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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 9-18-2017
Location: Alpine Ca
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Spot X Review
Has anyone gotten the chance to use the Spot X down in Baja? Particularly the 2 way messaging feature. Ive read mixed reviews on it and would like to
have one for the Baja 1000. Any info would be great.
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BajaBill74
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Mood: Beyond Extatic!
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Looked it up on Amazon. There are three customer reviews, all one star. Doesn't look promising.
What I'm doing at work is so secret, even I don't know what I'm doing!
One should believe in God, because even Google doesn't know everything.
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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
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Location: Alpine Ca
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Thats what I'm seeing too, but its hard to say unless I get a confirmed review.
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aburruss
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I was VERY intrigued by the SpotX... but after reading a lot of reviews and comparisons with the Garmin Inreach MINI, I opted for the Inreach. I
haven't used in Baja yet (taking it down next week for a poker run), but my initial feel of it is that it's pretty good, and will accomplish what I
want it to.
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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
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Location: Alpine Ca
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Quote: Originally posted by aburruss  | | I was VERY intrigued by the SpotX... but after reading a lot of reviews and comparisons with the Garmin Inreach MINI, I opted for the Inreach. I
haven't used in Baja yet (taking it down next week for a poker run), but my initial feel of it is that it's pretty good, and will accomplish what I
want it to. |
Can you post an update when you get back? Im super curious on which to buy. The offroad community usually goes with Spot devices but I havent anything
about the X yet. Thanks
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Get an inReach for the win!
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
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In general Spot is a good system.
Based on my research:
SpotX - Default and lowest cost is 10 min track points. which results in unacceptable GPX tracks and is the same as the older SPOT devices. Choose
much more track points and get slightly better track results. If you want to compare with an InReach device. Both have messages that should work fine.
In Baja we only use email message due to poor text results.
If one does not care about tracks the choose the lowest cost plan with minimum messages for 11.95/mo.
If best track is desired then choose 29.95 plan which is still not a good as nearly as good as the InReach basic plan with minimal messages and nearly
unlimited track points at a cost of 27.16/mo
Hard to believe anything above the minimum messages per month would be necessary so I would not consider number of messages an issue.
The Inreach with proper track point settings will give the best GPX track of any device currently available including all GPS devices.
[Edited on 10-1-2018 by PaulW]
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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
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Location: Alpine Ca
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Thanks for the Info. Sounds like I might be getting an INREACH!!
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9226
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW | In general Spot is a good system.
Based on my research:
SpotX - Default and lowest cost is 10 min track points. which results in unacceptable GPX tracks and is the same as the older SPOT devices. Choose
much more track points and get slightly better track results. If you want to compare with an InReach device. Both have messages that should work fine.
In Baja we only use email message due to poor text results.
If one does not care about tracks the choose the lowest cost plan with minimum messages for 11.95/mo.
If best track is desired then choose 29.95 plan which is still not a good as nearly as good as the InReach basic plan with minimal messages and nearly
unlimited track points at a cost of 27.16/mo
Hard to believe anything above the minimum messages per month would be necessary so I would not consider number of messages an issue.
The Inreach with proper track point settings will give the best GPX track of any device currently available including all GPS devices.
[Edited on 10-1-2018 by PaulW] |
The value of these devices is the 2 way texting and SOS. Not tracking tracks.
Much better phone apps for that. They will export (email) in either GPX or KML.
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
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Like I said JZ the InReach has the best KML or GPX I have all these things and have done comparisons. However phone aps are of acceptable quality.
Messaging for SPOTx or Inreach are equal IMO.
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ehall
Super Nomad
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Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Never had a spot but have been using the Inreach for 5 years or so. It works great, even from the deepest canyons the message eventually transmits.
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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 9-18-2017
Location: Alpine Ca
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Mood: Craving Pacifico
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I'm mainly going to use it for the texting feature. I have my ipad setup with LeadNav which imo is the best gps I've ever used. So if the texting
feature works well with spot then Ill probably go with it. I like having the keyboard on the device, and I've had decent luck with the two other spots
I own. Thanks for the info!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The inReach pairs with your smartphone so you use that for texting and emailing anyone with a full keyboard.
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HeyMulegeScott
Senior Nomad
Posts: 690
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Location: Orygone/Mulege
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I've been using my InReach Explorer+ this summer in the NW. You need a clear line of sight to the satellite so there's been times I'm hiking in dense
forests when sending a message gets delayed. Shouldn't be an issue in Baja unless you were in a really, really narrow slot canyon.
For no extra charge, you can send an unlimited amount of preset messages with your location. I did a quick review on Winnebago's blog - https://winnebagolife.com/2018/08/gogear-garmin-inreach-expl...
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9226
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW | | Like I said JZ the InReach has the best KML or GPX I have all these things and have done comparisons. However phone aps are of acceptable quality.
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False. Back Country Navigator's phone app is better than InReach for GPX and KML tracks. Much easier to use and more intuitive. Super easy to
interface with Google Earth.
BCN can go as low as 1 sec interval for track reporting and recommends every 5 seconds. It can go as high as every 30 mins.
[Edited on 10-2-2018 by JZ]
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aburruss
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Posts: 216
Registered: 2-6-2018
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| Quote: Originally posted by JZ |
False. Back Country Navigator's phone app is better than InReach for GPX and KML tracks. Much easier to use and more intuitive. Super easy to
interface with Google Earth.
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Possibly true, but BCN only works on Android, so it's not an option to a significant number of users. 
[Edited on 10-3-2018 by aburruss]
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9226
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by aburruss | | Quote: Originally posted by JZ |
False. Back Country Navigator's phone app is better than InReach for GPX and KML tracks. Much easier to use and more intuitive. Super easy to
interface with Google Earth.
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Possibly true, but BCN only works on Android, so it's not an option to a significant number of users.
[Edited on 10-3-2018 by aburruss] |
Samsung >>>> iPhone.
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aburruss
Nomad
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I think this will turn out worse than any political post on this site. 
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9226
Registered: 10-3-2003
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iPhones are for women, kids, and ppl who don't care about good tech.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17289
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Love my iphone. Love my ipad. love my powerbook. I tolerate my PC.
I think only a techno dweeb would diss an apple product. For reliability and ease of use, apple trumps all the competitors. If you just want something
that works, w/o fuss, buy the the apple product!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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