I've seen several people mention their use of these products, so...
If you are looking for a satellite communication system for staying in touch/emergency use during travel to remote locations, check out the 50%
discount on products at http://www.findmespot.com/en/
Discounts are good through Dec. 31 2016.
Be safe out there! bajaguy - 12-25-2016 at 02:19 PM
I have had one for about 5 years now, never leave home on long trips anywhere without it. ljprusko - 12-25-2016 at 02:26 PM
Prefer Delorme. Spot only lets you one way text, you have no idea if your message was received. Delorme allows for two-way texting. A little more
expensive, but I feel way safer knowing I can send and receive, especially in an emergency. Bob and Susan - 12-25-2016 at 02:28 PM
I've had mine almost a year now...used it yesterday
amazing thing...
time to replace the batteriespacificobob - 12-25-2016 at 02:33 PM
Does anyone know if you can use these phones off and on? Like for a a few weeks in Feb and then a few in April for example? Or do you have to sign up
for a long term plan?
====== =
Problem is service is not ideal since they use the Global star system. Low cost has some disadvantages. Read Toms post about his service in BajaDavid K - 12-26-2016 at 09:23 AM
Tom's Spot went dead west of San Ignacio to Abreojos, La Bocana, Bahia Asuncion. Unless he didn't send out any blips after they left San Ignacio?
bajaguy - 12-26-2016 at 09:35 AM
I have had SPOT coverage through those areas several times with no problems. Maybe battery problems or didn't activate for that portion of his trip.
Be interesting to know what the issue was
Tom's Spot went dead west of San Ignacio to Abreojos, La Bocana, Bahia Asuncion. Unless he didn't send out any blips after they left San Ignacio?
The Sat phone decision.
PaulW - 12-26-2016 at 10:06 AM
Many of my travels in the Baja boondocks are often accompanied with another person who carries a sat phone. So I decided it was time to get up to
speed.
Yup, lots of research and the real question is do I need voice communication or will email or text message do? Since 99% of my communication these
days is done via email and text. I decided that is the preferred way to go. I found the inReach system meets my needs.
The major disadvantage on inReach vs Sat-phone is the obvious inability to communicate with someone who has no cell or email service - like someone
also in the Baja boondocks. To get that ability one has to have either a Sat-phone or a Sat-radio.
An inReach will replace my Spot system, but I will have both until my Spot subscription expires.
In the event the reader is not up to speed yet on inReach. That system will do live tracking just like Spot with all the other features that a Spot
provides - plus. InReach allows custom text & email to anyone in your contact list and then those recipients can reply and a normal conversation
can take place. The messages using the inReach can be created with the device itself or if paired to a smart phone then message can be created on the
phone then linked to the inReach and sent from there. One buys service depending on how many messages etc. They allow month to month service so it can
be off when not needed (for a small fee). A nice cost saver. InReach uses Iridium which means worldwide coverage with no degradation in Baja.
So I Am waiting for the inReach to arrive so I can start using it.
BTW, I probably will not use it for a GPS since all my vehicles have proper GPS's. However I won’t rule that out because I like to play with such
things. Trouble is the inReach has a very unsuitable small screen. ljprusko - 12-26-2016 at 10:30 AM
I've used my Delorme for the past 3 years and love it. Device costed me $200, and my plan is $13/month. The plan I'm on allows for unlimited texts of
up to 3 preset messages (ex: Everything is OK) and 10 free texts/month. Use it on my boat on the Sea of Cortez and when I'm travelling on my motorbike
in Baja. I love how easy it is to use, I put in phone numbers from Mexico and the US in my contacts list and the device/service figures out the
country code itself. I've tested it several times in Mexico texting workers at the marina who have Mexico cell phones, and it works perfect. I can
text them and they can text me back instantly. And when you text someone it gives them your current GPS coordinates or they can go online to the
Delorme website and see where you're at. Have used it throughout Baja, and it's always worked perfect. A satellite phone would be a step up, but I
wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost, although the cost of them has come down considerably lately. Gulliver - 12-26-2016 at 12:02 PM
Everyone has their own situation and needs. In my case the only thing I need is to keep Barbara from fussing when I'm running late.
There have been some sneaky comments here about her not wanting any inconvenient delays in getting the life insurance payout.
So far the SPOT hasn't missed a single track point or status transmission. I have it mounted on the back of my bike on top of the milk crate I use for
hauling junk. Low tech but it hasn't failed yet. The crate, I mean. And I ride some truly dreadful routes. Wrist watches just die on me.
She loaded up behind me yesterday and we rode West out of Mulege for some photo ops. Made it up to the divide where the water starts flowing West. Ran
out of light. Maybe 40% of the way to San Juanico. The track points seem to be within ten feet of where we were.TMW - 12-26-2016 at 02:51 PM
Tom's Spot went dead west of San Ignacio to Abreojos, La Bocana, Bahia Asuncion. Unless he didn't send out any blips after they left San Ignacio?
DK I didn't send any spot signals after San Ignacio, too busy eating and drinking.
As per the Spot Sat phone I would not buy one again, signal is too spotty. Not worth it. If you want a Sat phone get an Irdium.
I like the reg Spot to keep people informed as to where I'm at and so I can check GPS coordinates on my PC when I'm home or at a wifi location on
Google Earth.
[Edited on 12-26-2016 by TMW]AKgringo - 12-26-2016 at 03:08 PM
I have a question about compatibility. If you are using a Spot, or Delorme tracking device, and a separate GPS unit, can one interfere with the
other?
[Edited on 12-26-2016 by AKgringo]Sweetwater - 12-26-2016 at 03:50 PM
I've seen several people mention their use of these products, so...
If you are looking for a satellite communication system for staying in touch/emergency use during travel to remote locations, check out the 50%
discount on products at http://www.findmespot.com/en/
Discounts are good through Dec. 31 2016.
Be safe out there!
It appears that the SPOT folks are also doing 50% off activation with the Gen3 and Tracker? That's a pretty good deal if true.Gulliver - 12-26-2016 at 05:48 PM
As far as I know, reception only units like regular GPS navigation products, do not interfere with each other. They are not transmitting any signal.
The transmit signals of both the Delorme and SPOT units are on a different frequency from the GPS satellites. Shouldn't interfere.
Whether a Delorme and SPOT would jam each other is they were sending at the same time depends on so many factors that I have no idea.
I'm not sure what sort of situation would call for running both at the same time.TMW - 12-27-2016 at 10:21 AM
I have a question about compatibility. If you are using a Spot, or Delorme tracking device, and a separate GPS unit, can one interfere with the
other?
[Edited on 12-26-2016 by AKgringo]
It is highly unlikely they would interfere with each other due to their digital coding.Gulliver - 12-27-2016 at 10:40 AM
I agree.AKgringo - 12-27-2016 at 10:48 AM
Gulliver and TMW, Thanks for the feedback! My question was based on something I remember on a Spot printout, which I thought warned about mounting
it away from other GPS devices.
It didn't say how far away, and in my small vehicle, five feet would be about a max! I could have read it wrong, and it was a while back.TMW - 12-27-2016 at 11:15 AM
A regular GPS is a receive only device. Spot only transmits for a certain period of time. You can tell from the lights. Either unit will not work
depending on where it is in the vehicle, such as in a glove box where it does not have sight to the sky. On the dash is good, under the seat not good.
I only turn my sat phone on when I'm out of the truck in an open area. If you have a sat phone it is best to have a roof top antenna if you want to
talk while driving.
I always get a chuckle when I see someone in a movie talking on a sat phone in a building with just the antenna on the phone. My other pet peeve is
crime shows like CSI when they go into a house and everyone has their flashlight on. Why not just turn the light switch on.
