SPOT price increase ......

Just received this email from SPOT

Hello Subscriber,
This email is to inform you of upcoming changes to your SPOT service plan(s):
We are continuously making network upgrades to ensure the best possible service for our SPOT customers. To help fund these efforts now and in the future, upon renewal a Network Maintenance Fee will be implemented on all SPOT subscriptions: Monthly $2.49/MO; Annual $24.99/YR; 2 Year $49.99/2YR.
If you have any questions please contact Customer Care at 855-769-6954.
Thank you for choosing SPOT.
SPOT LLC


So a $25 price increase!

I signed on to my account and here is what I have been paying

06/14/2010 PAYMENT $117.98
07/05/2011 PAYMENT $167.97 42.7% increase
07/08/2012 PAYMENT $167.97
07/06/2013 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2014 PAYMENT $167.97
07/02/2015 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2016 PAYMENT $177.97 6% increase
07/06/2017 PAYMENT $182.97 +$25 - 17% increase

Heading to the InREach page now

Or you can combine a PLB for emergency alert via satellites (about $250 to buy, about $100 for battery replacement every 5 years, no annual fee) and a smartphone-based tracking method (e.g., IGCdroid) for real-time tracking, automated emails, and backup logging ($10 to buy app, no annual fee).

Last year, Globalstar (parent of SPOT, possibly being purchased by Thermo) hinted at a "NextGen Spot". In April of this year (2018) a corporate release disclosed a "Two-Way SPOT".... "to be released 2018", so one might want to wait a bit to see what this product might offer. On the fence for a tracker or PLB?, review previous threads on RAS re SPOT 3 v InReach. Seems there are more complaints about "spotty" SPOT performance. Someone recently mentioned InReach Explorer was down to $200 at Cabellas + subscription. I own a SPOT.

Last year, Globalstar (parent of SPOT, possibly being purchased by Thermo) hinted at a "NextGen Spot". In April of this year (2018) a corporate release disclosed a "Two-Way SPOT".... "to be released 2018", so one might want to wait a bit to see what this product might offer. On the fence for a tracker or PLB?, review previous threads on RAS re SPOT 3 v InReach. Seems there are more complaints about "spotty" SPOT performance. Someone recently mentioned InReach Explorer was down to $200 at Cabellas + subscription. I own a SPOT.

https://www.globalstar.com/Globalsta...ials_FINAL.pdf

Last year, Globalstar (parent of SPOT, possibly being purchased by Thermo) hinted at a "NextGen Spot". In April of this year (2018) a corporate release disclosed a "Two-Way SPOT".... "to be released 2018", so one might want to wait a bit to see what this product might offer. On the fence for a tracker or PLB?, review previous threads on RAS re SPOT 3 v InReach. Seems there are more complaints about "spotty" SPOT performance. Someone recently mentioned InReach Explorer was down to $200 at Cabellas + subscription. I own a SPOT.

https://www.globalstar.com/Globalsta...ials_FINAL.pdf

I found it was really difficult to cancel my Spot service plan. There
was no way to do it on line a couple of years ago and it was a long
process to get someone on the phone to get it cancelled.Â* Maybe things
have improved since then.

On 5/1/2018 10:03 AM, Ron Gleason wrote:
Just received this email from SPOT

Hello Subscriber,
This email is to inform you of upcoming changes to your SPOT service plan(s):
We are continuously making network upgrades to ensure the best possible service for our SPOT customers. To help fund these efforts now and in the future, upon renewal a Network Maintenance Fee will be implemented on all SPOT subscriptions: Monthly $2.49/MO; Annual $24.99/YR; 2 Year $49.99/2YR.
If you have any questions please contact Customer Care at 855-769-6954.
Thank you for choosing SPOT.
SPOT LLC


So a $25 price increase!

I signed on to my account and here is what I have been paying

06/14/2010 PAYMENT $117.98
07/05/2011 PAYMENT $167.97 42.7% increase
07/08/2012 PAYMENT $167.97
07/06/2013 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2014 PAYMENT $167.97
07/02/2015 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2016 PAYMENT $177.97 6% increase
07/06/2017 PAYMENT $182.97 +$25 - 17% increase

Heading to the InREach page now

--
Dan, 5J

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 9:18:53 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Or you can combine a PLB for emergency alert via satellites (about $250 to buy, about $100 for battery replacement every 5 years, no annual fee) and a smartphone-based tracking method (e.g., IGCdroid) for real-time tracking, automated emails, and backup logging ($10 to buy app, no annual fee).

Moshe, neither of the devices you listed is a replacement for an automatic satellite based system unless you fly locally and within cell (or gotenna)range, in case of emergency, or even a landout, from the following reasons:
1 - PLB need to be activated, which means it is useless if you are incapacitated. And in case of a landout, you wouldn't want to use your PLB unless it is an emergency.
2 - Cell phone/radio based devices may not have coverage in many areas, especially out west where we fly in the middle of nowhere.

I am paying $25 per month for inReach simply since this is the best method to ensure I can be found, and I can use it to communicate via text with any cell phone from anywhere. Already saved me in couple of landouts.

Ramy

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 9:03:28 AM UTC-7, Ron Gleason wrote:
Just received this email from SPOT

Hello Subscriber,
This email is to inform you of upcoming changes to your SPOT service plan(s):
We are continuously making network upgrades to ensure the best possible service for our SPOT customers. To help fund these efforts now and in the future, upon renewal a Network Maintenance Fee will be implemented on all SPOT subscriptions: Monthly $2.49/MO; Annual $24.99/YR; 2 Year $49.99/2YR.
If you have any questions please contact Customer Care at 855-769-6954.
Thank you for choosing SPOT.
SPOT LLC


So a $25 price increase!

I signed on to my account and here is what I have been paying

06/14/2010 PAYMENT $117.98
07/05/2011 PAYMENT $167.97 42.7% increase
07/08/2012 PAYMENT $167.97
07/06/2013 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2014 PAYMENT $167.97
07/02/2015 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2016 PAYMENT $177.97 6% increase
07/06/2017 PAYMENT $182.97 +$25 - 17% increase

Heading to the InREach page now

I just called them and it is worse than that: now it costs $200 plus the $25 network fee for a grand total of $225, which is double what I paid three years ago on a 2 year plan (unavailable now). This is totally unacceptable and I told them so (not that they give a damn). I am switching back to Inreach.

Tom

2 step process. They say they will cancel you over the phone, when your renewal is due spot will charge you anyway. Then you call again and get the charge reversed and cancel.
On Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 12:52:14 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
I found it was really difficult to cancel my Spot service plan. There
was no way to do it on line a couple of years ago and it was a long
process to get someone on the phone to get it cancelled.Â* Maybe things
have improved since then.

On 5/1/2018 10:03 AM, Ron Gleason wrote:
Just received this email from SPOT

Hello Subscriber,
This email is to inform you of upcoming changes to your SPOT service plan(s):
We are continuously making network upgrades to ensure the best possible service for our SPOT customers. To help fund these efforts now and in the future, upon renewal a Network Maintenance Fee will be implemented on all SPOT subscriptions: Monthly $2.49/MO; Annual $24.99/YR; 2 Year $49.99/2YR.
If you have any questions please contact Customer Care at 855-769-6954.
Thank you for choosing SPOT.
SPOT LLC


So a $25 price increase!

I signed on to my account and here is what I have been paying

06/14/2010 PAYMENT $117.98
07/05/2011 PAYMENT $167.97 42.7% increase
07/08/2012 PAYMENT $167.97
07/06/2013 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2014 PAYMENT $167.97
07/02/2015 PAYMENT $167.97
07/07/2016 PAYMENT $177.97 6% increase
07/06/2017 PAYMENT $182.97 +$25 - 17% increase

Heading to the InREach page now

--
Dan, 5J

You can get a (very limited) non-emergency messaging option for a PLB, not free, but a lot cheaper than SPOT: http://406link.com/ - these "messages" are content-free, but by pre-agreement with your buddies they could mean "I'm OK but need a retrieve". (I've suggested to them to add some bits to the message data packet to allow selecting between several different preset messages, but they've apparently ignored me.)