SPOT Tracking System

[zenwhipper]

I installed my SPOT Tracker last weekend and went for a trip around Mount Rainier. It worked like a charm. I ride alot by myself and it allows me to send an ok message to my wife's cell phone just to let her know all is well. Also have the upgraded Tracking Service that she can pull up a web page and check my route and status. Its very cool! I was running late getting home and did not want to stop and call her - but she took a look at my progress and had dinner ready at the door he he! :clapping:

I bought the Ram Mount setup and placed it on the left handle bar phantom mirror mount.

One comment - it does need a clear view of the sky to transmit. You can see that there is a wide gap in the tracking on my map from track 12 to 13. Those roads are 'pretty' open with sporadic tree over story. Not sure what happend there.

-SPOT map of the trip

-sort of a shot of the mounting... no comments on my taking pics while I ride!

 

[Crash Cash]

You can see that there is a wide gap in the tracking on my map from track 12 to 13. Those roads are 'pretty' open with sporadic tree over story. Not sure what happend there.

Could it have been an area with no cell coverage? I assume it transmits like a cell phone? Or is this an internal trail download on the map here? How does it work exactly?

 

[JR'SFJR]

I purchased SPOT last spring because I also travel alone. It has worked very well, and I will continue to use it. I used it on a week long trip to N. Ga last spring and a longer trip this summer from Fl to Rocky Mtn's to WI back to Fl. After weeks of use, it is still on the first set of batteries!!!!!

It was my idea, but it is sort of an "electronic ball and chain"!!!!! We joke that it will help my wife "find the body" if I should go off a cliff somewhere!!!!!!!! On days where I ran late before calling home, my wife could check on my location by going to the SPOT web site.

I mounted SPOT so it slides on to a piece of sheet metal added to my Garmin 550 Zumo mount.

 

[BugR]

You can see that there is a wide gap in the tracking on my map from track 12 to 13. Those roads are 'pretty' open with sporadic tree over story. Not sure what happend there.

Could it have been an area with no cell coverage? I assume it transmits like a cell phone? Or is this an internal trail download on the map here? How does it work exactly?

It's a satellite tracker, it does not use cell service at all.

 

[GunMD]

You can see that there is a wide gap in the tracking on my map from track 12 to 13. Those roads are 'pretty' open with sporadic tree over story. Not sure what happend there.

Could it have been an area with no cell coverage? I assume it transmits like a cell phone? Or is this an internal trail download on the map here? How does it work exactly?

It does not use cellular for it's transmissions. It's gets its location from GPS satellites and then transmits that info to SPOT satellites which, in turn, send that info back down to the SPOT folks for storage, processing, posting on the site, etc.

I think.

 

[zenwhipper]

You can see that there is a wide gap in the tracking on my map from track 12 to 13. Those roads are 'pretty' open with sporadic tree over story. Not sure what happend there.

Could it have been an area with no cell coverage? I assume it transmits like a cell phone? Or is this an internal trail download on the map here? How does it work exactly?

It does not work like a cell phone that needs local cell towers. It uses satellites for its signal transmission.

Here is a map from the website showing its coverage. No cell phone is going to allow you this coverage!

 

[Murph]

I'm on the fence about getting SPOT. This concerns me. That appears to be a big area between 12 and 13. So what happened? How many trees? Deep canyons? Extremely tall mountains surrounding the road? Sun Spots?

 

[GunMD]

I experience gaps in my tracking sometimes too. I'm not all that worried about it. It still gives my SO the comfort of knowing where I am even if it misses a couple of transmissions. I haven't found any kind of pattern to those transmissions that don't post, but they are not all that frequent.

The thing I enjoy about it is the freedom it gives me to change my route on the fly. I used to give my SO a "flight plan" so that she'd A.) feel better, and B.) know where to look for the body. Well it never failed that halfway through a ride I would decide to alter my route. I used to try an text her or call her sometimes but cell phone service is often sketchy in the middle of nowhere. Now I don't have to worry about it. I can change my plan as much as I like and she can still find the body later on.

 

[FJRONAMISSION]

I think my familly would like to know where the meal ticket is at and to find the

body for insurance clarification B)

 

[zip]

Is this thing small enough to embed, say just under the skin on my small children?

Kidding, of course, but you KNOW it won't be long until devices like this are widespread - perhaps even implanted - for the tracking of kids and other things.

I don't wish for your bike to get stolen, but it would be amazing to see exactly where they take stolen vehicles, unlike LoJack, which probably just tracks current location.

This is really cool. I'm going to look into it.

And I'm really jealous about your ride around Rainier. That ride up to Paradise would be awesome from Ohanapecosh. I used to live there when I was a kid - my Dad was a Park Ranger every summer.

 

[zenwhipper]

The thing I enjoy about it is the freedom it gives me to change my route on the fly. I used to give my SO a "flight plan" so that she'd A.) feel better, and B.) know where to look for the body. Well it never failed that halfway through a ride I would decide to alter my route. I used to try an text her or call her sometimes but cell phone service is often sketchy in the middle of nowhere. Now I don't have to worry about it. I can change my plan as much as I like and she can still find the body later on.

A big +1!

Scott

 

[fjrupnorth]

I have used my SPOT for well over 10,000 miles and keep it under the passenger seat on my 2004 FJR. I put it in an old sock and just leave it on. It works just fine from there, and if my bike ever disappears at night I will know exactly where to find it.

 

[happyPuppy]

I have used my SPOT for well over 10,000 miles and keep it under the passenger seat on my 2004 FJR. I put it in an old sock and just leave it on. It works just fine from there, and if my bike ever disappears at night I will know exactly where to find it.

That is an excellent idea! Put it in a stinky sock and no one would even touch it!

 

[2006FJR]

I have used SPOT for a few trips now and it works great. Remember that the SPOT tracking is only one way of using it and it is an extra service when you order. If you were to go down they would be able to go back to your last known position and start looking for you if you were unable to send a help or 911. I used it on my ride to Canada from Irvine, CA and we were able to meet other FJR members along the way. They would PM me during the trip and at the end of the day I would check my messages on my laptop and we would hook up for a beer or something during the ride.