From my experiences of solo backpacking in the wilds of Scotland/Lake District mobile phone reception s almost non existent.In my particular circumstance SPOT appeared to be the answer. I could communicate my OK message to my contact (wife) who could follow the link to Google Maps to find my location. In addition both of us have the comfort of knowing that if I or some other hill walker suffered some life threatening injury, I could activate 911 to summon immediate assistance.I recently conducted my own survey in the Lake District, comparing the communication abilities of SPOT alongside my mobile phone. Last thing each night, mostly from wild camp locations I sent a SPOT OK message to my wife followed by a telephone call to her on my Orange mobile phone. She received all the SPOT OK messages via e- mail and was aware of my location. On no occasion could I get a signal on my mobile to relay a message good or bad.
|
 |
 I'm very interested in getting one of these myself for solo walking. Be good to hear any other experiences.
|
| Edited: 06/09/08 12:02 |
A UK student just used a beacon to get help after she broke her leg in Russia (not sure if it was SPOT). PTC has a review here In the US recently someone with appendicitus apparently triggered one, ranger went out 6 miles to locate them and called in a copter saving individuals life; told to me on the trail - no idea of the veracity!
|
|
 It's an interesting bit of kit - not the most intiuitive web interface in the world and the tracking feature means a subscription - but it seems to do its core functions very effectively. I've used it to send test 'okay' messages from various bits of Peak District so far and, as Uncle Albert says, it automatically dispatches a pre-worded e-mail to a list of addresses you've entered through a web interface. I'll try it in a couple of locations known for poor mobile reception tomorrow. Despite the extra map tracking capabilities, I'd tend to view it primarily as an emergency / safety device that allows you to: 1. Call in help when it all goes pear shaped with the press of a button. 2. Let folk know that you're fine with the press of a button. They do truly need to sort out their web site though. Setting up the messaging and recipient list isn't a complicated procedure, but the terminology is just gobbledy gook. It needs re-writing in straightforward language so it's clearer what it all means. Oh, and the instructions insist on very expensive lithium batteries - two of them - but the PR told me that it didn't actually matter and normal AAs or rechargeables were fine. The manual however says that using anything other than lithium cells could damage the unit... That said, I can think of plenty of times and places where I'd happily have been carrying SPOT, though of course, in some areas - the Andes for example - the lack of mountain rescue facilities in the first place, would reduce its effectiveness.
|
|
 It is basic, but you can tell by the flash pattern when it's sent a message, or it's given up so it's not too bad.
I've found it's reliable as well, I've done hundreds of miles with one and I lose very few pings. I know the safety aspect is always touted, but I like it for the fun side. My daughter seeing where dad is and the like. It's handy for illustrating points too, I camped [b]here[/b]. Jon's right about the US website, it really does need work.
|
|
 Sometimes I wonder why anyone bothers writing in 'computer-speak', when plain English would work so much better. I mean, if they want to sell SPOT to the masses, and it's all about sales and making money, then why not make it easy to understand. I'm sure the Plain English Campaign could help them. Do you 'boot' your computer, or do you just switch it on?
|
|
Sometimes I wonder why anyone bothers writing in 'computer-speak', when plain English would work so much better.
I think that can happen if the programmers write the interface and documentation as well as the code... I like the sound of the product though, strange web interface notwithstanding. Where are people getting them from? I didn't recognise any of the dealers listed on the SPOT website. Is there an experienced outlet for them in the UK yet?
|
|
As a bit of technological kit, I'm full of admiration for them, and I can imagine ptc*s daughter's delight at tracking daddy on the hills. But... From my point of view, no-one's ever known where I've been heading and it seems a shame to break the habit of a lifetime. I rather hope to drop dead in action, leaving my last guidebook unfinished, and in that respect I hope no-one ever finds my body. When I feel the end is nigh, I probably won't be packing a SPOT. More likely, I'll take a packet of daisy seeds, then in time-honoured fashion, I can 'push them up' at my leisure!
|
|
 Paddy, would you like the draft of your unfinished guidebook to be destroyed, as Virgil wished his Aeneid to be, or tarted up by someone else for publication? Not that I'm necessarily drawing any comparisons between you and Virgil, though one could argue that the Aeneid is a sort of forerunner of the travel book 
|
|
Kate - Just out of sheer bloody-mindedness, I think I'd like it to be published in its unfinished state. Imagine someone hacking through the bog, in the clag, running out of daylight, then they turn the page and find out the rest of the book is blank! As for Virgil... wasn't he one of the puppets on Thunderbirds? Some years ago I asked if I could have a look at what is widely considered to be the world's first walking guidebook... written by a couple of monks who followed the Camino de Santiago. To cut a long, garbled, Spanish story short... let's say I was asked to leave the premises by a huge security bloke and keep my grubby paws to myself!
|
|
 Hope the backup battery on your Psion is suitably recent then 
|
|
I've just ordered some more this morning from 7dayshop.com - they're doing lots of deals on little button batteries where you can buy two for 99p. I've seen some of these on sale, exactly the same brands, for nearly £5 each! By the way... they're doing the button batteries for such gems as the Photon Freedom and E+Lite as well.
|
| Edited: 08/09/08 13:25 |
As for Virgil... wasn't he one of the puppets on Thunderbirds?
Nah, he was one of the Earp brothers. Haven't you ever seen Gunfight at the OK Corral? Oh, sorry, forgot, you haven't got a tv! Thanks for the heads-up about 7dayshop's recent offers - button batteries needed here!
|
|
 > you haven't got a tv! Ah, but he might have a DVD & monitor. And he may be old enough to have seen it at the cinema... <ducks>
|
|
Anyway, back to the SPOT thingy. It always seems odd to me to have a GPS receiving device that has no means of giving position to the user. I first encountered this when a mate had one of those speed camera warning things. One potential problem for SPOT is the low operating temperature (-40C). LCDs aren't usually very happy at this temperature (although low temp LCDs do exist). I suspect one part of the reasoning is that use as a position readout might increase battery use, and they're trying to minimise this. But they already have the 'Track Progress' mode that reports every ten minutes. You could display that reading (with timestamp), and it would provide a reasonable navigation aid. If you turned off the track position reporting, you'd save a fair bit of power (on the basis that you're not transmitting to the satellites, which uses a fair bit of power). Effectively, you'd add another mode: Show Position.
|
|
And he may be old enough to have seen it at the cinema... The cinema? It cost 1/6 to go there and I didn't have that sort of money! (Note for young folks... that's 7½p in new-fangled money)
|
|
What's half a p, Paddy? We don't have them any more!!! (Note for old folks... actually, when I went to school on the bus at age 5, it was sixpence there, sixpence back, and sixpence on tuesdays for peanuts. And that is old sixpences)
|
| Edited: 08/09/08 18:05 |
I well remember the change-over... There was an old lady on the news who was far from happy and she said... "You'd think they would have waited for the old people to die before doing this!"
|
|
Paddy - my last pair came from Tesco Extra of all places (Useful for that emergency?) Don't want a few Psion 5s do you? I'm about to decommision and move onto some newer tech which gives me a bit more flexibility
|
|
A few? Have you been collecting them? I did look longingly at the Psion 5 years ago, but the only bonus feature that I would have found useful was the Euro - € - symbol, so I stuck with my Psion 3. If I found one abandoned on my doorstep I'd certainly give it a home, but I doubt if I'd actually take one onto the hills with me. The 3 is just that bit slimmer and lighter, and apart from not having the € symbol, it's as near perfect as possible!
|
|
