Spot Gen3?

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 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?

I have one, but I haven't had a chance to fly it in the wave yet.

I did try some tests. I carried it very gently over a set of points separated by about 10 feet, letting it sit for 10 minutes in between each point. All the points were logged. Conversely, I let it sit at one point for an hour, shaking it every 10 minutes or so. Only one point was logged.

I think there may be some logic involved working in conjunction with the vibration sensor that checks to see if it has been moved.

By the way, it doesn't ever turn off. It just suppresses tracking messages when it thinks it isn't moving.

2KA wrote, On 9/14/2013 8:56 PM:
I have one, but I haven't had a chance to fly it in the wave yet.

I did try some tests. I carried it very gently over a set of points
separated by about 10 feet, letting it sit for 10 minutes in between
each point. All the points were logged. Conversely, I let it sit at
one point for an hour, shaking it every 10 minutes or so. Only one
point was logged.

I think there may be some logic involved working in conjunction with
the vibration sensor that checks to see if it has been moved.

By the way, it doesn't ever turn off. It just suppresses tracking
messages when it thinks it isn't moving.

inReach has a similar feature, allowing you to specify a circle size
that you have to move beyond before it resumes messages at the tracking
rate. As long as it's inside the circle, it will send messages at
"stopped" rate you can select. I like that - I can turn it on when I
start to assemble, without using up data allotments.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

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