Tracker

One of the more interesting uses of the new ssa sailplane tracker is getting to follow some of our fellow pilot's adventures when they drive around and forget to turn the spot off.

Someone went from Mifflin to get a glider out of Baltimore today, and some how got in and out of the port in about 10 minutes. (It took two days the last time someone from our club tried)

http://ssa.org/sailplanetracker/default.asp?

I don't forget - I leave it on when I drive back home as I am in many areas without cellphone coverage and my wife can see how I'm doing.

Mike

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 2:35:58 PM UTC-4, wrote:
One of the more interesting uses of the new ssa sailplane tracker is getting to follow some of our fellow pilot's adventures when they drive around and forget to turn the spot off. Someone went from Mifflin to get a glider out of Baltimore today, and some how got in and out of the port in about 10 minutes. (It took two days the last time someone from our club tried) http://ssa.org/sailplanetracker/default.asp?

Wait till the bosses learn about this.
Hookie? Me?
LOL

Does the Spot talk directly to a satellite or can it connect to the cell
system when your phone can't?


wrote in message
...
On Thursday, June 13, 2013 2:35:58 PM UTC-4, wrote:
One of the more interesting uses of the new ssa sailplane tracker is
getting to follow some of our fellow pilot's adventures when they drive
around and forget to turn the spot off. Someone went from Mifflin to get a
glider out of Baltimore today, and some how got in and out of the port in
about 10 minutes. (It took two days the last time someone from our club
tried) http://ssa.org/sailplanetracker/default.asp?

Wait till the bosses learn about this.
Hookie? Me?
LOL

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 4:09:08 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Does the Spot talk directly to a satellite or can it connect to the cell

system when your phone can't?





wrote in message

...

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 2:35:58 PM UTC-4, wrote:

One of the more interesting uses of the new ssa sailplane tracker is

getting to follow some of our fellow pilot's adventures when they drive

around and forget to turn the spot off. Someone went from Mifflin to get a

glider out of Baltimore today, and some how got in and out of the port in

about 10 minutes. (It took two days the last time someone from our club

tried) http://ssa.org/sailplanetracker/default.asp?



Wait till the bosses learn about this.

Hookie? Me?

LOL

Dan, Spot is a sattelite messenger device, it only connects through satellites.
I urge you to get one, even before powerflarm...
As for leaving the spot on, I know of at least one pilot who leaves his spot on when driving home so his wife can time the dinner with his arrival, although, with the typical 10-30 min delay I doubt this is working well for him :-)

Speaking of tracking, at least on the ground, iphone users can use the free "Find Friends" app which shows real time location as long as there is cell service. According to my wife it is also working in the air reasonably well, I guess when I am low enough. Works perfect for ground retrieve, as both the crew and pilot can tell where each other is.

Ramy

I am glad the SSA membership, friends, family and crew are enjoying the new SSA Tracker and Contest Tracker. I urge everyone to register your SPOT or InReach with the SSA through your profile page. Please consider making the track "public" so it can be viewed on the tracker.

If you compete, make sure your SSA online contest form answers in the affirmative when it asks if you have a tracking device (if your device shows up in the general map but not the contest map this may be the problem). Another gotcha is if your contest ID on file with the SSA is not the actual contest ID that is entered in WinScore at the contest. These are some gotchas that will be addressed during the winter months. Also notice that we are now archiving weather data every thirty minutes so you can replay the weather on the day of your flight. All flights are archived so scroll back to special days and continue to relive the excitement! Many thanks to Pedja Bogdanovich, Doug Eason, Guy Buyers and everyone else that worked tirelessly the last two years to make this app available. Stand by for more!

Lane Bush
XF

Another gotcha is if your contest ID on file with the SSA is not the actual contest ID that is entered in WinScore at the contest. These are some gotchas that will be addressed during the winter months.

Thanks. Is there anything us "gotten" can do about it? The SSA website resolutely insists I'm 2BB, not BB. I try to change it with every contest entry, and the website always changes it back.

John Cochrane
2BB or not 2BB, that is the question

I find the tracking interesting, but I'm afraid it's out of my budget.

Instead, I have a 406 MHz beacon attached to my parachute harness. It has a
highly accurate GPS which feeds position to the SARSATs and a built-in
strobe. I figure I can deploy it in an emergency. If I'm unable to press
the button, then it doesn't much matter, anyway.

Dan


"Ramy" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, June 13, 2013 4:09:08 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Does the Spot talk directly to a satellite or can it connect to the cell

system when your phone can't?





wrote in message

...

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 2:35:58 PM UTC-4, wrote:

One of the more interesting uses of the new ssa sailplane tracker is

getting to follow some of our fellow pilot's adventures when they drive

around and forget to turn the spot off. Someone went from Mifflin to get
a

glider out of Baltimore today, and some how got in and out of the port
in

about 10 minutes. (It took two days the last time someone from our club

tried) http://ssa.org/sailplanetracker/default.asp?



Wait till the bosses learn about this.

Hookie? Me?

LOL

Dan, Spot is a sattelite messenger device, it only connects through
satellites.
I urge you to get one, even before powerflarm...
As for leaving the spot on, I know of at least one pilot who leaves his spot
on when driving home so his wife can time the dinner with his arrival,
although, with the typical 10-30 min delay I doubt this is working well for
him :-)

Speaking of tracking, at least on the ground, iphone users can use the free
"Find Friends" app which shows real time location as long as there is cell
service. According to my wife it is also working in the air reasonably well,
I guess when I am low enough. Works perfect for ground retrieve, as both the
crew and pilot can tell where each other is.

Ramy

DeLorme InReach has been outstanding in every way this spring for me and makes my old
Spot service look like utter crap in comparison.

SPOT: 10 minute updates, no altitude, no speed, no heading and highly unreliable.

DELORME: 1 minute updates, altitude, speed, heading and highly reliable.

Don't be cheap! Go out an purchase DeLorme instead of Spot junk (and Flarm while your at it)... we would all have great tracking systems that would look like real time tracking in soaring Grand Prix. Families would love it, people might actually watch it for fun.

Check out these tracks: (sort by last track) https://share.delorme.com/SeanFidler

:-)

Dan, if you can't press the button of your PLB it still matters a lot to your family and friends who may spend days/months looking for you and possibly risking their lives doing so, not to mention the cost of the search. It will also delay insurance payments...
The spot unit itself is almost free as they often give rebates, or you can find used ones on eBay for $50. The monthly subscription is a $13 a month. Is this really beyond your budget?
I know of at least one gliding operation who where involved in two multi days searches which will no longer tow you if you don't have a tracking device.

Ramy