SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker
- Thread starter mdisher
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Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:
RenoJohn
Well-known member
Hmmm, I'd heard of this, and your concise overview answered my question.
I was confused if this was designed as a panic button (help me I've fallen and can't get up) ...and would send your coordinates to a sattelite, which would then tell people on planet earth where to look for you.
OR, if this thing would give real-time updates as to your progress so that folks can track you. Sounds like for some more coin you can be tracked??
Sounds like it does both??
Kinda cool ...for the many that do a lot of riding, the cost is likely easy to justify.
GunMD
Well-known member
That's what it looks like to me, too. Very interesting. I'm wondering how much folks have invested in those StarTraxx systems. I can't imagine that it's as inexpensive as this little gadget. This seems simple enough really...just the stuff I'd like to have to let the SO know that I'm still on course.
RenoJohn
Well-known member
uuuhhh, geeze, never thought of that. Not for me, keep that spot away from me! SO thinks I'm just to the corner for some bread and milk. ...or: I thought you were going to a ride in Oregon ..how come this shows your bike parked in Las Vegas for 3 days. LOL LOL
tcfjr
Well-known member
Last July when I was riding south on a gravel section of the Cassiar Highway in the rain and I hadn't seen another vehicle for over an hour, I was wondering what I'd do if a deer/bear/moose came out of the tree line and knocked me down. I can see a lot of situations where the Spot unit could be helpful.
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
Well, for emergency purposes, your cell phone will give your coordinates, at least if you are in an area where the cell phone works.
The cost of the tracking equipment doesn't seem too bad for a one time outlay, but the annual subscription seems high to a frugal person like me. I don't think I want people to be able to track where I am at any given time. I'll just call home once in a while and let the family know where I ended up.
The cost of the tracking equipment doesn't seem too bad for a one time outlay, but the annual subscription seems high to a frugal person like me. I don't think I want people to be able to track where I am at any given time. I'll just call home once in a while and let the family know where I ended up.
evil_henchman
Well-known member
Back country skiing, dirt riding, long empty roads. I can think of lots of reasons to buy one. And yet somehow I've managed to go 47 years without one......
Taff
Well-known member
You beat me to it, just received the unit.
Here is a brief outline on what this puppy does for you!
I carry the SPOT GPS tracking device on me at all times. It has an emergency, help and OK button, which if pressed sends a LINK via e mail, to your friends (and a text message if you have set up cell phone numbers) that have been added to your profile, with the LAT/LONG of your position.
A link below the e mail message then takes you to "Google maps" so you can see the LAT/LONG position displayed as a map.
If you allow close friends to "LOGON" to your account, they can then go to a tab on the members page and use satallite maps to locate the position.
When you press the “OK” button on the unit for more than 5 seconds, the unit will send updates on your current position every 10 minutes. The great feature about this unit is that it doesn’t need a cell phone tower to send a signal. Many other manufactures use cell phone towers and cost double what I paid for this one ($149.99). The only drawback is the cost of the service for activation ($99.00) and the tracking ($49.99) but then that totals what another GPS tracking unit cost needing cell phone coverage to give your position. The other unit I looked at, cost over $800 (without a plan) and was bulky to say the least, needing a huge “whip” antennae! This unit (no names PM me) looked OK until I started "digging deeper" by calling their support site asking about the tracking methods. They told me that they would have to "write" some code for the unit (each customer is different) before sending it to me. They could not be bothered sending me some pictures of their wiring harness, so I decided that as the support "sucked" so must the unit -
)I have also purchased (on activation) a $7.95 a plan that covers SAR (search and rescue) helicopters etc; it will not cost me anything for using these services to find me, only if they decide that the journey could have been avoided or you chose to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so to speak.
Yesterday I tested the unit in poring rain (yes it is Seattle rain proof) as the manual says it's waterproof for 30 mins to a depth of 1 meter (3ft to a meter approx).
It will float on water and operates from -300 feet to 21,300 feet. The unit is of a sturdy design but does weigh a little bit more than I anticipated. Being colored "orange" means it is easily seen.
During operation the unit needs a "clear" view of the sky. I zipped tied the unit onto the rear luggage handle.
Here is a link to the web page. https://www.findmespot.com/
Will be pleased to update you all when I have fully evaluated the unit.
Ride safe,
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GunMD
Well-known member
Please keep us posted on your experience w/ this thing.
Taff
Well-known member
Taff
Well-known member
Here are some more details for you folks.Will do -
1) Still not happy with the way I would like to mount the unit. As per my last post, I zipped tied the unit onto my rear luggage handle. The unit has 3 small screws on the rear,each with a semi-circle type butterfly ring. To this ring I attached an old round key ring holder (metal) then using the the units' pager type clip, inserted the clip under the baggage handle, then zipped tied this to the handle and round metal key ring holder. Today I decided to add a lanyard to the metal key ring holder, then tie this to the rear baggage handle.
The reason for this change was to facilitate removal of the unit when leaving the bike un-attended.
2) Now I have decided to try velcro attached to the top of the battery cover plastic casing on the top right side of the bike.
3) When you are out and about local riding and want to alert your friends as to your position, pushing the "OK" button sends an e mail and text message. Having the unit "behind you" makes it difficult to get to press the "OK" button.
This message text sent to your friends cannot be changed "on the fly" unless you go back into the web site and change it. For example, I wrote something like this; "Arrived safely, going to camp site/B&B/Hotel etc, check Google maps for position". Before todays ride, I changed the first part of the text to "Test" and left the rest of the body text so I can just delete the word "Test" when I go touring.
Battery life is about 2 weeks if using the position tracking which sends a signal every 10 minutes updating your position. The manual says to use lithium batteries only.
More later!
Ride safe,
Jackson
Well-known member
Taff-
Thanks for the info. I've been thinking about getting one of these. I know the instructions say it needs a clear view of the sky, but I know some GPS receivers will work even when the antenna is hidden down inside the FJR's farings. I wonder if the Spot unit would work inside a tank bag?
Thanks for the info. I've been thinking about getting one of these. I know the instructions say it needs a clear view of the sky, but I know some GPS receivers will work even when the antenna is hidden down inside the FJR's farings. I wonder if the Spot unit would work inside a tank bag?
Taff
Well-known member
Hope you are well!
I will put the SPOT unit inside the rear luggage (fabric) near the surface, and activate the tracking part of the unit before I place it into the bag.
As I have also set up my e mail for tracking (in case one of my friends needs to use the unit), I can check later on, after my ride tomorrow, if the unit has indeed "seen" the satellites and sent out position reporting.
Some GPS tracking devices that I have seen can be put inside luggage, so this will be an interesting test.
Keep an eye out later in the evening (PST) for my write up.
Ride safe,
Jon.
Taff
Well-known member
Forgot to mention this.
Tracking, once activated, is good for 24 hours or until the unit is switched "off".
What I intend to do is to send an e mail (before a long ride) to my contacts, listed on the SPOT account, saying that the unit will send them an alert before the start of my riding day.
Once the riding day has finished, another "ok" will be sent to alert my contacts that I have arrived at my intended destination safely.
Of course, this assumes no cell phone coverage at destination. Should I have the option of cell coverage, then I may place a call.
Now having said all of this, cell phone roaming charges are very expensive for "out of State" calls, so this unit could save you some dollars.
More later,
Ride safe.
Tracking, once activated, is good for 24 hours or until the unit is switched "off".
What I intend to do is to send an e mail (before a long ride) to my contacts, listed on the SPOT account, saying that the unit will send them an alert before the start of my riding day.
Once the riding day has finished, another "ok" will be sent to alert my contacts that I have arrived at my intended destination safely.
Of course, this assumes no cell phone coverage at destination. Should I have the option of cell coverage, then I may place a call.
Now having said all of this, cell phone roaming charges are very expensive for "out of State" calls, so this unit could save you some dollars.
More later,
Ride safe.
Taff
Well-known member
Update on SPOT (sounds like a dog's name) -
Placed the unit inside the rear luggage, near the top, but seemed to have (pardon the pun) "spotty reception".
Not all of the tracking positions were shown when I went to check these in my account.
As I don't have a tank bag (yet) that will fit the Feejer, I could not test the unit under a plastic cover. Hopefully this week I will test the unit again.
I will keep you all posted.
Ride safe,
Placed the unit inside the rear luggage, near the top, but seemed to have (pardon the pun) "spotty reception".
Not all of the tracking positions were shown when I went to check these in my account.
As I don't have a tank bag (yet) that will fit the Feejer, I could not test the unit under a plastic cover. Hopefully this week I will test the unit again.
I will keep you all posted.
Ride safe,
Last edited by a moderator:
Jackson
Well-known member
Thanks for the update, Taff. Keep us posted on what works and what doesn't.
Taff
Well-known member
You are most welcome -
I will have some more information at the end of the week.
Can't seem to find a good place to locate the unit, but underneath the plastic map holder of a tank bag seems the best location.
In case of an accident I would really like the unit "close" to me and not in a location where I may not be able to reach it to "press the 911" button.
Last year I was trolling around on one of the other bike forums and read about an older guy who had come off his bike and slid down a slope. He was not able to walk back to the road. Some girl in the back of a truck saw his handle bars from above. Apparently he had been there for quite a few days. I don't know if this is a true story or not, but clearly we can all see the benefits to having a unit like this, especially given that I do most of my LD riding alone (self sufficient et al).
Had I had this unit this past June (when I was hit by a cager) my local riding buddies would have been at the scene much sooner. My broken cell phone just about managed a call to my close friend who then picked up my bike after I got into ER and sorted out my dog, who passed away last month. My new 8 week old CBR 1000RR was minus most of the right side etc, sure was lucky to get away with the usual punctured lung, ribs hand and knee. Of course without ATGATT this would have been a different story altogether. Lady driver (61 years old) with no insurance and a suspended DL.
Anyway, less of this drivel and now back to doing some work on my bike (got to get these FF50's installed this week).
Ride safe,
Taff
Well-known member
Some more information for you all.
So, finally got the "tracking" feature figured out, got to press the "OK" button for at least 5 seconds, duh me (Note to me: Read that manual).
Anyway, manual says (and SPOT web site) tracking, once activated, will update position every 10 minutes.
So off I go to Monroe.
Sat at Monroe waiting for my bike to get some work done until later on in the afternoon. Route home was slow due to holiday traffic so I thought that this would provide some good position updates.
Once home, got to the login page to check my "tracks".
I was a little disappointed with what I found; Although the feature does work, on my way up to Monroe the tracking shows me on I-405. Now it takes more than 10 minutes from this position to Monroe so I was expecting at least 1 more track update prior to arriving in Monroe. Conversely, back home after a slow ride, because of traffic, I expected more track updates.
The total amount of tracks available to me were 3, so I will call their support and ask why? Also, it is not clear as to "how many" friends or family can log into your account (they must be very close friends) at any one time. There must be a restriction to this but it is not noted on the SPOT site.
One last thing, each track update on the login web page is shown separately, not a continuous log from start to finish.
Hope this gives you some more information.
Ride safe,
So, finally got the "tracking" feature figured out, got to press the "OK" button for at least 5 seconds, duh me (Note to me: Read that manual).
Anyway, manual says (and SPOT web site) tracking, once activated, will update position every 10 minutes.
So off I go to Monroe.
Sat at Monroe waiting for my bike to get some work done until later on in the afternoon. Route home was slow due to holiday traffic so I thought that this would provide some good position updates.
Once home, got to the login page to check my "tracks".
I was a little disappointed with what I found; Although the feature does work, on my way up to Monroe the tracking shows me on I-405. Now it takes more than 10 minutes from this position to Monroe so I was expecting at least 1 more track update prior to arriving in Monroe. Conversely, back home after a slow ride, because of traffic, I expected more track updates.
The total amount of tracks available to me were 3, so I will call their support and ask why? Also, it is not clear as to "how many" friends or family can log into your account (they must be very close friends) at any one time. There must be a restriction to this but it is not noted on the SPOT site.
One last thing, each track update on the login web page is shown separately, not a continuous log from start to finish.
Hope this gives you some more information.
Ride safe,
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