SPOT Personal Tracker | 
| Brand: SPOT Inc.
Category: Sports
Department: SURVIVAL/FIRST AID
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $75.50
as of 7/30/2010 14:51 EDT details
You Save: $24.49 (24%)
New (31) Used (1) from $79.95
Seller: Big Dave's Deals
Rating:  107 reviews
Sales Rank: 1169
Color: Orange
Media: 3.5" and 5.25" disks
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Battery: 2 2 Lithium AA Batteries
Size: --
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 6.1 x 2.6
MPN: SPOT-1
Model: SPOT-1
UPC: 893049001059
EAN: 0893049001080
ASIN: B000YTZV74
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Satellite messenger with GPS tracking for keeping users safe on adventure trips.Purchasing a service plan is required in addition to purchasing the SPOT unit. | | • | SpotChecking feature alerts friends and family of your precise location | | • | SpotCasting function lets friends and family follow your progress in real time | | • | Sends GPS coordinates and distress message to Emergency Response Center | | • | Satellite technology works around the world; measures 2.75 x 4.38 x 1.5 inches (W x H x D) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Give your loved ones full peace of mind when you're on the mountain with the Spot Satellite Messenger. Whether you're just checking in, allowing others to track your progress, or calling for help, Spot gives you a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when and where you need it. Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. Unlike personal locator beacons, however, Spot does more than just call for help. The SpotChecking feature, for example, lets you notify your SpotTeam--the friends and family you've chosen as your contacts--and tell them all is well, notify them of your location, or save waypoints so you can review your route at a later date. You can also activate the SpotCasting feature to let friends and family follow your progress in real time (every 10 minutes). Anyone with access to your account information can log on and view your route, complete with virtual views provided by Google Maps. SpotCasting is a terrific feature for mountain climbers looking to celebrate their accomplishments with their loved ones. The most important feature, however, is Spot's ability to call 911 in the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency. Once activated, Spot will acquire your exact coordinates from the GPS network, and then send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until cancelled. The Emergency Response Center will then notify the appropriate emergency responders based on your location and personal information. Responders may include local police, the highway patrol, the Coast Guard, an embassy or consulate, or other emergency response and search-and-rescue teams. Even if Spot can't acquire its location from the GPS network, it will still attempt to send a distress signal--without your exact location--to the Emergency Response Center, which will still notify your emergency contacts of the signal and continue to monitor the network for further messages. Spot works around the world, including in virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia, and portions of South America, Northern Africa, and Northeastern Asia. And provided you're in a good coverage area, Spot offers a 99 percent probability of sending a successful message within 20 minutes. As a result, Spot is ideal for anyone with a taste for outdoor adventures, including boaters, kayakers, sailboarders, archaeologists, skiers, climbers, pilots, business travelers, snowshoers, and just about anyone else. Spot requires two AA lithium batteries, with a battery life of up to one year in standby mode, 14 days in SpotCasting mode, or 7 days in 911 mode. And thanks to the water-resistant housing (safe in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes), you needn't worry about using Spot in adverse conditions. Spot measures a compact 2.75 by 4.38 by 1.5 inches (W x H x D), weighs 7.37 ounces, and carries a one-year limited warranty. Communication Functions: 
Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. | - Alert 9-1-1 dispatches emergency responders to an exact location
- Ask for Help sends a request for help to friends and family with your location
- Check In lets contacts know where you are and that you are okay
- Track Progress sends and saves your location and allows others to track your progress using Google Maps
Battery Life: - Power ON, unused: Approximately 1 year
- SPOT casting continuous tracking mode: Approximately 14 days
- 9-1-1 mode: Up to 7 consecutive days
- HELP mode: up to 1900 messages
- SPOT check OK up to 1900 messages
Specifications: - Weight: 7 ounces
- Waterproof to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Operating Temperature: -40ºF to +185ºF
- Operating Altitude: -300 feet to +21,300 feet
- Humidity and Salt Fog Rated
Amazon.com Product Description
Give your loved ones full peace of mind when you're on the mountain with the Spot Satellite Messenger. Whether you're just checking in, allowing others to track your progress, or calling for help, Spot gives you a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when and where you need it. Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. Unlike personal locator beacons, however, Spot does more than just call for help. The SpotChecking feature, for example, lets you notify your SpotTeam--the friends and family you've chosen as your contacts--and tell them all is well, notify them of your location, or save waypoints so you can review your route at a later date. You can also activate the SpotCasting feature to let friends and family follow your progress in real time (every 10 minutes). Anyone with access to your account information can log on and view your route, complete with virtual views provided by Google Maps. SpotCasting is a terrific feature for mountain climbers looking to celebrate their accomplishments with their loved ones. The most important feature, however, is Spot's ability to call 911 in the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency. Once activated, Spot will acquire your exact coordinates from the GPS network, and then send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until cancelled. The Emergency Response Center will then notify the appropriate emergency responders based on your location and personal information. Responders may include local police, the highway patrol, the Coast Guard, an embassy or consulate, or other emergency response and search-and-rescue teams. Even if Spot can't acquire its location from the GPS network, it will still attempt to send a distress signal--without your exact location--to the Emergency Response Center, which will still notify your emergency contacts of the signal and continue to monitor the network for further messages. Spot works around the world, including in virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia, and portions of South America, Northern Africa, and Northeastern Asia. And provided you're in a good coverage area, Spot offers a 99 percent probability of sending a successful message within 20 minutes. As a result, Spot is ideal for anyone with a taste for outdoor adventures, including boaters, kayakers, sailboarders, archaeologists, skiers, climbers, pilots, business travelers, snowshoers, and just about anyone else. Spot requires two AA lithium batteries, with a battery life of up to one year in standby mode, 14 days in SpotCasting mode, or 7 days in 911 mode. And thanks to the water-resistant housing (safe in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes), you needn't worry about using Spot in adverse conditions. Spot measures a compact 2.75 by 4.38 by 1.5 inches (W x H x D), weighs 7.37 ounces, and carries a one-year limited warranty. Communication Functions:
Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. | - Alert 9-1-1 dispatches emergency responders to an exact location
- Ask for Help sends a request for help to friends and family with your location
- Check In lets contacts know where you are and that you are okay
- Track Progress sends and saves your location and allows others to track your progress using Google Maps
Battery Life: - Power ON, unused: Approximately 1 year
- SPOT casting continuous tracking mode: Approximately 14 days
- 9-1-1 mode: Up to 7 consecutive days
- HELP mode: up to 1900 messages
- SPOT check OK up to 1900 messages
Specifications: - Weight: 7 ounces
- Waterproof to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Operating Temperature: -40ºF to +185ºF
- Operating Altitude: -300 feet to +21,300 feet
- Humidity and Salt Fog Rated
Product Description
SPOT. THE WORLD'S FIRST SATELLITE MESSENGER.
With the SPOT Satellite Messenger, you and your loved ones have peace of mind knowing help is always within reach. SPOT is the only device of its kind, using the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sending its location with a link to Google Maps™ and a pre-programmed message via a commercial satellite network. And unlike Personal Locator Beacons, SPOT does more than just call for help. Tracking your progress, checking in with loved ones, and non-emergency assistance are also available, all at the push of a button. And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world even where cell phones don't.
Coverage
SPOT works around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa and North Eastern Asia, and hundreds or thousands of miles off-shore of these areas.
Messenger
- ALERT 9-1-1 - Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location
- CHECK IN - Let contacts know where you are and that you're okay
- TRACK PROGRESS - Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using your password and Google Maps™.
- ASK FOR HELP - Request help from friends and family at your exact location.
ALERT 9-1-1:
Use this function In the event of a life threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your exact location and that you need assistance. The GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies worldwide for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe.
HOW IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT will acquire its exact coordinates from the GPS network, and send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minut
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 107
 Basically worthless...so much so that it's maddening. July 22, 2010
mjb237
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Let me avoid generalities and provide instead a very specific anecdote about my experience with this product: I purchased the Spot before a trip to Venezuela to see Angel Falls (which is deep in the backcountry). I frequently go places that are off the grid, and this seemed like a great way to give my wife peace of mind. She gets a message a couple times a day saying I'm okay and I'm located at X-location...great right? Here's the problem, the Spot only worked when I was in urban areas. As soon as I got into the backcountry, no dice. I followed the instructions explicitly and yet zero messages got through. I'm no novice at GPS communication--and the Spot could not get messages out in many situations when a normal GPS navigation device would have had no problem getting satellite signals. I could have just used my cell phone to keep in touch with my wife and it would have been equally effective to the Spot. The Spot actually created a very bad situation in which I thought my wife was getting frequent "All Okay" messages, when in fact she was hearing nothing. The only feedback you get that your transmission is working is the blinking green lights, but you never know for sure that your transmission goes through. So there I was with false peace of mind thinking my messages were going through, when my wife was worried sick. I would have been better off without the Spot entirely--then I could have at least told her to not expect any communication from me for 4 days. I firmly believe that the Spot is more of a liability than an asset.
 First Time I Used a Spot I Had to Use it - And Was Rescued! June 16, 2010
Superstream (Corvallis, OR USA)
I was on a motorcycle trip in a remote area of Oregon and the owner of the BearCat Lodge lent me a Spot "just in case" when I headed out on a daytrip. I ended up hitting a deer and totalling my motorcycle. Fortunately I was not seriously injured, but it was a remote location. I hit the help button and the service called the lodge and gave them my location. I was rescued within the hour.
This isn't just for mountain climbers, its also for anyone who travels to remote locations where cell phone signals don't reach. I am buying one for myself and one for my Dad for father's day. When my kid starts school next year, one is going in his backpack.
 Should name this SPOTTY from the GPS information that comes in. June 13, 2010
D. OGILVIE (Bradenton, Fl)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought this item for my daughter to use on her trip to Spain. She was hiking across the countryside with no cell phone coverage and little towns with no internet access. I wanted her to have a fall back plan in case of emergencies. So I had read about the SPOT and thought it was the coolest thing next to slice bread from the brochures. But after reading some of the other reviews I was a little Leary. I decided to try it out and like they said it's update information is SPOTTY at best. I tested it before I gave it to her one week before her trip. I put it out in my backyard with a clear view of the sky. I let it run for 2 days and it was supposed to send a tracking update out every 10 minutes, but instead it was more like 20 or 30 minutes sometimes missing up to and hours tracking info, and this was from a stationary position. So I tried it out on the dash of my car, which got even worse tracking information. I paid for the extra tracking site and while it was cool to see it on the maps and share it, this was a waste of money. Since most of the time it didn't track well and it only gives you 7 days of tracking and then deletes the others, so if you have a 3 week adventure as my daughter did you only have the last 7 days showing. She also had a hard time determining which was going through and which wasn't on the "Ok" signal or the tracking signal. It is kind of confusing. While it did work kind of spotty so I am glad to have seen that, I don't know if I would have done this again for all the money I spent on the SPOT and the website that you HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR to use the product. If you don't pay the yearly fees it becomes a expensive paperweight!!!! Luckily she did not have to use the HELP tracking, and I am glad because if it worked like the others I don't know if it would have sent out the proper information or not. Good luck if you buy one of these if they don't fix these issues soon.
GREAT Product - 955nm flight June 9, 2010
J. Hughes (Big Oak Valley, CA United States)
I bought a SPOT because the 121.5 mhz ELT in the aircraft I fly will now take hours to activate for SAR help, and the 406 MHZ ELTs are very expensive.!
I tested it before my flight from KMYV, near Sacramento, CA to KLRU, Las Cruces , NM. It powered up and had acquired satellites within 4 minutes. My test checkins, in 2 places, was within 30 ft of the position shown on Google Earth.!
I used it for tracking my 10 hr flight over the CA, AZ and NM desert. Friends said that the tracking page showed our exact location within minutes of our cell call to them at our fuel stops. SPOT sent 60 position reports on the 955nm, 1100 statute miles, trip , every 10 minutes, as advertised.
When I got home I downloaded the tracking data and opened it in Google Earth....at was amazingly accurate.
At each of our 3 refuel stops, the location points were all within 20-30 ft of where the aircraft was on the ground - taxiing and parked at the FBO.
The data also showed our altitude and ground speed averaged over the 10 minute interval. It showed our speed surges as we flew over dry lake thermals and got a 20 kt speed push...
I will always fly with SPOT , along with a Garmin GPS . that way my family and friends AND SAR will know where I am, and where to find me if I have to make an emergency landing, off airport.
You can see my trip on the SPOT Adventures page....
[...]
Didn't work well for me May 6, 2010
T. Marquis (Simpsonville, SC United States)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I activated my Spot about 24 hours ago and am disapointed on a number of levels.
First of all, in my mind I was thinking I could just wear this on my belt when hiking and just click "OK" when I felt like it and then move right along. Actually it says you are supposed to keep it still for 20 minutes underneath an open sky. Wow, so you have to stop for 20 minutes just to check in? Ok, I can live with that as long as it sends a message every time. Unfortunately it doesn't.
I have tried it in a variety of different places and have only received 3 of 20 "OK" or "Help" messages. Today I took it to a wide open park and put it in a clearing 100 yards wide and let it sit for an hour. No messages received. The roof of my office building? Nope. Shopping center parking lot? No. I mean, you can't get much clearer than those places. In fact, the only place it actually worked was in my backyard (and less than 50% of the time there). Just for fun I also tried it on the dashboard of my car going down the highway. 2 hours, nothing.
So I wanted to use this for when I go camping in the national parks where there is no cell service. How do you think my wife would react if my check in messages never went through? Or even worse, what if I actually needed help? If this can't work in a giant clearing, how is it ever going to send a signal when I am under the forest canopy.
I called Spot and after waiting 10 minutes to talk to someone, they didn't even put up a fight when I told them I wasn't happy with the service and wanted to cancel. The good news is they gave me a refund. But you would think if they believed their service was reliable they would have at least tried to troubleshoot my device. My guess is they are well aware that their product doesn't work well.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 107
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