[pct-l] The SPOT Beacon..........

[Bill Burge]

I definitely agree with you in spirit.

But there are three buttons at a user's disposal:

911:  send a message that goes to the SPoT facility and is forwarded  
to the authorities (now that I think of it this does not go to any  
other mailing list, I don't recall having any way to say who else  
should get it)

OK:  send a message that goes to a list of people you choose and sends  
a predetermined message setup by the user, usually something like  
"We're here at this location (gps point) having a great time"

Help:  send a message that goes to a list of people you choose and  
sends a predetermined message setup by the user, I usually use  
something like "We're here and need some help.  Because you are  
getting this means that our lives are not currently in danger, or we'd  
hit the 911 button"

In this case, posting the location of Help message might be a useful  
thing but...

(As AsABat pointed out and I hadn't thought of) Someone might just  
leave the canned message at the default, but have arranged with that  
one person they send it to have it mean "Dude, pick me up here - I'm  
tired of the trail..."; then publish all their SPoT messages to  
Postholer, etc.

In this case, a bunch of good intended people might start driving for  
there, intending to help, but ending up just being one of many people  
there when the guy gets there for his ride home.  DOH!  ;-)

Even if the Help message is valid and someone truly needs Help, they  
should hit the 911 button if it is truly an emergency and then we  
should stay out of the way of the professionals.  After the 911 and/or  
the Help button is pushed, then the people who receive the message  
(you, or my mom since I carry a SPoT) can ask for any help they want  
of whoever they want.

For Censored, whom I met at Hiker Heaven, I saw the messages and  
looked up the SPoT locations.  I read her journal to see if there was  
info there that might help.  I read other journals of that period  
looking for reports from people who were close to her in timeframe and  
maybe location to get any idea of what was going in the Sierras.  I  
Google map'ed and checked my topos for roads in the area.  Then I  
Googled for any mention of logging roads, jeep trails, etc in the area  
to see if there was any way to get my Jeep in there (couldn't find  
anything that looked to get someone closer than a solid half day hike  
to her SPoT location).  I live 3.5 hours away from Lone Pine.  Since I  
couldn't find a good way in and the pro's were already there, I never  
hit "Send" on the offer message.

If I can help, I will.  I know you will too.  It's wonderful...

BillB



On Jun 6, 2009, at 5:32 PM, Andrea Dinsmore wrote:

> As a trail angel and a Mom.......if my kid was out there.......privacy
> wouldn't even be an issue. If he needed help we wouldn't care who  
> knew. Just
> get him some help. From the authorities or another hiker or anyone  
> who could
> get to him. If I felt his life was on the line.....I would want  
> everyone to
> know. When a hiker (purposely) hits that 911 button....something is  
> wrong
> and they need help. Privacy goes out the window. Big brother isn't  
> going to
> be out there looking to save your life. Volunteers are doing the work
> because they want to help. If you can donate funds to their efforts  
> it would
> benefit everyone. They were there when you desperately needed them.
>
> I've been watching Jellybean's trip on SPOT. I love it. If my child,  
> the
> love of my life, was hiking I would demand he carry the SPOT.
> Not just for him but for my peace of mind too.
>
> Hugs,
>
> PCT MOM
> Andrea Dinsmore
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l