SSA Creates National Sailplane Tracker List - Free to SSA Members

[Frank[_12_]]

Last August, a sailplane failed to return after a 'local' cross-
country flight in Idaho. The search area was limited due to poor
soaring weather, but the wreckage and the deceased pilot still weren't
found until late the next day. One of the things that came out of the
R.A.S discussion about this accident was a suggestion that a public
repository of personal satellite trackers be created so that if a
tracker-equipped sailplane failed to return, it would be possible to
quickly access their tracking information and dramatically shorten SAR
response time.

As a result of this discussion, the SSA has now created a national
sailplane tracker repository as a free service for SSA members. If
you have a SPOT satellite tracker or APRS (ham radio) unit with web-
based mapping capability, you can now 'register' your pertinent
tracking information on your SSA member profile, and the information
will show up on the SSA Sailplane Tracker page (http://ssa.org/
myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834). The tracker list is sortable by name,
glider ID, registration number, and state. A link on the right-hand
side of the SSA home page is available to members or non members
alike.

The loss of Theirry Thys last August was a loss for all soaring, and a
tragedy for those left behind as well. Hopefully this new service
which was the direct result of an ad-hoc group of dedicated SSA
volunteers, will help the next time.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please
contact the SSA's Sailplane Tracker volunteer committee (http://
ssa.org/members/governance/VolunteersDetail.asp?group=74) or contact
me directly. It is our hope that this new SSA service will be widely
used by U.S. pilots, and maybe something similar set up by other
national bodies.

TA

[Darryl Ramm]

On Oct 8, 1:57*pm, Frank > wrote:
> Last August, a sailplane failed to return after a 'local' cross-
> country flight in Idaho. The search area was limited due to poor
> soaring weather, but the wreckage and the deceased pilot still weren't
> found until late the next day. *One of the things that came out of the
> R.A.S discussion about this accident was a suggestion that a public
> repository of personal satellite trackers be created so that if a
> tracker-equipped sailplane failed to return, it would be possible to
> quickly access their tracking information and dramatically shorten SAR
> response time.
>
> As a result of this discussion, the SSA has now created a national
> sailplane tracker repository as a free service for SSA members. *If
> you have a SPOT satellite tracker or APRS (ham radio) unit with web-
> based mapping capability, you can now 'register' your pertinent
> tracking information on your SSA member profile, and the information
> will show up on the SSA Sailplane Tracker page (http://ssa.org/
> myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834). *The tracker list is sortable by name,
> glider ID, registration number, and state. *A link on the right-hand
> side of the SSA home page is available to members or non members
> alike.
>
> The loss of Theirry Thys last August was a loss for all soaring, and a
> tragedy for those left behind as well. *Hopefully this new service
> which was the direct result of an ad-hoc group of dedicated SSA
> volunteers, will help the next time.
>
> If you have any questions or would like additional information, please
> contact the SSA's Sailplane Tracker volunteer committee (http://
> ssa.org/members/governance/VolunteersDetail.asp?group=74) or contact
> me directly. *It is our hope that this new SSA service will be widely
> used by U.S. pilots, and maybe something similar set up by other
> national bodies.
>
> TA

Any reason 406 MHz PLB/ELT ESN was not included as well?

Obviously the rescue coordination center knows if a 406 MHz ELT/PLB is
activated and should know who owns it but it is useful for others
involved in the rescue to know quickly if the pilot has a PLB or ELT.


Darryl

[Darryl Ramm]

On Oct 8, 2:12*pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
> On Oct 8, 1:57*pm, Frank > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Last August, a sailplane failed to return after a 'local' cross-
> > country flight in Idaho. The search area was limited due to poor
> > soaring weather, but the wreckage and the deceased pilot still weren't
> > found until late the next day. *One of the things that came out of the
> > R.A.S discussion about this accident was a suggestion that a public
> > repository of personal satellite trackers be created so that if a
> > tracker-equipped sailplane failed to return, it would be possible to
> > quickly access their tracking information and dramatically shorten SAR
> > response time.
>
> > As a result of this discussion, the SSA has now created a national
> > sailplane tracker repository as a free service for SSA members. *If
> > you have a SPOT satellite tracker or APRS (ham radio) unit with web-
> > based mapping capability, you can now 'register' your pertinent
> > tracking information on your SSA member profile, and the information
> > will show up on the SSA Sailplane Tracker page (http://ssa.org/
> > myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834). *The tracker list is sortable by name,
> > glider ID, registration number, and state. *A link on the right-hand
> > side of the SSA home page is available to members or non members
> > alike.
>
> > The loss of Theirry Thys last August was a loss for all soaring, and a
> > tragedy for those left behind as well. *Hopefully this new service
> > which was the direct result of an ad-hoc group of dedicated SSA
> > volunteers, will help the next time.
>
> > If you have any questions or would like additional information, please
> > contact the SSA's Sailplane Tracker volunteer committee (http://
> > ssa.org/members/governance/VolunteersDetail.asp?group=74) or contact
> > me directly. *It is our hope that this new SSA service will be widely
> > used by U.S. pilots, and maybe something similar set up by other
> > national bodies.
>
> > TA
>
> Any reason 406 MHz PLB/ELT ESN was not included as well?
>
> Obviously the rescue coordination center knows if a 406 MHz ELT/PLB is
> activated and should know who owns it but it is useful for others
> involved in the rescue to know quickly if the pilot has a PLB or ELT.
>
> Darryl

My apologies, I see there is a field there for ELT, it was not
mentioned in the post and when I first looked I had the right hand
column covered up. Well done. Thanks for doing this I'll be adding my
info...

Darryl

[Greg Arnold]

Darryl Ramm wrote:
> On Oct 8, 2:12 pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
>> On Oct 8, 1:57 pm, Frank > wrote:
>>
>>
>>

> My apologies, I see there is a field there for ELT, it was not
> mentioned in the post and when I first looked I had the right hand
> column covered up. Well done. Thanks for doing this I'll be adding my
> info...
>
> Darryl


But there does not appear to be a way to display both your SPOT info,
and to indicate that you have a PLB.

[Frank[_12_]]

On Oct 8, 6:05*pm, Greg Arnold > wrote:
> Darryl Ramm wrote:
> > On Oct 8, 2:12 pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
> >> On Oct 8, 1:57 pm, Frank > wrote:
>
> > My apologies, I see there is a field there for ELT, it was not
> > mentioned in the post and when I first looked I had the right hand
> > column covered up. Well done. Thanks for doing this I'll be adding my
> > info...
>
> > Darryl
>
> But there does not appear to be a way to display both your SPOT info,
> and to indicate that you have a PLB.

Greg,

Not sure what you mean - the tracking list has a 'Locator URL' field,
but also has a read-only field for ELT. I presume if you have a
406MHz PLB you would enter '406' here. I have a 121.5MHz ELT
(required for some contests) and a 406MHz PLB, so I just entered the
121.5 one. Am I missing something?

Regards
TA

[Mike Ash]

In article
>,
Frank > wrote:

> As a result of this discussion, the SSA has now created a national
> sailplane tracker repository as a free service for SSA members. If
> you have a SPOT satellite tracker or APRS (ham radio) unit with web-
> based mapping capability, you can now 'register' your pertinent
> tracking information on your SSA member profile, and the information
> will show up on the SSA Sailplane Tracker page (http://ssa.org/
> myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834). The tracker list is sortable by name,
> glider ID, registration number, and state. A link on the right-hand
> side of the SSA home page is available to members or non members
> alike.

This is a fantastic idea and the result looks great. Many thanks for
doing this. I will certainly be adding my info when I obtain the
relevant equipment.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

[Greg Arnold]

Frank wrote:
> On Oct 8, 6:05 pm, Greg Arnold > wrote:
>> Darryl Ramm wrote:
>>> On Oct 8, 2:12 pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
>>>> On Oct 8, 1:57 pm, Frank > wrote:
>>> My apologies, I see there is a field there for ELT, it was not
>>> mentioned in the post and when I first looked I had the right hand
>>> column covered up. Well done. Thanks for doing this I'll be adding my
>>> info...
>>> Darryl
>> But there does not appear to be a way to display both your SPOT info,
>> and to indicate that you have a PLB.
>
> Greg,
>
> Not sure what you mean - the tracking list has a 'Locator URL' field,
> but also has a read-only field for ELT. I presume if you have a
> 406MHz PLB you would enter '406' here. I have a 121.5MHz ELT
> (required for some contests) and a 406MHz PLB, so I just entered the
> 121.5 one. Am I missing something?
>
> Regards
> TA


Good point. I just updated my profile to include this.

However, the column heading is ELT, and an ELT will transmit if I am
unconscious, while a PLB will not. The absence of a transmission might
be taken to mean there was no crash if everyone thinks I have an ELT.
If it is known that I have a PLB, the absence of a transmission would
not be taken to mean this.

In other words, rescuers may be more likely to make the assumption that
there is a landout rather than a crash if they erroneously think I have
an ELT. This could delay the start of a search.

I would suggest another column to indicate whether the unit is a PLB or
an ELT.

[Darryl Ramm]

On Oct 8, 4:01*pm, Greg Arnold > wrote:
> Frank wrote:
> > On Oct 8, 6:05 pm, Greg Arnold > wrote:
> >> Darryl Ramm wrote:
> >>> On Oct 8, 2:12 pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
> >>>> On Oct 8, 1:57 pm, Frank > wrote:
> >>> My apologies, I see there is a field there for ELT, it was not
> >>> mentioned in the post and when I first looked I had the right hand
> >>> column covered up. Well done. Thanks for doing this I'll be adding my
> >>> info...
> >>> Darryl
> >> But there does not appear to be a way to display both your SPOT info,
> >> and to indicate that you have a PLB.
>
> > Greg,
>
> > Not sure what you mean - the tracking list has a 'Locator URL' field,
> > but also has a read-only field for ELT. *I presume if you have a
> > 406MHz PLB you would enter '406' here. *I have a 121.5MHz ELT
> > (required for some contests) and a 406MHz PLB, so I just entered the
> > 121.5 one. * Am I missing something?
>
> > Regards
> > TA
>
> Good point. *I just updated my profile to include this.
>
> However, the column heading is ELT, and an ELT will transmit if I am
> unconscious, while a PLB will not. *The absence of a transmission might
> be taken to mean there was no crash if everyone thinks I have an ELT.
> If it is known that I have a PLB, the absence of a transmission would
> not be taken to mean this.
>
> In other words, rescuers may be more likely to make the assumption that
> there is a landout rather than a crash if they erroneously think I have
> an ELT. *This could delay the start of a search.
>
> I would suggest another column to indicate whether the unit is a PLB or
> an ELT.

While I agree more flexible info on ELT/PLB would be nice. However
rescue coordination folks will be well aware of the abysmal
activation/detection rate with ELTs and unlikely to make such
assumptions.

Now we should focus on the silly ELT contest rule. Much better options
than 121.5 Mhz ELTs exist. Including 406 MHz PLBs and Spot.

Darryl

[Jonathan Hughes]

On Oct 8, 1:57*pm, Frank > wrote:
> Last August, a sailplane failed to return after a 'local' cross-
> country flight in Idaho. The search area was limited due to poor
> soaring weather, but the wreckage and the deceased pilot still weren't
> found until late the next day. *One of the things that came out of the
> R.A.S discussion about this accident was a suggestion that a public
> repository of personal satellite trackers be created so that if a
> tracker-equipped sailplane failed to return, it would be possible to
> quickly access their tracking information and dramatically shorten SAR
> response time.
>
> As a result of this discussion, the SSA has now created a national
> sailplane tracker repository as a free service for SSA members. *If
> you have a SPOT satellite tracker or APRS (ham radio) unit with web-
> based mapping capability, you can now 'register' your pertinent
> tracking information on your SSA member profile, and the information
> will show up on the SSA Sailplane Tracker page (http://ssa.org/
> myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834). *The tracker list is sortable by name,
> glider ID, registration number, and state. *A link on the right-hand
> side of the SSA home page is available to members or non members
> alike.
>
> The loss of Theirry Thys last August was a loss for all soaring, and a
> tragedy for those left behind as well. *Hopefully this new service
> which was the direct result of an ad-hoc group of dedicated SSA
> volunteers, will help the next time.
>
> If you have any questions or would like additional information, please
> contact the SSA's Sailplane Tracker volunteer committee (http://
> ssa.org/members/governance/VolunteersDetail.asp?group=74) or contact
> me directly. *It is our hope that this new SSA service will be widely
> used by U.S. pilots, and maybe something similar set up by other
> national bodies.
>
> TA

Thanks for doing this. I have entered my information but I found that
my glider (PZL Bielsko SZD-48-1 Jantar Standard 2) is not selectable
from the list. AFAIK there are only about 6 in the US so that probably
isn't a big problem but it would be nice to be able to enter correct
data.

Jonathan

[Eric Greenwell]

Frank wrote:
> On Oct 8, 6:05 pm, Greg Arnold > wrote:

>> But there does not appear to be a way to display both your SPOT info,
>> and to indicate that you have a PLB.
>
> Greg,
>
> Not sure what you mean - the tracking list has a 'Locator URL' field,
> but also has a read-only field for ELT. I presume if you have a
> 406MHz PLB you would enter '406' here. I have a 121.5MHz ELT
> (required for some contests) and a 406MHz PLB, so I just entered the
> 121.5 one. Am I missing something?

Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
point.

I've added my information, using my weekly page.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

[Greg Arnold]

Eric Greenwell wrote:

>
> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
> point.


True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
in the same area over several days. And I presume that anyone missing
will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
keeping a track over 24 hours old.


>
> I've added my information, using my weekly page.
>

[Eric Greenwell]

Greg Arnold wrote:
> Eric Greenwell wrote:
>
>>
>> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
>> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
>> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
>> point.
>
>
> True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
> in the same area over several days. And I presume that anyone missing
> will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
> keeping a track over 24 hours old.

24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

[Frank[_12_]]

On Oct 9, 12:07*am, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
> Greg Arnold wrote:
> > Eric Greenwell wrote:
>
> >> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
> >> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
> >> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
> >> point.
>
> > True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
> > in the same area over several days. *And I presume that anyone missing
> > will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
> > keeping a track over 24 hours old.
>
> 24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
> messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
> least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
> contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
> coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.
>
> --
> Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Mark Hawkins pointed out that the '24 Hours' selection on the SPOT
site may not mean exactly what it says. Apparently, the 24-hour
selection causes position information to be completely cleared at
midnight each day (I think midnight PST as that is where SPOT lives).
This could easily lead to loss of tracking information before SAR
responders get into the act, so I no longer recommend this. I have
changed my 'HowTo' to recommend a 2-day setting, which should mean
that tracking information is available for at least 24-hours after a
glider is reported missing. I also changed my own personal SPOT
shared page from 24 hours to 2 days ;-).

As someone else here pointed out, it is entirely possible to have more
than one shared page, and it would be easy enough to have a 2-day page
linked to the SSA repository, and then create a 7-day page and email
this URL to your significant other/trusted friend. On the 7-day page,
I think that position hits from Monday won't be cleared until midnight
the following Sunday.

Regards,

TA

[Eric Greenwell]

Frank wrote:
> On Oct 9, 12:07 am, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
>> Greg Arnold wrote:
>>> Eric Greenwell wrote:
>>>> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
>>>> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
>>>> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
>>>> point.
>>> True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
>>> in the same area over several days. And I presume that anyone missing
>>> will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
>>> keeping a track over 24 hours old.
>> 24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
>> messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
>> least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
>> contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
>> coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.
>>
>> --
>> Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
>> * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Mark Hawkins pointed out that the '24 Hours' selection on the SPOT
> site may not mean exactly what it says. Apparently, the 24-hour
> selection causes position information to be completely cleared at
> midnight each day (I think midnight PST as that is where SPOT lives).

If that is true, it's a change in the way it operates. All this summer,
the 24 hour page would show all points less than 24 hours old.

I would *LOVE* to have the points cleared at Midnight! That would be
what I call a "Daily" option, and I've asked them for this option
several times over the last two years.

I didn't know they had a two day option. That's new since the last time
I looked.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

[Ramy]

Thanks for providing this great service.
May I suggest including instructions how to actually add the spot
link? It is currently far from intuitive. First one must sign on, but
even after signing on, there is no profile link anywhere on the home
page. You need to click on "My Homepage" first and then look for the
Profile link. I suggest adding an "update profile" link the the SSA
homepage, above the "My Homepage" link.

Ramy



On Oct 9, 6:49*pm, Frank > wrote:
> On Oct 9, 12:07*am, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Greg Arnold wrote:
> > > Eric Greenwell wrote:
>
> > >> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
> > >> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
> > >> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
> > >> point.
>
> > > True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
> > > in the same area over several days. *And I presume that anyone missing
> > > will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
> > > keeping a track over 24 hours old.
>
> > 24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
> > messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
> > least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
> > contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
> > coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.
>
> > --
> > Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> > * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Mark Hawkins pointed out that the '24 Hours' selection on the SPOT
> site may not mean exactly what it says. *Apparently, the 24-hour
> selection causes position information to be completely cleared at
> midnight each day (I think midnight PST as that is where SPOT lives).
> This could easily lead to loss of tracking information before SAR
> responders get into the act, so I no longer recommend this. *I have
> changed my 'HowTo' to recommend a 2-day setting, which should mean
> that tracking information is available for at least 24-hours after a
> glider is reported missing. *I also changed my own personal SPOT
> shared page from 24 hours to 2 days ;-).
>
> As someone else here pointed out, it is entirely possible to have more
> than one shared page, and it would be easy enough to have a 2-day page
> linked to the SSA repository, and then create a 7-day page and email
> this URL to your significant other/trusted friend. *On the 7-day page,
> I think that position hits from Monday won't be cleared until midnight
> the following Sunday.
>
> Regards,
>
> TA- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Frank[_12_]]

On Oct 10, 12:39*am, Ramy > wrote:
> Thanks for providing this great service.
> May I suggest including instructions how to actually add the spot
> link? It is currently far from intuitive. First one must sign on, but
> even after signing on, there is no profile link anywhere on the home
> page. You need to click on "My Homepage" first and then look for the
> Profile link. I suggest adding an "update profile" link the the SSA
> homepage, above the "My Homepage" link.
>
> Ramy
>
> On Oct 9, 6:49*pm, Frank > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Oct 9, 12:07*am, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
>
> > > Greg Arnold wrote:
> > > > Eric Greenwell wrote:
>
> > > >> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
> > > >> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
> > > >> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
> > > >> point.
>
> > > > True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
> > > > in the same area over several days. *And I presume that anyone missing
> > > > will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
> > > > keeping a track over 24 hours old.
>
> > > 24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
> > > messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
> > > least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
> > > contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
> > > coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.
>
> > > --
> > > Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> > > * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> > Mark Hawkins pointed out that the '24 Hours' selection on the SPOT
> > site may not mean exactly what it says. *Apparently, the 24-hour
> > selection causes position information to be completely cleared at
> > midnight each day (I think midnight PST as that is where SPOT lives).
> > This could easily lead to loss of tracking information before SAR
> > responders get into the act, so I no longer recommend this. *I have
> > changed my 'HowTo' to recommend a 2-day setting, which should mean
> > that tracking information is available for at least 24-hours after a
> > glider is reported missing. *I also changed my own personal SPOT
> > shared page from 24 hours to 2 days ;-).
>
> > As someone else here pointed out, it is entirely possible to have more
> > than one shared page, and it would be easy enough to have a 2-day page
> > linked to the SSA repository, and then create a 7-day page and email
> > this URL to your significant other/trusted friend. *On the 7-day page,
> > I think that position hits from Monday won't be cleared until midnight
> > the following Sunday.
>
> > Regards,
>
> > TA- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -

There is a fairly complete 'How to Create a SPOT Shared page' document
on the right-hand side of the Sailplane Tracker page. See
http://ssa.org/myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834&show=blog&id=2005

Regards,

Frank

[Ramy]

On Oct 10, 6:41*pm, Frank > wrote:
> On Oct 10, 12:39*am, Ramy > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks for providing this great service.
> > May I suggest including instructions how to actually add the spot
> > link? It is currently far from intuitive. First one must sign on, but
> > even after signing on, there is no profile link anywhere on the home
> > page. You need to click on "My Homepage" first and then look for the
> > Profile link. I suggest adding an "update profile" link the the SSA
> > homepage, above the "My Homepage" link.
>
> > Ramy
>
> > On Oct 9, 6:49*pm, Frank > wrote:
>
> > > On Oct 9, 12:07*am, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
>
> > > > Greg Arnold wrote:
> > > > > Eric Greenwell wrote:
>
> > > > >> Something the page should suggest is using the _weekly_ shared page
> > > > >> instead of the _24 hour_ shared page; otherwise, the track will
> > > > >> disappear completely from public viewing 24 hours after the last track
> > > > >> point.
>
> > > > > True, but it is very hard to make much sense of several flights plotted
> > > > > in the same area over several days. *And I presume that anyone missing
> > > > > will be reported within 24 hours so there is no safety reason for
> > > > > keeping a track over 24 hours old.
>
> > > > 24 hours is probably fine, especially someone makes a copy of the
> > > > messages and coordinates before it disappears. That's easy to do, at
> > > > least in IE 7. Presumably, someone with access to the account could be
> > > > contacted to give out a weekly shared URL, or a copy of the messages and
> > > > coordinates, if the information isn't copied before it's too late.
>
> > > > --
> > > > Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> > > > * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> > > Mark Hawkins pointed out that the '24 Hours' selection on the SPOT
> > > site may not mean exactly what it says. *Apparently, the 24-hour
> > > selection causes position information to be completely cleared at
> > > midnight each day (I think midnight PST as that is where SPOT lives).
> > > This could easily lead to loss of tracking information before SAR
> > > responders get into the act, so I no longer recommend this. *I have
> > > changed my 'HowTo' to recommend a 2-day setting, which should mean
> > > that tracking information is available for at least 24-hours after a
> > > glider is reported missing. *I also changed my own personal SPOT
> > > shared page from 24 hours to 2 days ;-).
>
> > > As someone else here pointed out, it is entirely possible to have more
> > > than one shared page, and it would be easy enough to have a 2-day page
> > > linked to the SSA repository, and then create a 7-day page and email
> > > this URL to your significant other/trusted friend. *On the 7-day page,
> > > I think that position hits from Monday won't be cleared until midnight
> > > the following Sunday.
>
> > > Regards,
>
> > > TA- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> There is a fairly complete 'How to Create a SPOT Shared page' document
> on the right-hand side of the Sailplane Tracker page. *Seehttp://ssa.org/myhome.asp?mbr=6867486834&show=blog&id=2005
>
> Regards,
>
> Frank- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I wasn't referring to creating the spot shared page. please re-read my
comment. I was referring to adding the link to "my profile". It
requires at least 4 steps and some pilots gave up after trying to
figure out how to get to their profile, which is hidden under "my
homepage"...

Ramy