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Spot Satellite Messenger with GPS Tracking | 
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| Brand: SPOT Inc.
Category: Sports
List Price: $169.99
Buy New: $115.99
You Save: $54.00 (32%)
New (96)
Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 337
Color: Orange
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.5
MPN: SPOT
Model: SPOT-1
UPC: 893049001059
EAN: 0893049001059
ASIN: B000YTZV74
Release Date: November 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days
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| Features:
| • | Satellite messenger with GPS tracking for keeping users safe on adventure trips | | • | 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: -40 F to +185 F
- Operating Altitude: -300 feet to +21,300 feet
- Humidity and Salt Fog Rated
Product Description
Stay in touch via satellite technology – whether you're just checking in, allowing others to check your progress, or calling for help.- 100% satellite technology works where cell phones don't
- Vital line of communication with friends and family
- Emergency service when you need it
- 4 key functions for sending messages to friends, family or emergency responders
- Works around the world
- Satellite service subscription required
- Waterproof to a depth of 1 meter
- Floats in water
Communicate with friends and family and get emergency assistance where and when you need it.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 SPOT ON!!!! December 12, 2007
DanielB (Chattanooga)
92 out of 95 found this review helpful
Please ignore the comments about Globalstar service below, he has no clue about this product. Globalstar is having problems with its duplex service S-band amplifiers which only affects two-way traffic. I should know I have a Globalstar satellite phone. SPOT uses the L-Band uplink (simplex modem) which is used to track trucks etc. this network is running at full efficiency. I have this product and it works better than my expectations. About this product: it is not a personal locator beacon and if you wish to use this solely for emergencies, I would recommend another product. A true personal locator beacon because it works in all conditions and all-terrain (I also own one by ACR). SPOT needs to have an uninterrupted view to the satellite. In other words in heavy canopy this product does not work very well but in broken canopy or in the open this product works great (samething is true with my handheld GPS). I use this product to communicate with family and friends on my progress when backpacking, biking, or just out and about. I do use this product in heavy canopy areas and send a signal when I cross a road or powerline crossing. I still carry my personal locator beacon for real emergencies but this product helps in non-emergency situations. For more operational details you can download the manual at www.findmespot.com
My cell phone doesn't work when I'm away from cell towers or underwater while scuba diving nor in caves. Similarly SPOT will not work if it cannot contact the satellite. As with all communication devices, they all have limits and parameters that they operate in. You should know this before buying any product like this.
Happy Camper January 9, 2008
Guzman (Seattle, WA)
36 out of 36 found this review helpful
This is a very nice product for the price.
The features are simple. It sends an email and/or text message saying you are OK. It can also send an email and/or text HELP message. OR, it can call the service emergency response center and they will call local authorities based on your location. Not bad for the price huh. A graduated response. Very good use of existing technology by a creative company that saw a potential market. Apparently, they use a similar technology to track kidnapped executives. Nice market expansion guys.
Trees can cause loss of the satellite signal. Use in a car is unreliable because the windshield attenuates the sat signal or the car itself blocks the satellites. In any case, use on a car dash is spotty. When out in the field, it needs to have a clear view of the sky. The most reliable way to use it is to just position it and leave it for 20min as the manual directs. I is 100% reliable when used as directed. Just be aware of the need to give it an opportunity to get the sat signal.
The tracking on Google maps is cool, but because the unit does not maintain a sat lock when moving, I have gotten inconsistent results. My GPS will give a very good track in comparison.
The extra insurance for a few bucks is cheap insurance. The terms of the insurance coverage are a must read...it takes a lot for them to kick in. But it's better than nothing, right.
Future iterations of this device need to be smaller and more integrated with the web features. The web based options are still kinda basic. I can see these issues being addressed easily and I would buy a smaller unti with more features...GPS navigation, GPSR/GMRS radio, weather radio, etc,...Integrate.
I am very happy with this device and would recommend it for most locations. It's fun to use and I hope I never have to use the more serious 911 button and call for emergency response.
Reliable and easy tracking device April 20, 2008
Oliver Hager (Frankfurt, Germany)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I am living in Germany and imported the device from the USA (Bass Pro). It took unfortunately 8 weeks because the German customs was holding it back. I am running the device now for 2 weeks. The activation over the SPOT Web site worked fine. Foreign addresses and credit cards are accepted.
The device works without any problems in Germany.
Beside the messaging (included in the basic subscription for $99.99/year) I also use the tracking service (additional $49.99/year to the basic subscription). The tracking must be re-activated every 24h by pressing the Ok button for 5 seconds. Every 10 minutes the current position is sent to the satellite. This position is very accurate (within a few meters accuracy). In your account (on the SPOT Web site) you can access the messages and the tracking data as KML file (Google tracking format) and also display the positions in Google Maps and Google Earth. So far I like the device very much. In the next months I will use it on my wilderness trips.
Tip for how to publish the tracking data on your own home page: The tracking data is offered through the account that is password protected. I don't want other people accessing my account. If you have a running PC with network (e.g. permanent DSL) then you can use a Webtool (e.g. iMacros for Firefox) for polling regularly the KML file from the account (be responsible for doing it not too frequently). After that the KML file can be copied over to your home page (e.g. write a small script that uses FTP). Then link it with Google Maps (see http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41136 for instructions). So anyone visiting your home page can watch your live tracking positions in Google Maps (use it e.g. when you are on vacation). Alternatively someone can define a so called "network link" in Google Earth that periodically reads this KML file from your home page.
Tip for the initial activation: If you enter the ESN (equipment serial number) on the Spot Web site for the initial activation, then include the '-' character. Otherwise you get a misleading error message that the device is already in use.
Outstanding Test February 11, 2008
Weathervane & Cupola Guy (City of Brotherly Love)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
The SPOT arrived on-time and in perfect condition. I set-up the subscription info quickly on their web site. The e-mail notification and google map test for the TRACKING feature worked amazingly well.
Spot Messenger and Tracker March 24, 2008
Robert R. Adair
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This devicde works exactly as described. The directions as to how to enable someone to access the tracking function are not all that great. A brief demo on the web site might be of a help. Once you get it figured out the system is actually pretty simple to operate.
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