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Thread: SpotX messenger review

  1. #21
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    Caddis, how do you type on the Explorer? Are you moving the curser from letter to letter? That would be highly irritating.
    If we’re not supposed to eat animals, how come they’re made out of meat?

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  2. #22
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    Quote Originally Posted by Redthies View Post
    Caddis, how do you type on the Explorer? Are you moving the curser from letter to letter? That would be highly irritating.
    Yep, it's a moving curser that you move around. It presents some word completion options too.

    You can also pair it to a phone and then text from the phone which is a viable alternative if someone wants to carry two devices around.

    Anyway, texting directly from the Explorer is not too bad. With the inReach Explorer, you can move the curser around a qwerty keyboard layout on the screen.

    On the other hand, with the inReach Mini (which I had the false impression from a review video I watched that you could not text directly from the device at all which is not the case) it's just more difficult. Rather than a virtual keyboard layout where you move around with up/down/left/right, it seems you have to scroll up and down through a list of letters, so potentially several times the button clicks. It's good that the mini can still text in the absence of a smartphone with bluetooth, but that would be a last resort in my opinion.

    Anyway, just wanted to bump the thread and give 270 a shoutout for the excellent SPOT X vs inReach Mini review and add my 2 cents about the Explorer.
    Last edited by caddisguy; 03-30-2021 at 04:03 PM.

  3. #23
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    That’s too bad your spot device didn’t work that good.

    I bought one also and took it out all last season, many times quite remote.
    would send and receive a text message to my wife with no problem at all.
    sometimes it would take 10 minutes to send, but it always sent.
    I also hit the check in option numerous times thruout the day and when I got home later, My wife showed me her email with a link in each email when opened showed me exactly the spot I was at.

    mine works fine.

    Lever

  4. #24
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    Quote Originally Posted by Leveraction View Post
    That’s too bad your spot device didn’t work that good.

    I bought one also and took it out all last season, many times quite remote.
    would send and receive a text message to my wife with no problem at all.
    sometimes it would take 10 minutes to send, but it always sent.
    I also hit the check in option numerous times thruout the day and when I got home later, My wife showed me her email with a link in each email when opened showed me exactly the spot I was at.

    mine works fine.

    Lever

    You have the X or one of the Gens? After reading your review, and Srupps, I’m beginning to think there must be, as with anything manufactured, a percentage that are faulty. I was looking at them all at the local outdoor mega store while hoarding I mean stocking up on ammo yesterday. It is definitely between the X and Garmin Mini for me. My friend who was there has Garmin pro deal pricing, and if that is still in play, I will probably get her to order the mini for me, if not, I’ll likely buy an X and just test it prior to heading into the field.
    Last edited by Redthies; 05-19-2021 at 07:39 AM.
    If we’re not supposed to eat animals, how come they’re made out of meat?

    BHA, BCWF, CCFR, PETA, Lever Action Addict.

  5. #25
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    I have the X it works fine

  6. #26
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    We have an InReach. I can't remember the model but it is the third one I've owned so it is fairly recent technology but not the mini.

    I've been using InReach for about 10 years and find it is good, but not 100% reliable. At our cabin send and receive is either slow or incomplete because we are in a pretty good valley and the mountains make it hard to simultaneously hook up with multiple satellites. On various hunts I've had messages show as sent that were never received and many messages (over the years) that I didn't receive in any sort of reasonable timeframe. One of my hunting partners had his wife call search and rescue because she didn't receive his messages but his InReach showed them as delivered.

    To compensate for this the wife and I have developed a system. The sender includes date/time with every message. The receiver acknowledges the subject of the message and time received. If I don't get a 'received @ time, subject xx' message, I know she didn't receive my message, no matter what the device is telling me.

    Also, if I'm expecting a response and nothing has come in I find it often works to send another message. I think the connection to the satellite that is required to send the message also facilitates receiving any messages that are waiting in the queue. Note, this is not how the units are supposed to work-- they are supposed to connect and check for messages on intervals that you can set but I've definitely found that sending another message is a better way of receiving any new messages.
    Is Justin Competent, or just incompetent?

  7. #27
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    So basically, it sounds like a crap shoot. You either get one that works, and works where you hunt, or you don’t. Neato.
    If we’re not supposed to eat animals, how come they’re made out of meat?

    BHA, BCWF, CCFR, PETA, Lever Action Addict.

  8. #28
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    I have been using an inreach for about a year. Every message has gone through so far. Perhaps I will need to get my wife to reply just to confirm. I would not be without one of these now. Very comforting to be able to communicate from a remote location

  9. #29
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    Quote Originally Posted by Ali_G View Post
    Has anyone had experience with the Zoleo. I've been looking at one for a while. They seem to have pretty good reviews and their plans are cheaper than I inReach.
    Yeah been running mine around 7/8 months , very very happy with it, same satellite as the inreach, emails and sms have worked perfectly.
    I ski and hunt so mine is on me a lot of the time, I do like that if in cell range it auto switches over to your cell provider so you dont use up your quota.

    Only downsize I see is if your phone dies then no custom message, but for safety and checking in you can do it on the device itself.
    "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the the most intelligent , it is the one most adaptable to change"

  10. #30
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    Re: SpotX messenger review

    Here's a copy of a post from another site I frequent. I found it helpful.



    I have used all of these devices plus many radios and sat phones in my service and professional careers.

    Different types (rated in priority in terms of absolute success rate)
    ALL THREE use RF (Radio Frequency) to communicate with Satellites, period. A PLB uses 406MHz which is UHF (Similar to GMRS) UHF is Line of Sight radio transmission but does penetrate organics like trees very well but has a bigger power source and stronger transmitter typically. InReach and Spot also use RF but much higher frequencies just over 1600mhz these signals penetrate the atmosphere better.

    Emergency beacons
    PLB
    . The most common types of Emergency beacons can be divided into two broad categories, emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and personal locator beacons (PLBs). These units use HEO High Earth orbit government communication satellites and are either on or off, no other feature. Come get me people are dying or not in use. No monthly fee's. Can't message.
    IF NOT ACTIVATED they can not be tracked.
    Emergency Satellite Communicators
    -LEO Devices
    Inreach/Zoleo, these use Satellites in Low Earth Orbit mostly on the iRidium Satellite constellation. These devices allow two way text messaging as well as providing your position information and have OH SHIT SOS buttons where they send the cavalry OR you can text and advise situation as to being non life threatening, ambulatory or whatever. Requires monthly plans. CAN BE TRACKED when in us even if you don't press a button (as in unconscious) as well as last known position information if battery dead or unit off is available to searchers.
    Sub LEO Devices Spot / Globalstar, these devices are in Low Earth Orbit but at the bottom of that spectrum and operate on the much smaller Globalstar Constellation. Some of these devices allow two way text messaging (some outbound messages only, you can say what help you need but get no updates) as well as providing your position information and have OH SHIT SOS buttons where they send the cavalry OR you can text and advise situation as to being non life threatening, ambulatory or whatever. Requires monthly plans. CAN BE TRACKED when in us even if you don't press a button (as in unconscious) as well as last known position information if battery dead or unit off is available to searchers.

    Why does "line of sight" "UHF" and HEO/LEO/Sub LEO matter to you? Simply put the best chance of getting a signal out goes to the clear line of sight so if you refer to the picture below you will see what I mean. Tight thick forest canopy can also cause these issues not just mountains/cliffs.

    There is the segway into why the Spot is a poor idea, it uses Sub LEO low orbiting satellite constellation but also far fewer satellites so you need a much larger view of the sky to get them to work. Inreach is iridium and use Higher altitude satellites so have better line of Sight.
    Not simple is it?
    My advice....
    PLB is the most reliable BUT must be activated by you (unless your using some larger aviation or Marine units) can only be used to cry for help. So if you are conscious and want to request help this is for you. Costs 0$/month. 250-500+ to buy.
    InReach, Almost as good coverage as the PLB BUT is two way trackable so if you are conscious you can send two way messaging for assistance whether it is dire or just a tow truck. If you file a ride plan with loved one as you should for any remote type activity like hiking or whatever, if you dont check in )you badged your head and are unconscious) they can still send help. Costs starting at 20$/month. $300-$500+

    Spot - Don't bet your life on it.

    ***Zoleo is also on iRidium and is as reliable as InReach BUT does not log tracks or share them with loved ones. Has an SOS button on device BUT texting is phone app ONLY whereas ALL InReach can text from device (awkward but functional) if your phone is dead or absent
    HOWEVER, Zoleo is a dedicated communicator so you get an assigned text number and custom email that anyone can send to so great for business. I have my emails forward to my zoleo email when my out of office is turned on for my normal email.

    Confusing? Decide on reliability FIRST as above, then features.

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