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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Massachusetts on 8/27/2008
Every team in PrimalQuest 2008 in Montana had a SPOT. They were used for real-time tracking, as well as emergency evacuations. You might say they were "SPOT - On!"
I've used them backpacking and paddling. The "I'm OK" feature is reassuring to those at home while the "Help" and "911" are reassuring to you in the wilderness. Get the mapping option service... it's great!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from WOODMERE NY on 8/9/2008
I did lots of homework before I bought the SPOT. Online and offline peoplew had mixed things to say about it but this is the real deal on it. 1 if you folow the directions on using it A: giving it a clear view of the sky it works like a dream. I used it to let people know I was ok on a drive up 87 The Northway in NYS this highway has a 75 mi cell phone dead zone and SPOT sent its ok messages every time plus when used in the tracking mode it let people see my progress going up. Ths tracking messages were were a little off on the time because it was tracking from a car but when used outside to send the ok messages it was right on. This is a great tool to let others kno you are ok and as a NYS Paramerdic I would trust it to get help if I needed it based on the test I ran with it. THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE BUY IT BECAUSE IS NOT WORTH YOU LIFE WHEN YOU COULD GET HELP AND PEACE OF MIND HAS NO PRICE TAG
from Syracuse, NY on 8/3/2008
I used it for the first time on a 4 day backpacking trip through the Adirondacks. The unit seemed to function properly while out on the field. On my return, I found several problems, mostly with the service.
First of all, the online set up could be a lot simpler to use. Setting up the messengers was not very intuitive and could use better instructions and explanations. It would be beneficial if there was a way to change the messages while out on the field directly from the unit. It would also help if there was a way to truly know if a message actually got out or if was prevented from getting out by the tree coverage.
Aside from the 911 and help signals, the unit is designed to send out tracking signals as well as OK signals/messages. Although I sent out a minimum of three OK signals per day, only one message over the 4 day trip ever showed up or got through. In addition, the tracking service was non existent for the first two days. There is no question that tree coverage, even minimal tree coverage, will hamper the unit’s functionality and its ability to get a signal out.
Also, the service is designed to send out notifications to pre-defined e-mail addresses and cell phones that you choose, in case of an OK, HELP or 911 messages. I had 5 recipients set up to receive those messages. Of those 5, only three received the OK message.
During the first two days of my trip, the company’s server was apparently down, making the tracking feature for the first part of my trip rather nonexistent. When my wife contacted the company out of concern, she got the run around from the company. They would only tell her not to worry and that the handheld unit was working properly.
For the particular service being provided and the nature of the service (emergency) this is rather unacceptable and leaves a lot to be desired. I suspect that the service will eventually get better as the company grows.
Despite these shortcomings, I would still recommend the unit.
It is true the Online setup is not all that intuitive, but like other applications, after the first round you figure out how to work it.
The SPoT messenger product does not have as high a sensitivity receiver as, say recently launched Garmin gps units. Therefore, it does need a clear view of the sky, and a fair bit of time to determine its position.
SPoT transmits on the Globalstar satellite phone satellite network, and its transmission strength and dependability is what it is. We have no significant data to prove whether it’s better or worse than cell networks, but failure to get the messages through could also be an issue of error on the data entry end- if a cell number or email address is entered wrong in the user-maintainable setup option, then the messages would not go through.
You’re right - there is no accommodation for notifying the user that a signal has been transmitted. The workaround to get confirmation that the signal has been sent, is to include your own cell as a text recipient of the OK message—turn it on, give it a good view of the sky, transmit the OK message, when you get the text you know it’s working. Clearly, this solution is limited to cellular and SMS coverage, but it is the best solution the manufacturer has to date.
The commentary about your wife being nervous because she did not receive a tracking message, and was told that the unit was working properly, we don’t see as necessarily derogatory. If the server was down, the unit was working properly, and no 911 or HELP signal was sent, then we too would assume there was no reason for concern.
The server being down could mean a variety of things, for instance- they could track the messengers, but could not send messages out from the units; they could track messengers and would relay 911 or HELP messages; they could not track messengers and had no visibility into your whereabouts or situation. We don’t know if they have multiple servers managing different aspects of the system, but it is disconcerting their server could go down, so we will inquire about what backups they have in place.
Actually…we will share all of these valuable pieces of feedback with the folks at SPoT, and are certain they will be looking to improve on those functions as they grow and get more feedback from customers.
Thanks again for your time and insight…if you have any questions for us please call us here in customer service at 888.463.6367.
from Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Boston on 7/9/2008
I have a couple of uses at the moment and Im sure I will discover more as I use Spot. 1) I travel locally and across the USA. Spot makes it very easy to keep in contact with my family regarding where I am and what is the status "At the Moment". 2) I also use spot to track the movement of various capital assets (Semi Trucks). It becomes a wireless progress recorder.
Regards
Lee