code, saying that it had expired and there nothing be done. The coupon clearly shows that it is good on purchases through December 31. I guess I am just out of luck. Off to a great start with SPOT.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Worthless
by Tim White from Saratoga, Wyoming
Pros: Looks neat
Cons: Doesn't work to expectations
Review: Took Spot to South America for a 20 day trip to keep in touch with relatives and let them know where I was. Less than 50% of my signals never got through. When they did they had me located in the Ukraine. To had insult to injury they refused to honor my rebate applicationl saying the store (mypilotstore.com) wasn't recognized as a dealer {MyPilotStore Note: Please contact us - we are an authorized factory direct dealer}. I believe if you wait the technology will improve and someone will come out with something that will work all over the world. Have also used it my plane and it does not function at some altitudes under the tracking mode. All in all I wished I would have spent the money on beer.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
$50 Rebate has been rejected by Rebate Company
by Scott Bosecker from Peachtree City GA USA
Pros: It's hard to think of one under the circumstances.
Cons: I am out $50.
Review: I mailed the rebate form on Dec 26th. I complied fully with the Rebate Terms. Indeed, instead of one UPC code, I sent two from the bottom of the package as I didn't know which one was the "correct" UPC code. I made copies of everything I sent. Last week I received an email that informed me that my rebate would not be honored because I didn't include the UPC Code.
Monday, January 12, 2009
SPOT Fails in Actual 911 Emergency
by JNewell from Marin County, CA
Pros: Could cost you your live
Cons: unreliable search and rescue service; horrible customer service
Review: SPOT Fails in Actual 911 Emergency Do not under any circumstances buy a SPOT unit! Their search and rescue service is totally unreliable, and customer service is the worst that I have ever experienced. Here is my story. I bought the unit for $200, and paid the $200 annual fee. I figured that if I ever needed it, the 911 feature could get me out of deep trouble, so it was worth the cost. I went car camping with my 4 little kids, ages 10, 8, 6 and 4. While I was on the trip, the unit sent out a 911 message due to a malfunction. The good news was that I really wasn't in danger. Here is the bad news: When the SPOT unit sends a 911 message, it does not actually go to 911. It goes to some call center in Houston. There, some dude gets the message and has to figure out what to do with it. From there, it is all down hill. In this case, the dude called my wife and told her my unit had sent an urgent 911 message, and were we OK? and did she know where we were? Of course, she freaked out, thinking the kids and I were dead somewhere. She had no idea where we were and whether or not we were OK, and SPOT completely fumbled. The SPOT guy was completely clueless about what to do next. He acted like he had never gotten a 911 message before. The SPOT guy then called my business partner and asked him were we OK? and did he know where we were? Now, the SPOT unit is supposed to tell SPOT where you are, right? The SPOT guy's computer wasn't working properly that day, or he couldn't figure out how to zoom in and out, so he could not tell on his screen even what state we were in. Totally pathetic. The SPOT guy then called information (411!) and got the number for the fire station in the little 10-person town near where we were. No one answered there. He left a voicemail at the fire station. Then he called my wife again. Then he called my business partner again. Tick tock tick tock tick tock. Both of them are freaking out, and the SPOT guy has no idea what to do. This fumbling around by SPOT took years off of my wife's life. Eventually, the SPOT guy called the right emergency service location, and they immediately dispatched an emergency crew to the scene. From the receipt of the SPOT 911 call, to the dispatch of emergency services, it took SPOT 45 MINUTES! During the 45 minutes that SPOT wasted, we could have been DEAD. I have spent countless hours on the phone with the top officials people at SPOT. I probably had 20 calls with them and a similar number of emails. I got nothing but stonewalling for months. First, they told me that this could never have happenedthey "always" dispatch within 2-3 minutes. Then, after FIVE MONTHS of asking them for their logs, they finally admitted to me that in fact it did take 45 minutes, and then they claimed that 45 minutes was an acceptable timeframe to reach emergency services. After they finally admitted what had happened, they promised to send me by Fed Ex a new SPOT unit and give a year's service credit. Five weeks later, I have received no unit, gotten no service credit, and SPOT now won't return my phone calls. SPOT sets an absolute new LOW for customer service. SPOT is a bunch of Keystone Cops. Don't buy this unit under any circumstances. And if you already bought it, do not rely upon it. If you ever need 911, you are better off trying to drag yourself up from the bottom of the canyon by your fingernails than hitting the 911 button and thinking that help is coming. It may not.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I have told several people how the SPOT works, they say where do we get one.
by JOE from DENVER CITY TX USA
Review: I am still learning how to use the SPOT in my work, I work in the oil fields of west TEXAS and need the GPS locations, the SPOT makes my day go faster.
Monday, October 06, 2008
No Worry's
by Robert from Fountain Hills AZ USA
Pros: can't be informative, it works
Cons: none yet
Review: I don't have time for in depth reviews here, so I'll keep it short. Very few product purchases leave you saying WOW! This one does it and the whole family is saying it, along with no worry's when I'm out enjoying what I love to do. Thanks! One last note: I used it for the first time on a long remote trip and when I arrived back, I asked if it worked and she replied, "that is the coolest thing you have ever bought, and you HAVE to bring it ALL the time".
Monday, September 22, 2008
Small price for a secure feeling
by David from Durango CO USA
Pros: small, inexpensive, works and tracks well.
Review: It does what they say although I haven't tried the 911 feature.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Marginal Technology, Not Ready for Mainstream
by Ernest Baldini from Melbourne FL USA
Pros: Simple user interface
Cons: Sensitivity poor.
Review: This product is useful when given special attention. Its satellite link technology is marginal and requires very careful placement and orientation to use the tracket. I would not recommend it.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Spot should be compulsory!
by Mark from Burbank CA USA
Review: If all hikers, boaters and aviators carried one of these, we could save the planet just in savings from search & rescue! Great product.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Not Reliable in Mountains
by Baines from Cypress TX USA
Review: I have had good luck with SPOT when used in other than mountains. However, in the mountains (Colorado) many times it could not get a signal or once it got the signal couldn't lock on. Also, apparently the mountains/trees blocked its ability to transmit location information to the low orbit satellites.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Works best in wide open space
by Rob from Winter Park CO USA
Review: I live in the mountains of Winter Park and the product seems to have trouble syncing/locating a sattelite. It usually will take at least 45min to spot check the 1st time and rarely will send a 2nd spot check in less than 1hr in the woods. This concerns me that the 911 feature for use in case of an emergency may not work that well in the woods.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Poor Coverage Identification
by A Customer from Indiana
Review: I tried very hard to find out where exactly the SPOT unit covers. The only thing available is a rather small map that has "general coverage areas". I purchased the unit, and then found out it does not cover the Himalayas at all - when i called, the rep said "well its pretty clear it does not cover the Himalayas from the map"....well I dont think it is...it seems to me that if there are particular areas like ALASKA, or HIMALAYAS that are not covered, these should be clearly identified to save succors from wasting their money.
[MyPilotStore Note: While there is not currently any coverage of the Himalayas,
according to SPOT as of July 2008 there is complete coverage of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and the surrounding maritime regions including the Gulf of Alaska and portions of both the North Pacific and South Arctic Oceans]
Monday, August 11, 2008
I would buy this product again
by David from Palmer AK USA
Pros: Easy to use in tracker mode. Has proven reliable. Will message a cell phone. Easy to set up.
Cons: I thought the Instructions weren't too clear on how to use the alert with the tracking feature. Took some playing with it to be sure it was working as desired but in hindsight it seems so easy to use I don't know what my problem was. It glares on my plane windshield which is a slight distraction. An email to support was ignored, but I didn't need them in the end anyway.
Review: Works fine in SC Alaska. I know of 2 others with this and can personally vouch that it has been tested on the North Slope, West from the Kenai to Lake Clark, and from the Mat-Su to Kachemak Bay.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A Random Tracker-Not SPOT on!
by Santa Anas Johnny (John Thomas) from Tustin Ranch, Orange County, CA
Pros: Perhaps a 2nd generation device with a stronger signal will work better.
Cons: Not trustworthy enough to feel secure in a dangerous situation.
Review: I am a long distance solo hiker who purchased this gizmo at my wife's insistence. I hiked up to the deserted Panamint City in the Panamints Range (Death Valley) and it worked ok as well as other very remote locations in DV. However, in the more local Sunset Ranges of Southern California, it has "spotty" service...pun intended. I use it both to signal my summit as well as my returning back to the trailhead. In many cases the second signal was never received. Last Saturday I summited Mt San Jacinto (10,834') and my device did not only work at a wide open, clear skies summit (spent 35 minutes at the summit) but never worked at the Humber Park trailhead. Therefore, I lack much confidence in this product especially if I ever need to send a HELP or 9-1-1 signal. I would still be missing like Steve Fossett. Now my wife gets scared if she does not receive any expected signal from me which definitely puts her very ill at ease. Soon I will try it at the summit of Mt. San Gorgonio and later Mt. Whitney. LOL!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Reconfigure the 911 feature
by Linda from Woodstock IL USA
Pros: Dave Meek who provided excellent advice during a difficult time
Cons: See above
Review: The 911 button should be more difficult to activate. Encase it or do something to prevent accidental activation.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Terrific!
by A Customer from Oregon
Pros: Simple operation. Low battery drain - unit was still going strong on first set of batteries after month long trip. Good coverage. Appears to be rugged and waterproof.
Cons: Difficult to confirm message success. Needs very clear sky view (fine from plane but would have trouble from ground on some terrain). Web sharing site shows locations for only 24 hours, no way to extend.
Review: This was some of the best money I've ever spent. Took the Spot along on a month long small plane trip to Alaska and put it in the auto sending mode while flying. It let family and friends keep track of our progress, and we got many comments on how much they liked "going along" with us. Once the pilot forgot to close a flight plan after we had to divert, and his wife received a call before a search was started. Using the Spot location, she was able to tell them where we were. It worked fine clear out to Nome, and up to Dawson City in the Yukon, although we expected poor or no coverage in those areas. Besides letting people follow our progress, it was very comforting to know that our location was always pretty closely known in case of any emergency.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Best insurance policy
by Len from Capon Bridge WV USA
Pros: easy to use
Cons: it tends to move around, if not attached to something
Review: It gives one a feeling of "they know where I am" ... makes long cross country flying "easier" for the pilot and those left behind. It could have used velcro (or some other)attachment to airplane "dash board" to maintain clear view of sky.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Nice start - should evolve into good tool.
by 2170 from Antelope CA USA
Pros: Small, easy to use
Cons: Poor feedback on messages
Review: SPOT works as described. There are several improvements that can be made to enhance its functionality like message confirmation and an emergency lockout to physically prevent a distress call (button has to be held in to initiate a distress call, but that can happen in a backpack or other crowded space.)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Not an ELT but better in some way
by Francois from Outremont QC Canada
Pros: Does a simple thing very well and for a very affordable price
Cons: The unit doesn't provide enough feedback on which state it is in.
Review: This product is probably the best way to manage a Flight Itinerary. This very simple widget knows where you are from its integrated GPS and then uses the GlobalStar network (defficient for voice communication at the moment but good enough to carry a small packet of data) to tramsmit your position and a message to the Spot server. Your profile, kept in the server, decides who shall receive which type of message. A "progression mode" provides the ability to track you every 10 minutes w/o any intervention. The Company is proactive and already included a special page for your distribution list members in order for them to follow your progression w/o having to log on to the site. Integration with Google Earth/Map makes it very usefull. In case of Emergencies, you can alert you list of members or the Spot people who will contact SAR for you and track you from there.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tell them what you want
by A Customer from
Pros: Great Product all-around
Cons: Needs an LCD and mapping feature.
Review: People!!! If you want a SPoT v2 with better features, just blog about what you want and not about what you don't like about it. Every company has marketing people who read these blogs and use the feedback from them to create the next generation of products. I want the SPoT to have an LCD interface with a google maps API. That is what I want!!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Everything they promised; I recommend it to all my friends.
by Vic from Milpitas CA USA
Pros: Small, light, floats, brightly colored, efficient battery life. Easy to use. Web site is also easy to use. Reasonable service fee.
Cons: I might like a quicker lock-on. But my testing didn't always provide full open access to the satellites.
Review: The system met all my expectations. Of course, a number of the functions I will only use in an emergency. I purchased the full level of support, including the automatic periodic position updates and maximum emergency support. That's mainly because I'm a hunter, and I can easily get several hours off road and out of cell phone coverage. Pig hunting can occasionally be hazardous, like when one pig continued to run about near me despite two round from a 44mag through the chest. And of course, there's always the risk of a rattlesnake bite. Operationally, SPOT located the satellites within a few minutes and sent a position as requested. Accuracy was quite good. Placing SPOT on a window sill in my house on two different occasions, the reported position only varied by two digit on the fourth decimal place (of a degree). I believe that's within about 70 feet. The automatice periodic position update has many potential application besides my hunting and camping trips. Any excursion of a family member or friend can be monitored for safety purposes (including long road trips).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
SPOT Tracker delivers
by Todt C. from Walnut Creek CA USA
Pros: Ease of use, price, safety.
Review: Took the Tracker on a trip to Mexico in my private airplane one day after it arrived. The unit was easy to use and never lost the signal. I had 10-minute updates of my location so my family knew where I was at all times and the check-in feature worked flawlessly. A really cool product at a great price. Excellent piece of mind when I am flying. I will take it on all my backpack trips too.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
A must for back country travelers.
by Forrest from Los Alamos NM USA
Pros: It works. Need I say more.
Cons: Lacks a digital read out.
Review: It has worked everytime I have tried the Help and Check In features on a trial basis. I am 71 years old and often hike and ATV alone. It give me and my wife a sense of security since I am often out of cell phone range. My only complaint is that it lacks a digital read out like I have on my GPS. Watching the bliking lights is difficult in the bright sun especially if I'm wearing sunglasses.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Nice Product
by David from Layton UT USA
Pros: Simple 4 button operation
Cons: Simple 4 button operation is sometimes difficult to know what is going on
Review: This is a great unit. Have used it in both Hemipheres (northern half of each). It works pretty good. GPS is not quite as sensitive as others I have. Message Sending works most of the time. I would buy this again. I wish the manual would have described the length of time it takes to attempts each message and how other features are blocked during that time. If you attempt to use another feature durng the 20 minute cycle to send an OK message, the OK message stops trying to send and you may have got it sent and you may have not. However, that said, it is a terriffic product in most ways.
Friday, March 28, 2008
This thing is GREAT !
by Hully from Davie FL USA
Pros: Small and very easy to use
Cons: None
Review: The 'SPOT' exceeded all my expectations. It goes beyond the capabilities of the PLB's or P-EPIRB's and does so at a fraction of the price.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Needs some work
by garywil from Surprise AZ USA
Pros: Solid construction, the right size and a great idea
Cons: Requires your full attention and patience to determine transmission sent.
Review: This device looked to be the solo hiker's dream. It works - slowly but accurately. The size is convenient and it comes in a bright color. However the introduction of this promising device is perhaps a little premature. When activated to send an "OK" message to friends you have to watch a beeping green light finally turn to a steady five second light which indicates the coordinates have been sent to the satellites and an email sent to a friend presumably. The process may take several minutes of waiting. A company spokesman informed me an active gps near SPOT interferes with it and this seems to be true. An audible signal to go with the steady green light appearing would be a real plus. Back to the drawing board to spruce it up a bit recommended.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
EXCELLENT PRODUCT
by A Customer from HERMOSILLO, SONORA . Mexico
Review: It really works better than I thought. Amazing!!!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
ATC Tells Your Wife, Your Aircraft is Missing and Search & Rescue has been Initiated
by A Customer from West Texas
Pros: Your Family knows where you are where others don't.
Cons: Not integrated into the Air Traffic Control System.
Review: During a cross-country flight in a Cessna 152 from T27 to SRR and then to ROW, moderate turbulence was encountered and the flight was diverted to 2E5. My son had filed his flight-plan requesting flight following with the Albuquerque Flight Service Center. The flight-plan crossed two flight service centers Albuquerque and San Angelo. Once my son made a determination to divert to 2E5, he notified Albuquerque Flight Service Center of the change of flight-plan and landed at 2E5. After taking off from 2E5, he notified Albuquerque Flight Service Center concerning the status of the Flight-Plan and was told it had been cancelled. He then flew back to T27 and landed safely. My wife received a call from the San Angelo Flight Service Center indicating that our aircraft was missing and a search and rescue operation had been initiated. My wife who was at home following our flight through the SPOT Satellite System was able to tell the San Angelo Flight Service Center what flight path we had taken and where we currently were. They didn’t know SPOT existed. * First call received identified herself with Ft. Worth Flight Service Center. Second call received identified herself with San Angelo Flight Service Center. The first call was left on the answering machine
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mom's peace of mind.
by Deb from Woodstock GA USA
Pros: Compact unit and 'check in' and 'panic button'
Cons: A bit heavy for runners, inconsistent tracking info, failure to track during overcast weather.
Review: I have a greater peace of mind regarding my adventurous daughter's pursuits. Although "SPOT" doesn't provide tracking on the regular basis we were expecting, at least I know that my daughter has some degree of protection when she is out on a mountain run or bike ride. We did experience a period of absolutely NO tracking during overcast weather in California one weekend, she was able to "check in." It is also difficult the time difference between recipient location and tracking time.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Peace of mind
by Steve from Tucson AZ USA
Pros: Can save your life
Cons: Poor user interface
Review: This is a useful product that can provide peace of mind to loved ones and has the potential to be a lifesaver. However, it suffers from a clunky user interface. It uses the same buttons to accomplish different things and gives limited feedback as to what it's doing. The manual is complete and informative, but there is no quick reference card. I ended up writing my own to carry with the unit. One of the most useful features is the "Track" feature. But there are no written instructions on the unit as to how to activate that feature, and the indication it provides to the user is identical to the "Check In" feature. I have had it do the "Check In" when I wanted it to do the "Track" a couple of times now. Didn't know what it had done until I got back home.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Good but a little tweak would make it much better.
by Steve G from Voorhees, NJ
Pros: Easy to set up and use, accurate, could be a life saver.
Cons: Tracking feature needs improvement
Review: I registered the SPOT and set up my account on the internet with ease. I then went outside, turned on the SPOT, and sent my position. Within a few minutes I received an email with my preset message (that I was OK) and a google map of my exact location. That is terrific and well worth the price of the SPOT if you boat offshore or fly. Then, I took it on a flight and set it in the tracking mode, expecting to go home and read a bunch of emails every 10 minutes with my then current locations. But, no. I had to log onto the SPOT website and find my account to get my track. This is silly and not much use if I have an accident, cannot access the SPOT to manually trasmit my location, and no one thinks to access my SPOT account.
Monday, February 04, 2008
It is as it's advertised !
by Dr. Kenneth from Loomis CA USA
Pros: Works most any where in the wild including Kodiac Island,AK.
Cons: Give better feedback on message sent & a higher gain antenna.
Review: As someone who fishes and hikes in wilderness areas, often alone, the SPOT provides a safety comfort level well beyond any reasonably priced electronic device I could carry.No longer do I have to leave a note regarding where I intend to go that day nor call my wife upon my return to camp or motel to let her know I've made it back safely. Spot informs where-abouts even if I change locations mid- day.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
by L.M. from
Review: Neat device! - great value for the added safety. Unlike a PLB, this can be used everyday. The family loves the tracking feature. Being able to test/use frequently, I'm confident it'll bring help if I need to "hit the button".
Friday, February 01, 2008
by Bill,Teresa & Jack Kettler from Arizona
Review: For the Price and the Benefits of Owning This Unit any outdoor enthusiast should give serious consideration to owning one. This unit even has daily practical uses such as monitor your children's where abouts, Emergency services notification in an auto accident or emergency situation.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
recommended it to my friends and family
by craig from sparks NV USA
Pros: gets a signal where a cell phone can not
Cons: none
Review: Met all my expectations. I can come home and see every where i traveled. mostly off road on an ATV. gives me a lot of peace of mind.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Alaska Coverage
by A Customer from Fairbanks, Alaska
Pros: Small size, easy to use and well worth the money.
Cons: Coverage not so good in Northern Alaska.
Review: Coverage South of the Alaska Range is great but North of the range greatly depends on your view of the southeastern sky. The wife loves to check the "bread crumb" trail and know when to expect me home.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Slicker than greased pig sh*t
by Chris from Denver CO USA
Pros: Simple operation
Cons: The associated web site is a little cumbersome
Review: Worked exactly like they said it would. Relayed my position in the airplane every time I pressed the button. Mounted using velcro to the front of the cockpit under the windshield. Easy to use.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Overall: Excellent!
by BlackStar1 from Santa Monica CA USA
Pros: Great economical satellite based location tracking & huge safety benefits for all types of travelers.
Cons: The unit could use a better method of user feedback & confirmation on location messages that are sent.
Review: Product is the “best bang for the buck!” This technology is revolutionizing personal safety and increases one’s comfort level in global travel.
I was recently involved in the search for Steve Fossett, the aviator adventurer who unfortunately is still missing. The search area is the size of Vermont & New Hampshire or better known as trying to find a needle in a haystack. If Mr. Fossett had employed this type of system at the time of his disappearance, he would have most probably would have been found already.
Product Suggestions:
1. This technology would be ideal integrated into a handheld GPS NAV unit.
2. Currently, position updates in the tracking mode are every ten minutes, it would be nice to have time options, like every 2-3-minutes, 5-minutes, etc. Depending upon the mode of transportation, people travel across the Earth at different speeds.
3. Message confirmation feedback on the unit & satellite connection information.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
I can't believe this technology exists at this price...
by Christopher from Portland OR USA
Pros: Small, light, easy to use.
Review: This is, without question, one of the best applications of GPS / Emergency technology I've seen in years. No, it is not the most advanced of it's type (ie, no lcd screen, no on-device tracking, etc), but it does exactly what it designed to do - be there for you in an emergency.
I actually purchased it for my aging parents who have recently begun to "bird" in the wild woods and explore off-map areas. About a year ago they got high-centered in a dry river bed and had to spend 2 days in the middle of nowhere. Of course their cell phone was without signal... and this would have helped.
As I write this, they are tiddling around Puerto Rico on an adventure and I've received no less than 30 "check in" messages since they started this adventure last week.
Well worth the money. Excellent piece of technology.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Great little tool!
by Bob from Orlando, FL
Pros: basic message service is included and works without giving up personal account info.
Cons: Tracking feature not worth the extra$$ Requires lithium batteries and doesn't recharge or run off 12V
Review: Works well and as advertised. Could be just what you need if you travel where rescue availability is remote. The tracking feature is not as easy as it seems it should be. You have to give your personal account info to anyone who wishes to track you and they then have access to your entire account with spot. That kinda keeps that feature to family and close friends only. NO IN-LAWS OR EXES! I had hoped the ex could track the kids when we fly...BUT?
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