Soaring with SPOT

On Jan 3, 4:13 am, "
wrote:
One thing that amused me from a few days ago and is shown on the maps
on my blog, is after a very short flight when I'd turned the SPOT
messenger on just to see if it worked but forgot to turn it off again
and drove home with it on the passenger seat of my SUV. It seemed to
work fairly well just sitting on the seat receiving GPS signals and
transmitting back via the Globalstar satellites, presumably through
the closed sunroof. No deep meaning there, just a throw away
observation that I would not have expected it to do as well as it did.

What's more interesting is that I've been playing with mine sitting on
the dash of the car. Last night, I forgot to bring it inside after
parking in the garage. This morning, I noticed the LEDs were still
blinking in unison (this means it's still got a good GPS / Globalstar
fix). And sure enough, after getting in to work, I logged in and
found it had been making the track fix uploads.

I'm leaving the SPOT on in track mode 24/7 to see how long the
batteries last. Normally, I bring it inside at night and place it
next to a window.

-Tom

Update:
I have performed a test using Tom's filter, by forwarding my first
test's e-mail. EXCELLENT!
He will be adding the custom message stuff shortly. Thanks, 5Z.
Next tests will be from 7000 miles closer to the database navpoints.
So far I have not subscribed to spotcasting, their every-10-minute
track log. Sending OK messages from the cockpit is easier without
having to restart the device.
Jim

Subject: SPOT OK: JS
Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:23:45 -0600
At 12/28/2007 18:56:07 UTC
35:9.090N 118:30.642W
7356 sm @ 059 From Lake Keepit
7135 sm @ 057 From Kingaroy

5Z wrote:
To improve on this, I created an email filter to process the above
message so it now looks like this as an email or TXT message:

from SPOT Check
to ,
,
date Dec 30, 2007 1:32 PM
subject SPOT OK: 5Z

At 12/30/2007 20:32:40 UTC
39:4.326N 104:45.696W
12 sm @ 211 From Kelly
4 sm @ 172 From Green Roof Strip

from SPOT Check
to ,
,
date Dec 30, 2007 1:32 PM
subject SPOT OK: 5Z
At 12/30/2007 20:32:40 UTC
39:4.326N 104:45.696W
12 sm @ 211 From Kelly
4 sm @ 172 From Green Roof Strip


Can you have it make a chart of time zone appropriate times?
for example

20:32:40 UTC 12/30/2007

Winter= Standard Time / Summer = Daylight Savings Time
3:32:40 PM EST / 4:32:40 PM EDT
2:32:40 PM CST / 3:32:40 PM CDT
1:32:40 PM MST / 2:32:40 PM MDT
12:32:40 PM PST / 1:32:40 PM PDT

You could list all the above or use the appropriate Daylight time
based on the calendar, and the timezone based on the closest turn
point and just list that time in addition to UTC.


Also you might think about making the text message have all the geek
friendly details such as exact Lat/Lon, and miles with a 1 or 2
decimal places and the degree symbol behind the vector °.

I would also encourage you to Dumb-it-down/simplify some of it - as
many retrieve crew are not pilots and don't know how to operate GPS or
map programs well.
A simpler format beginning line saying for example
x miles NorthWest of x turn point [or near cities from a bigger
database.]

Having both formats would be great and the quickest way for our
retrieve crew or rescue to get us.

Chris

A friend of mine is using the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
utilizing the HAM radio system while driving across the US. The
initial costs are a little higher, but it might be a good alternative
to the SPOT system as well in an area with enough HAM repeaters.

Watch Duane drive across the US:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=ke7qer

On Jan 9, 3:38*pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
A friend of mine is using the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
utilizing the HAM radio system while driving across the US. * The
initial costs are a little higher, but it might be a good alternative
to the SPOT system as well in an area with enough HAM repeaters.

Watch Duane drive across the US:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=ke7qer

Yeah, ham coverage wouldn't be sufficient in the western US especially
the great basin, but it would be great if we could have the same web
interface for SPOT...

Ramy