Boating Safety:
Here SPOT!
Here SPOT!
The SPOT satellite messenger promises to be a fun tool that can also keep you safer offshore. We take a closer look at what it does, and why you might (or might not) want to buy one.
SPOT in Use
We were fortunate enough to obtain a unit from SPOT for a trial. While we weren’t able to get out onto the ocean to give it a workout during the demo period, we were able to use it a lot while running around town. Here are our impressions:
- The unit comes with 2 Lithium AA batteries, instructions and a quick reference card. The instructions were easy to follow. Our unit came already activated, so we don't have any feedback on that process, but it looks straightforward.
- The SPOT unit itself appears well made, although the D-rings on the screws used to fasten the battery compartment cover and the belt clip could stand to be a bit larger. They would be difficult to work if you were wearing gloves, or if your fingers were numb with cold.
- We logged in to the FindMeSPOT.com website, and set up text messages/e-mails and recipient lists for the SPOTcheck®, Ask for Help, and SPOTcasting® modes. Alert 9-1-1 was turned off, for obvious reasons. SPOT’s web interface for setting up the messages, entering the email address or text phone numbers and managing my account were all pretty straightforward and easy to use.
Overall, a good user experience.
We then drove around for several weeks, trying out the available features. All worked as expected. Here is an example map of a trip we took with SPOTcasting® mode on:
And here is a close-up of one of the SPOTcast® points, at max resolution with the Google® satellite photos overlaid. That’s me to the left of the marker, standing next to my car (just kidding!).
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