SPOT Connect works with your smart phone
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FlyNdrive
Adventurer
I got it at West Marine.
I used my new one last weekend for a camping trip out of cell range...tracked well, and I was able to use it as a standalone GPS for my iTouch too. Not sure it's better than the upcoming Delorme inTouch (i think that's the name)...but it's out now, works great, and I'm happy with it.
BigDaveZJ
Adventurer
Used the Connect for a week in Moab and Canyonlands, worked very well. Being able to send a custom message every once in a while is very nice to let people back home know what it is going on. Also was nice to send the tracking link to some wheeling buddies so they could see where we were at while they were stuck at work.
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
My experience is identical to that of the ExPo review. It functions as advertised once you eventually get it connected to your phone (in my case an iPhone 3GS), but this is an extremely difficult, and a user-hostile process. Furthermore, don't let the two devices go out of range from each other, or the Spot will stop tracking.
While I'm in love with the idea of the Spot Connect, the implementation needs a ton of improvement. I'm hoping the experience will improve with app and/or firmware updates.
CanuckMariner/Nomad
Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
Perhaps I am wrong, but isn't the primary objective of the SPOT and Phone with connect,supposed to be there in an emergency, like running out of fuel or a broken part or medical reason?
How does this work when you are in a remote region with no cell phone signal?
SPOT has a predetermined message, OK, or 911 which can mean anything to the wrong person.
Wouldn't you want to be more precise with what your predicament is all about? Granted an email will do this provided the receiver is online and looking at their email or they have their email on their cell phone and it is turned on or within signal range. What if it isn't a smart phone with email functionality?
Seems adding these devices up gets one into a pretty hefty monthly and perhaps an annual contractual fee basis.
If it is tracking you want with email function and a whole LOT more (********/chat on the trail with buddies, etc. and no loss of signal), try APRS on a Ham. No contracts, no fees, less $$$ than the smart phone, SPOT, connect etc. etc. only a license, lots of repeaters, APRS works in remote regions, SAR compatible, etc.
Just a thought and a device with more than one use.:costumed-smiley-007
How does this work when you are in a remote region with no cell phone signal?
SPOT has a predetermined message, OK, or 911 which can mean anything to the wrong person.
Wouldn't you want to be more precise with what your predicament is all about? Granted an email will do this provided the receiver is online and looking at their email or they have their email on their cell phone and it is turned on or within signal range. What if it isn't a smart phone with email functionality?
Seems adding these devices up gets one into a pretty hefty monthly and perhaps an annual contractual fee basis.
If it is tracking you want with email function and a whole LOT more (********/chat on the trail with buddies, etc. and no loss of signal), try APRS on a Ham. No contracts, no fees, less $$$ than the smart phone, SPOT, connect etc. etc. only a license, lots of repeaters, APRS works in remote regions, SAR compatible, etc.
Just a thought and a device with more than one use.:costumed-smiley-007
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DrMoab
Explorer
With the spot connect you get 20 predefined messages that you can send for free however you can also send short text messages but the cost $.50 a message.
The way I look at it and have mine set up is I have three or for predefined ones for the regular stuff like "we are in camp and everything is fine"
The. I have several emergency predefined ones that seem to be the most likely out on the trail. One says "we are here, broke and we need a trailer"
I havent had to use the true text message option yet but I'm glad it's there.
The way I look at it and have mine set up is I have three or for predefined ones for the regular stuff like "we are in camp and everything is fine"
The. I have several emergency predefined ones that seem to be the most likely out on the trail. One says "we are here, broke and we need a trailer"
I havent had to use the true text message option yet but I'm glad it's there.