Big Brother is My Co-Pilot: Traveling with Spot

[articulate]

I've joined the gadget heads out there by obtaining a Spot satellite tracker thingy. As privacy crazed we modern Americans are, I find it ironic that we don't mind letting people know of our whereabouts with this little orange gizmo that's not terribly distant to Big Brother. "Hi! I'm camping alone right HERE! Come and get me, and bring your cannibalizing, sodomizing friends with you!"

Even my cute-as-a-bug daughter isn't so sure about this thing:

Moving on . . .

Great quotes in my short lived Spot-owning history:

I like how you balance your inner tech geek with your genuine artistry. It's a fine line but you walk it well. - KC O'Connor

I see you haven't gone anywhere but home with it. So is this thing really for our wives or what? - Richard Tinnell​

This morning I thought I'd try out the tracking feature during my bike ride in to work. When you turn on the tracking, the Spot makes, more or less, a way point every ten minutes. It's sort of cool for your sharing page. Here's mine.

What's odd is that it didn't make the first waypoint when I activated the tracking, which I thought it would do. I also sent an OK message before I activated tracking - which, evidently, didn't transmit. I must have botched it. And that's spooky.

How are you doing with your Spot tracks? Are you able to send ok messages during tracking as well? I would think so. Is the tracking feature supposed to make a point when you activate it?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[articulate]

Damn! More looking into my share page, my #3 point wasn't my final destination. That was my breakfast stop. I sent an OK message when I got to the office, about a mile west of #3, and waited a few minutes then shut it down.

Should I have left it on for 20 minutes in view of the sky?

 

[6Pins]

I had a similar problem yesterday, but it didn't start recording my tracks until it was about 45 minutes down the road.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0niFk8Ydg05auKzZOZco8KnAtEpqAI8EA

I don't know why it didn't record the rest of the trip home either.

If I remember the directions, if you send an OK message, you need re-enable tracking.

I really like this thing, I just think the directions could be a little better.

 

[articulate]

If I remember the directions, if you send an OK message, you need re-enable tracking.

I really like this thing, I just think the directions could be a little better.

To send an OK message you just press the OK button, and then the indicator light will blink green every 3 seconds and then stay solid green for 5 seconds when the message is being sent. But they do want to you to keep the unit on for 20 minutes (with direct line to the sky).

I'll be giving this another test as I ride home today in a few minutes.

Thanks for the input.

 

[articulate]

Confirmed . . .

Here's what I dislike about the tracking feature: it doesn't make a point when you fire this thing up -- I presume the ten minute cycle starts without making a point/blip/thinger. I'd like my track to begin with a commencing point.

Naturally, you'd think that you can work around this by firing it up and sending an OKAY message, but that's not very efficient since the unit sends three messages and discards two if they all get through - obviously the redundancy is safe and smart. However the transmitter isn't capable of doing both a track and an okay message at once. To be safe with your beginning OKAY message, you'd need to let it go through the cycle of sending three messages, and they say to leave it on for 20 minutes.

Interesting gadget nonetheless.

I suspect we only have to wait one retail season before SPoT partners with Garmin (or someone) to offer the features of a SPoT in a nice hand held GPS receiver. Both gadgets are using the 24 (is that number correct?) global positioning satellites.

:beer:

 

[articulate]

Here's another puzzle with SPoT: the email confirmation you get for the OK message has these two lines (among others)

Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known​

What is this line for nearest location referring to, and why is it unknown? Have you ever seen something else displayed for nearest location?

:friday:

 

[Desertdude]

Next thing ya know we'll see a snorkel on your rig

Always good to have options so the right people can find you - or bring coffee/liquor

 

[kcowyo]

:lurk:


I'm just here because I like the thread title. I don't know jack about Spot...

.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

To date I have logged over 5000 miles on my SPOT. For me track is about 95% reliable, does not seem to matter if Im on my moto or in the Land Cruiser. We still find good value and piece of mind for the family. I travel solo a good amount of the time and If Im late coming home my wife can check and at least know Im still moving and where Im at.

If big brother wants me he knows where I live....