NEW Global Star "spot " rep

[Creeker]

Steven,
Did you try to hardboot your Iridium when you had your problem?
The 1 and only time i couldnt get signal Hardbooted and I instantly had full bars.
I also i have heard that the removable antenna connection could cause a little grief if loose.
Just a thought.

[bigwhiteys]

I have SPOT... Used it quite a bit now... Never an issue with deliverability in fact I haven't had a message take more then 5 minutes to get through.

Help, Tracking and Check in all work 100% for me... Hope I never have to try the 911 feature.

Price for the unit is $169.99 as they employ price fixing... I have been in contact with their sales manager regarding an online affiliate program.

Happy Hunting
Carl

[srupp]

Thanks Carl..good info..

Steven

[scoot]

I have worked with the spotme and a new Iridium sat phone. The spotme I have taken on a couple snowshoeing ventures this past winter. Both times were east of PG.

Spotme;
I covered 26 k's my first shoe trip. I parked in the middle of a cutblock at the bottom of a valley. I turned on the Unit and hit the OK button. After rucking up, getting the dogs ready, I walked a short distance further into the cutblock and held down the OK button to activate the track option. The unit went thorugh it's thing to say it was tracking. I put it at the top of my pack, in a pouch that is about 6 inches over my head and began hiking. I checked on the unit every now and then, it continued to blink, saying it was tracking. When I made it to 8 mile cabin I activated the OK feture again and turned off the tracking. left the unit outside for almost 1 hour, checked the unit, and the tracking feture was off, as it should have been. I turned the track back on, and headed back to the truck. I left the unit on for the drive back to PG which was over 100 k's. I got home, logged onto the findmespot.com website, and the only thing that showed any tracking was about 3/4 of my drive home. NONE of the trail "OK"s or the "track" marks worked.
I am conviced that this unit has potential and is a very sound idea. granted other times I have used it at my work site, and at home, i have walked outside, hit the OK button and by the time i got to the computer the "OK" was logged. This unit needs more feedback. All it does is flash lights. a signal indicator would not be a bad idea, and even perhaps a "message sent" light or screen. The second time i used it, my experience was similar but it did register some of my hike.

In regards to the irridum phones, there is no comparison with globalstar, perhaps they are the same company, maybe they even go off of the same satilites, but the irridum is way way way better. I have waited up to 2 hours just for a signal with globalstar. I don't think I have ever waited more than on minute with irridum.

[srupp]

Thanks Scoot..again exellent info and feedback...

My.02 is these are being ADVERTISED as EMERGENCY LOCATORS..people are being ASKED to trust their LIVES and well being on THIS ..it HAS to be reliable.PERIOD.

Steven

[bigwhiteys]

This unit needs more feedback. All it does is flash lights. a signal indicator would not be a bad idea, and even perhaps a "message sent" light or screen.

Agreed... I think it could also use (I am sure they already have the plans) the ability to send and receive text messages. MUCH easier to send then actual voice on a satellite phone and would come in really handy...

With the "Help Me" feature on spot it would be good if you could have some presets like "Out of Gas, Mechanical Failure, Accident, etc..." Right now if you hit "Help Me" no one on your spot team has any idea what's happened and have no idea what to be prepared for.

Just my 2 cents... I have already sent this feedback to SPOT brass.

Carl

[Creeker]

Is my last post invisible?

[scoot]

Is my last post invisible?

to be honest, i have never had trouble with the signal, but i will try and remeber that next time i use it.

[srupp]

Creeker ,...I did answer and its GONZO ???

checked antenna..and we have a in car reboot..nada...

Steven

[Creeker]

Steven,
Hmmm, This is the first i have heard of an extended outage. I have a number of globalstars and have changed to Iridium 1.5 years ago. We have used them all over the place that why i figured maybe a hardware issue but no wireless products are perfect i guess. I have been really happy with our service so far.

Scoot,
Yes its good to know the reboot if your phone does lock for some reason.