The unique SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger is a convenient way to keep friends and family updated on the progress of your flight, or notify them if plans change. With the built-in GPS receiver, you can even send up-to-date location information to your contacts, so they can view your track on Google Maps. In an emergency, SPOT will send out an alert with your position so search and rescue forces can find you. It’s the ultimate in communications flexibility.
5 ways to communicate:
- SOS / 911: Use this function In the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your GPS location and that you need assistance. The GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies worldwide – for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe.
- Help: In the event of a non-life threatening emergency, you can use this function to notify your personal contacts that you need assistance. Additional SPOT Assist services can be purchased and programmed to your Help button as well. When activated with SPOT Assist, the Help button will notify professional services either on the land or water. SPOT has partnered with national service providers to offer non-life threatening assistance.
- Check-in/OK: This feature allows you to let your friends and family know that all is OK with a pre-programmed message along with your GPS location. With a push of a button a message is sent via email or SMS to up to 10 pre-determined contacts and your waypoint is stored in your SPOT account for later reference.
- Custom Message: This feature allows you to let your friends and family receive a custom message along with your GPS location with a push of a button. Use this feature as a secondary OK message or transfer your personal help alert to this message function if you are using a SPOT Assist service on your Help button.
- Track Progress: This feature allows you to send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps. With your SPOT account you have the ability to set up a SPOT Shared Page which allows you to show your SPOT GPS locations to others on a Google Map.
Requires $99.99 annual service plan for SOS, Check-in/OK and Help. Track Progress feature is additional. See www.findmeSPOT.com for more information.
Rugged, compact case measures just 3.7”h x 2.6”w x 1”d; weighs 5.2 oz. Runs on 3 AAA batteries for over 90 days of standby, 2.8 days of SOS, 4.3 days of Track Progress or 350 Check OK messages.
SPOT vs. Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs):
SPOT and PLBs have similar features at first glance, and it’s easy to get confused between the two. But both devices work very differently, and it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both.
- The SPOT is designed to be a messenger first and foremost, so it is much smaller and has many more options for communicating than a PLB. It is not just an emergency device. SPOT also uses a different satellite system than PLBs, so some rugged terrain can interfere with SPOT transmissions. SPOT users must have an annual service plan.
- A PLB is primarily a life-saving device, and uses a higher-power transmitter and has a much longer battery life. PLBs do not require a subscription for emergency use, although some newer PLBs have non-emergency messaging options that may require a subscription. Most PLBs also transmit on 121.5 Mhz, so search and rescue forces can use the device as a homing beacon. PLBs generally cost more than SPOT.
In the end, different pilots have different needs. If you’re looking for a handy device to track your flights and update family and friends, the SPOT is one-of-a-kind tool. If you’re looking for an emergency transmitter to alert search and rescue forces anywhere in the world, in any terrain, a PLB is the reliable choice.
