BizJetGuy

Well, I'm getting ready to put about 1k miles on the bike in a couple of weeks when I transport it (the fun way) from Houston to Indianapolis. I'm riding solo and I plan on hitting a few fun roads in Arkansas on the way up.

I like to keep in touch with the wife when doing extended local rides and the cell phone at gas stops has always worked pretty well. However, it can be a pain to dig the phone out of the gear and there is no guarantee that there will be coverage in remote locations.

I've done quite a bit of research on the SPOT Messenger: Spot Messenger > Home and this upcoming trip has inspired me to take the plunge.

I picked one up today at my local Ritz Camera (of all places ??), registered and signed up for the optional tracking service so now anyone that I give the website address to can follow my progress real-time.

Once placed in tracking mode, the SPOT transmits it's position every 10 minutes and maps the coordinates overlayed on Google Maps. You can also pre-program a "Check-in" message to send when you are gassing up or camping out at a remote location where there is no cell phone coverage. The Check-in feature sends a pre-programmed message to an email address (or addresses) or even an SMS to a cell phone that you program into your profile.

There is also a "Help" feature that you can use in a non-emergency situation that sends the same email address or SMS a message to send help and, further, there is a 911 function that notifies local authorities of a distress call when activated. In all cases, the coordinates are given in the email or SMS notification. There is also a signal transmitted on an emergency frequency just in case the 911 message does not go through the satellite system.

It gives me a little more peace of mind while traveling extensive distances and now I won't have to fumble in pockets to find a cell phone to check in.

As stated earlier, I just picked it up today and the test from the house works perfectly in both Check-in mode and Tracking mode. I'll post a review after my thousand mile journey early next month to let you know how it works on the road.

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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning "Nice Gearchange!"

slickwill

When I get back to Idaho I'm definitely getting one of those for my backcountry adventures I spent a lot of time in some places that if anything happened I really would have been in trouble.

I'm also going to get something like that to put in all of my childrens cars. But they won't be able to disable it, and it will be permanently attached to the car.

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...dude you ride an offroad bike with slicks, 1/2 the weight of a GS, double the suspension, with a browning 50 cal going off 32" from your skull as a daily freaking driver - I'd expect anything except a nitro dragbike to be bland by comparison - SSG

BizJetGuy

Update:

We just got into the Indianapolis area over the weekend and I had the Spot on the dash locked into tracking mode the entire trip. It worked flawlessy and I don't think I saw a missed report (every ten minutes).

The website only holds the coordinates from the last 24 hours so if you wanted to use that as a record of some sort, you would probably have to do something like a screen shot.

I'm heading back to Houston on Wednesday morning (6/4) to transport the scoot up to Indy on Wednesday and Thursday. If anyone is interested in following my progress, shoot me a PM and I'll send you the web address for the tracking.

I feel a lot better knowing that my family can see where I am even if they can't reach me by cell phone. There were a couple of places on the drive up where there was no coverage and I like that I can call for help or still check in regardless of network coverage.

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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning "Nice Gearchange!"

Hammer

Welcome to Hoosier land, let me know if you guys need anything.

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Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

BizJetGuy

Thanks!

It's going to take a little while to get settled in and living in an apartment hs motivated the wife to find a house quickly.

I am guessing we will be back in a routine by August.

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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning "Nice Gearchange!"

Hammer

It is a buyers market right now. Plenty of houses right now with motivated sellers in them trying to get out of a payment. Plenty of foreclosures as well.

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Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

BizJetGuy

We've noticed that. We were very fortunate that our house in Houston sold in less than 6 weeks at 99% of the asking price.

That's a huge burden off of the shoulders knowing that you are out from under one house before looking to buy another.

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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning "Nice Gearchange!"

SomeStrangeGuy

BTW - some of the beta testers for the SPOT system post up in the GPS area on advrider also, so if you're interested in some of the historics I believe the threads are still kicking around.

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BizJetGuy

That was one of my research sites. They have really put it through it's paces. One of the Spot execs posts over there, as well, and has been amazingly open with discussion about the product.

While it's not a panacea or without fault, the price point is very low (IMHO) for what you get and, so far, it appears to deliver as advertised for me.

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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning "Nice Gearchange!"

SomeStrangeGuy

Who wants one?
Who has one?
Who knows what they are?

www.findmespot.com
Is their website.

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Come find yourself - GPS Discussion Forums
Time is the ultimate currency.
The Seamii are awesome.

slickwill

I think BizJet guy already started a thread on this thing (and owns one). I'd find the Red Rider smilie but I'm too lazy to find the other thread to prove it.

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...dude you ride an offroad bike with slicks, 1/2 the weight of a GS, double the suspension, with a browning 50 cal going off 32" from your skull as a daily freaking driver - I'd expect anything except a nitro dragbike to be bland by comparison - SSG

SomeStrangeGuy

Thanks Will...found and joined (I didn't think to search gadgets, duh).

Well this is what I was going to share anyways...

http://www.findmespot.com/jow/

FREE spot with Johnson Canoe serial ## according to thread here.. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=460313

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Come find yourself - GPS Discussion Forums
Time is the ultimate currency.
The Seamii are awesome.

BobcatSig

I used one at my old job. Its a novel idea. It is more of a passive device, say than a pGPS. For hunters or other outdoor types that don't want to mess with tech type things, it will work great. When I used it, I was a little underwhelmed by it, but that was over a year ago. Things may have changed since.

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SomeStrangeGuy

So far I am really impressed, UPS has given me live realtime updates of my spot on it's way across the country, it's really amazing.


...and yes, this is a very sattelite oriented week for me

__________________
Come find yourself - GPS Discussion Forums
Time is the ultimate currency.
The Seamii are awesome.

slickwill

It is supposed to be underwhelming. The actual location tracking is more of a byproduct of the actual "idea" behind the product. I would bet that most people carrying around a SPOT are also the type that have a GPS as well. The beauty of the SPOT is the ability to call for help from almost anywhere in the world. My dad spends a lot of time on horses in the absolute middle-of-nowhere Idaho. He carries a GPS with him but I've been trying to get him to add one of these to his saddlebag. Horses and mountains are too undpredictable.

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...dude you ride an offroad bike with slicks, 1/2 the weight of a GS, double the suspension, with a browning 50 cal going off 32" from your skull as a daily freaking driver - I'd expect anything except a nitro dragbike to be bland by comparison - SSG