Spot Gen3?

On Thursday, May 9, 2013 7:54:05 PM UTC-4, glen wrote:

As I was watching the race today I came up with a great idea Lane, could you link up the live tracking with Condor so us at home could fly along with the pack!!

Condor could model the same terrain, but the Condor weather would not match the actual conditions. But you could set your Condor conditions extremely favorable so that you keep up with the pack. It would be nice to have a "super glider" in Condor that has a flat polar.

Bumper how much does the Inreach cost per year for all the services? (alt, speed, location)

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:38:42 AM UTC-7, Glidergeek wrote:
Bumper how much does the Inreach cost per year for all the services? (alt, speed, location)


It depends on which "plan" you opt for. Paul Remde has then listed on Cumulus Soaring.

The non-aviation plans typically include unlimited tracking, though only down to 10 minute intervals, and a set number of text messages a month - - there's even a season plan that it quite inexpensive.

The aviation plans offer a block of data to use each month and then charge for any extra used - though at IMO reasonable rates. They also allow tracking down to one a minute and allow you to change the tracking interval on-the-fly to conserve data usage if your activity doesn't require 1 minute intervals.

All the plans and tracking give the added info on tracking points, two way com, and better reliability than Spot.

Plan I'm using is $26 a month or there'bouts.

Glidergeek wrote:
Bumper how much does the Inreach cost per year for all the services? (alt, speed, location)

The cost is a function of the number of messages (including tracking
points) you want to send per month. All plans include Lon/Lat, altitude and
ground speed. The minimum plan is $12.95/mo. Tracking can be up to once per
minute, but you won't track for long without getting into overage charges.
For $35/mo you can cover a lot of flying at a high tracking rate. You can
also swap between plans for a small fee. Cumulus Soaring has a good
summary of the aviation plan options which are not well documented on the
Delorme site.

I don't think the Spot Gen 3 offers altitude reporting - which I can say
from personal experience makes trying to figure out whether a glider is
still flying or on the ground almost impossible. That's a pretty big deal
for people in the retreive office who are trying to understand whether to
get retrieves organized or not at the end of the day. More frequent and
more reliable tracking updates are helpful too.
--
9B

On Monday, August 19, 2013 6:34:12 PM UTC-4, Andy Blackburn wrote:
Glidergeek wrote:

Bumper how much does the Inreach cost per year for all the services? (alt, speed, location)



The cost is a function of the number of messages (including tracking

points) you want to send per month. All plans include Lon/Lat, altitude and

ground speed. The minimum plan is $12.95/mo. Tracking can be up to once per

minute, but you won't track for long without getting into overage charges.

For $35/mo you can cover a lot of flying at a high tracking rate. You can

also swap between plans for a small fee. Cumulus Soaring has a good

summary of the aviation plan options which are not well documented on the

Delorme site.



I don't think the Spot Gen 3 offers altitude reporting - which I can say

from personal experience makes trying to figure out whether a glider is

still flying or on the ground almost impossible. That's a pretty big deal

for people in the retreive office who are trying to understand whether to

get retrieves organized or not at the end of the day. More frequent and

more reliable tracking updates are helpful too.

--

9B

That's what the non-emergency HELP button is for ;-)

TA

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013 11:55:32 AM UTC-6, Tim Taylor wrote:
Tracking down to 2.5 minutes. Prices for the Gen3 and is there extra

cost for the better tracking? Couldn't find anything on the website.









From SPOT:



Having initiated over 2,300 rescues around the world, SPOT is

solidifying its place as a leader in satellite communication

technologies by introducing two new products that will continue to

keep outdoor enthusiasts connected while off the grid:

SPOT Global Phone and SPOT Gen3.



SPOT Global Phone, the first satellite phone to be sold at major

retailers nationwide, provides industry-leading, crystal-clear voice

quality and works where cell phones don't. SPOT Global Phone offers

two-way satellite voice communication so adventurers can stay

connected to friends, family and business contacts wherever their

adventures take them.







COMING SOON!

SPOT Gen3, smaller than previous SPOT messenger devices, offers a

variety of updated features and functions:

Unlimited Tracking - Pre-set your SPOT Gen3 to send tracks at the

speed of your adventures. Change your tracks to send every 5, 10, 30,

or 60 minutes. SPOT Gen3 will send tracks at your chosen rate for as

long as your device is turned on and moving. Tracking doesn't stop

until you do.

Extreme Tracking - Get all of the great features of Unlimited

Tracking, but with the added ability to vary your track rate down to

every 2½ minutes.



Perfect for pilots and ultra outdoor enthusiasts!

Longer Battery Life - approximately twice as long as SPOT 2 with

average use, new power options include 4 AAA Energizer® Ultimate

Lithium 8x batteries (L92), 4 AAA Energizer® NiMH rechargeable

batteries (NH12), or Line Power with a 5v USB connection.

i'd wait till you read some in-depth reviews.

i just bought one these before leaving on current trip. i must be the only that's bought one because i fail to find a single review. my first experience with spot. perhaps, i bought a dud/lemon. so far, it sucks big time. what a piece of junk. how could they permit release. i called tech support twice in the first 12 hours. they were courteous. the thing locks/freezes all the time. i have to take out batteries and then it refuses to turn on again and then i remove batteries and wait. when i finally get it to turn on, it freezes again. did they test this thing. again what piece of crap. i'm on my trip and it's become a paper weight. let's pray, i won't have to summon it. i shall return it and try anther one. again, perhaps i received dud. i eagerly await hearing from someone else who has used this. i want to know that i purchased a dud. thanks for listening.

cheers.
-wil

My Spot works well, I have no complaints. I'm on my second one, the first one was dropped into Lake Powell with the battery door open on a week long kayak trip.

If we really want to be safe, maybe we could have a turbine helicopter with a paramedic follow us around in case we crash and need help.

Jim D

The new Spot Gen 3 may be perfect for pilots but if you plan on using it outside near water or in wet environments not so good.

Why?

Because of the flimsy rubber cover over the external USB connector port on the back of the unit. If it comes off during use or even has a slight gap water can leak inside. That's a big risk. Imagine being out in the rain trying to hit the SOS button only to find out the unit is water logged and inoperable.

The Spot User Guide clearly states the unit is NOT waterproof when using line power through the USB port.

You decide....

On Friday, August 16, 2013 6:33:33 AM UTC-7, wrote:
The new Spot Gen 3 may be perfect for pilots but if you plan on using it outside near water or in wet environments not so good.


5 cent freezer bag for extra waterproofing.....problem solved!
Why?



Because of the flimsy rubber cover over the external USB connector port on the back of the unit. If it comes off during use or even has a slight gap water can leak inside. That's a big risk. Imagine being out in the rain trying to hit the SOS button only to find out the unit is water logged and inoperable.



The Spot User Guide clearly states the unit is NOT waterproof when using line power through the USB port.



You decide....

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013 1:55:32 PM UTC-4, Tim Taylor wrote:
Tracking down to 2.5 minutes. Prices for the Gen3 and is there extra

cost for the better tracking? Couldn't find anything on the website.









From SPOT:



Having initiated over 2,300 rescues around the world, SPOT is

solidifying its place as a leader in satellite communication

technologies by introducing two new products that will continue to

keep outdoor enthusiasts connected while off the grid:

SPOT Global Phone and SPOT Gen3.



SPOT Global Phone, the first satellite phone to be sold at major

retailers nationwide, provides industry-leading, crystal-clear voice

quality and works where cell phones don't. SPOT Global Phone offers

two-way satellite voice communication so adventurers can stay

connected to friends, family and business contacts wherever their

adventures take them.







COMING SOON!

SPOT Gen3, smaller than previous SPOT messenger devices, offers a

variety of updated features and functions:

Unlimited Tracking - Pre-set your SPOT Gen3 to send tracks at the

speed of your adventures. Change your tracks to send every 5, 10, 30,

or 60 minutes. SPOT Gen3 will send tracks at your chosen rate for as

long as your device is turned on and moving. Tracking doesn't stop

until you do.

Extreme Tracking - Get all of the great features of Unlimited

Tracking, but with the added ability to vary your track rate down to

every 2½ minutes.



Perfect for pilots and ultra outdoor enthusiasts!

Longer Battery Life - approximately twice as long as SPOT 2 with

average use, new power options include 4 AAA Energizer® Ultimate

Lithium 8x batteries (L92), 4 AAA Energizer® NiMH rechargeable

batteries (NH12), or Line Power with a 5v USB connection.

So, has anyone actually purchased and used a Spot GEN3 in a glider? I have read in the on-line manual that the thing turns itself off after 5 minutes if it is not jostled or senses vibration. I had a nice smooth wave flight this week that was so calm it wouldn't wake a sleeping baby...probably not a GEN3 either! Any PIREPS on the GEN3 in actual use?