SPOT GPS

On Feb 1, 12:15 am, Darryl Ramm wrote:
What and have any random joe delete emails or find out where people
are?

Instead of an open email account where someone's data could be deleted
we could have it set up as a yahoo group [or other bulletin board].
The trusted owner would be the only one able to delete messages, but
everyone could view the data from all participating pilots. That way
if someone went missing anyone could log on and see their location,
for retrieve or rescue.

Chris

SPOT enthusiasts:
I have made a few flights with SPOT in Australia, and it works there
too. Just using the OK feature so far.
Tom (5Z) set up a database for me, so the messages read distance to
home base of Lake Keepit and the nearest point in the database. That
worked very well. The Google maps link was accurate.
There seemed to be no interference with the radio, GPS or FLARM.
Unfortunately, getting information on e-mail addresses of cell
phones in Australia proved difficult. In the USA I send messages to a
couple of Verizon phones ). Telstra weren't at all
helpful.
Have not yet subscribed to the "Spotcasting" service, waiting for
them to get their act together on that.
Until Spotcasting is able to be monitored as suggested in this
thread, I'd suggest clubs and FBOs set up a retrieve e-mail address
and monitoring it, for example or
something similar, which can be on the recipient list of OK and HELP
messages..
Jim

On Feb 3, 12:07 pm, JS wrote:
SPOT enthusiasts:
I have made a few flights with SPOT in Australia, and it works there
too. Just using the OK feature so far.
Tom (5Z) set up a database for me, so the messages read distance to
home base of Lake Keepit and the nearest point in the database. That
worked very well. The Google maps link was accurate.
There seemed to be no interference with the radio, GPS or FLARM.
Unfortunately, getting information on e-mail addresses of cell
phones in Australia proved difficult. In the USA I send messages to a
couple of Verizon phones ). Telstra weren't at all
helpful.
Have not yet subscribed to the "Spotcasting" service, waiting for
them to get their act together on that.
Until Spotcasting is able to be monitored as suggested in this
thread, I'd suggest clubs and FBOs set up a retrieve e-mail address
and monitoring it, for example or
something similar, which can be on the recipient list of OK and HELP
messages..
Jim

G'day Jim

I think SPOTcasting (automatic position reports) is still very
useful. Having to give open access to your account, having to have
one web login/session active for each flight, the manual selection of
messages and pressign a button to generate each map, the session
timeouts, etc. are all poor oversights and a pain but I'm still hoping
they are workable for this coming season. And I don't have a problem
giving select
FBOs my personal account info for now. We all need to keep bugging
SPOT on usability of SPOTcasting.

The saftey value of SPOT to me is largely about the automated position
reporting - esp. where you can't get a message off on the ground after
a crash. Even at 10 minutes the last known position/search area can be
pretty large. I'm not going to be sending manual messages anything
like every 10 minutes.


Darryl

Looked at my crew's received SPOT messages today. Distance to the
nearest town is now included. It wasn't when SPOT was first
introduced.
Also on the website is an improvement to the "911" function: The
ability to enter a couple of contact names and numbers. Didn't see
that when I first logged on.
Does anyone know the battery life of these things in and out of
"Spotcasting" mode?
Jim

On Feb 3, 8:11 pm, JS wrote:
Looked at my crew's received SPOT messages today. Distance to the
nearest town is now included. It wasn't when SPOT was first
introduced.
Also on the website is an improvement to the "911" function: The
ability to enter a couple of contact names and numbers. Didn't see
that when I first logged on.
Does anyone know the battery life of these things in and out of
"Spotcasting" mode?
Jim

Jim,

Seems many days, I'm still on my first set of Energizer lithium. I
want to put a fresh set in and deliberately run them down and see. But
it was clearly much less of an issue than I was worried about.

Darryl

My experience
Hi Folks
Before you purchase SPOT for you airplane please be aware of the following.
If your unit is defective even from the first day of purchase you will have
to send
it back to them, they will also charge you for the return shipping.
You may get a return authorization with in 72 hours you may
not see your SPOT for a couple of weeks.

Please spread this around before someone get in trouble because of the
false
security portrayed by SPOT.


The following is a report from COPA Canadian Owner & Pilot Association

Thank you for this report. This is the third one I have received that
SPOT does not work when received. Most people would expect
to return it to the point of purchase for replacement.
It seems strange that they are putting signs about
defective units in the package - you would think they would
test them before they are sent. It should not be a case of
being damaged in shipping - they are supposed to be
built for rugged conditions.

I have copied the manager at Globalstar so he is aware
of this problem, which appears to be more than a
minor one judging by the reports I have received.

Regarding SPOT being a replacement for an ELT,
please see my most recent update on our web site.
Transport Canada has done an about face on
the issue and it looks like we will all have to equip with an ELT.





"jeplane" wrote in message
...
Anyone using the spot satellite messenger while flying or else?
Pro? cons?
Thanks
www.findmespot.com

Richard Depinay
Phoenix, AZ

On Feb 3, 9:11*pm, JS wrote:.
* Does anyone know the battery life of these things in and out of
"Spotcasting" mode?
Jim

I went through a set of batteries to see how long spotcasting would
last and it was more than 2 weeks of nearly continuous operation. A
few times I forgot to restart, so there were a few 6 - 8 hour
downtimes as the car with SPOT on board sat in the garage or parking
lot at work after the 24 hour timer ran out. The power LED started
flashing red to indicate low batteries, but it continued to work for
over 3 days after this. Amazingly, I was getting spotcasts from
inside the garage.

So if used for soaring, I would turn it on and energize spotcasting
right after assembling the glider, then go fly. At the end of the
flight, turn it off. Since 2 weeks is 336 hours, a set of batteries
should last all season with even the heaviest use possible.

As for the later comment about this not being a replacement for ELT,
that is true. But it certainly does augment it, and IMHO, is not a
waste of money. I'm on business in New Jersey and managed to get a
couple of OK messages sent out from the airliner by holding it against
the window for about 5 minutes just to be sure the message got sent,
and also a couple position reports on either end of the Lincoln tunnel
in Manhattan. So perhaps there are some defective units out there,
but so far mine has worked like a champ.

Below is a track history of my drive in to Manhattan. This is a cut
'n paste from the website. I can also select one or more of these,
then display on a map. Notice that the 11:09 track was never
uploaded. I've noticed that it mostly sends a report every 10
minutes, but seems to drop one every few hours. Not sure if this
because of poor coverage at that time (maybe it took 10 minutes to
make a connection for upload?, so it was already time for the next
report?). Also note the nearest location as provided by google maps
is pretty sparse. At home, it typically gives a street name, but not
address or cross street. That is why I've set up an email filter for
the messages and you can see the two OK messages farther down. I have
Kelly Airpark as my "home" and one of the waypoint I set up is Newark
Airport, so my program displays distance to home and the nearest other
waypoint - just about the right amount of info to send in a TXT
message.

Date(GMT) ESN Message Type Latitude Longitude
Nearest Location
Select 02/05/2008 12:24:34 AM 0-7349736 OK 40.7487 -74.0072
Select 02/04/2008 11:29:27 PM 0-7349736 OK 40.7685 -74.0231
Select 02/04/2008 11:19:44 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.7712 -74.0297
Select 02/04/2008 10:59:44 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.7923 -74.2489 I-280,
West Orange, NJ, US
Select 02/04/2008 10:49:52 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.819 -74.329
Select 02/04/2008 10:41:18 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.8094 -74.3802


At 02/04/2008 23:29:27 UTC
Mon Feb 4 16:29:27 2008 MST
40:46.110N 74:1.386W
1594 sm @ 076 From Kelly
9.1 sm @ 055 From Newark Intl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...UTF8&z=12&om=1

At 02/05/2008 00:24:34 UTC
Mon Feb 4 17:24:34 2008 MST
40:44.922N 74:0.432W
1595 sm @ 076 From Kelly
9.2 sm @ 065 From Newark Intl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...UTF8&z=12&om=1

-Tom

Thanks
maybe all I need is a set of new batteries



"5Z" wrote in message
...
On Feb 3, 9:11 pm, JS wrote:.
Does anyone know the battery life of these things in and out of
"Spotcasting" mode?
Jim

I went through a set of batteries to see how long spotcasting would
last and it was more than 2 weeks of nearly continuous operation. A
few times I forgot to restart, so there were a few 6 - 8 hour
downtimes as the car with SPOT on board sat in the garage or parking
lot at work after the 24 hour timer ran out. The power LED started
flashing red to indicate low batteries, but it continued to work for
over 3 days after this. Amazingly, I was getting spotcasts from
inside the garage.

So if used for soaring, I would turn it on and energize spotcasting
right after assembling the glider, then go fly. At the end of the
flight, turn it off. Since 2 weeks is 336 hours, a set of batteries
should last all season with even the heaviest use possible.

As for the later comment about this not being a replacement for ELT,
that is true. But it certainly does augment it, and IMHO, is not a
waste of money. I'm on business in New Jersey and managed to get a
couple of OK messages sent out from the airliner by holding it against
the window for about 5 minutes just to be sure the message got sent,
and also a couple position reports on either end of the Lincoln tunnel
in Manhattan. So perhaps there are some defective units out there,
but so far mine has worked like a champ.

Below is a track history of my drive in to Manhattan. This is a cut
'n paste from the website. I can also select one or more of these,
then display on a map. Notice that the 11:09 track was never
uploaded. I've noticed that it mostly sends a report every 10
minutes, but seems to drop one every few hours. Not sure if this
because of poor coverage at that time (maybe it took 10 minutes to
make a connection for upload?, so it was already time for the next
report?). Also note the nearest location as provided by google maps
is pretty sparse. At home, it typically gives a street name, but not
address or cross street. That is why I've set up an email filter for
the messages and you can see the two OK messages farther down. I have
Kelly Airpark as my "home" and one of the waypoint I set up is Newark
Airport, so my program displays distance to home and the nearest other
waypoint - just about the right amount of info to send in a TXT
message.

Date(GMT) ESN Message Type Latitude Longitude
Nearest Location
Select 02/05/2008 12:24:34 AM 0-7349736 OK 40.7487 -74.0072
Select 02/04/2008 11:29:27 PM 0-7349736 OK 40.7685 -74.0231
Select 02/04/2008 11:19:44 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.7712 -74.0297
Select 02/04/2008 10:59:44 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.7923 -74.2489 I-280,
West Orange, NJ, US
Select 02/04/2008 10:49:52 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.819 -74.329
Select 02/04/2008 10:41:18 PM 0-7349736 Track 40.8094 -74.3802


At 02/04/2008 23:29:27 UTC
Mon Feb 4 16:29:27 2008 MST
40:46.110N 74:1.386W
1594 sm @ 076 From Kelly
9.1 sm @ 055 From Newark Intl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...UTF8&z=12&om=1

At 02/05/2008 00:24:34 UTC
Mon Feb 4 17:24:34 2008 MST
40:44.922N 74:0.432W
1595 sm @ 076 From Kelly
9.2 sm @ 065 From Newark Intl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...UTF8&z=12&om=1

-Tom