[pct-l] About my first generation SPOT

[Dan Jacobs]

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 10:09 AM, Ned Tibbits <ned at mountaineducation.org> wrote:
> Hey, Ed!
>
> Good to hear from you and your success with a first-gen SPOT.
>
> The system certainly sounds good and fool-proof, yet we still hear of real failure-to-transmit stories from the trail. Perhaps these were due to improper placement of the device beneath “open sky.”
>
>
> Ned Tibbits, Director
> Mountain Education
> www.mountaineducation.org

Another group I participate with, long distance endurance motorcycle
riders, have had a few problems with the SPOT units getting messages
through, both routine or emergency messages. I know a few people that
have never had any trouble with the SPOT service, and I know a few
people that have said it failed when they wanted to use it or needed
it most. Of course not everyone uses a SPOT device in perfect
adherence to the instructions, and in an emergency may be less likely
to do so. The recent rash of problems I have been hearing about are
the unit simply failing to operate, even with fresh batteries and open
sky, just blinking lights or no lights at all, but no messages going
out. One person traced his problems down to using alkaline instead of
lithium batteries against the instructions in the owners manual. The
others either were replaced by SPOT or negotiations are in progress,
last I heard.

Depend on one of these things at your own peril. They are
conveniences, not life saving devices. Cell phones, PLBs, and SPOTS
are technical conveniences designed to try to do the things they were
designed to do. AEDs, life saving skills, helicopters, etc. can be
life saving devices, and they can fail at any time, too. Get some
skills to survive, stay away from danger or minimize it, kiss your
loved ones, and go do what you gotta do.

Don't get me wrong. I would like to use a SPOT device when I do any
serious hiking. I think the ability to try to send OK/Look Where I Am!
and HELP messages from somewhere that doesn't have any other
communication options is a wonderful thing. I just won't bet my life
on one. My advice, worth less than anyone will ever pay for it, is
that you shouldn't, either. These things fail. Be prepared.

I'm a licensed amateur radio operator and volunteer in my local
Amateur Radio Emergency Service organization. I know how important
good communications can be, and how easily good comms can turn into
poor comms, and then be brought down to no comms, and the feeling it
produces. It sucks.

Dan Jacobs
Washougal
-- 
"Loud motorcycle stereos save lives"
Motorcycle to hike, hike to motorcycle