[pct-l] Anyone have experience with SPOT-2 satellite messengers? Any alternative options?

[Keith Kurko]

Hey River,

I have used my SPOT 2 Satellite Messenger for about 20 overnights in
Washington State over the past couple years, and it has performed flawlessly
for me.  But I am maniacal about always finding an opening in the trees when
I send my nightly "I'M OK" signal.

Cheers!
K2 in Seattle


Message: 22
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:53:17 -0800
From: Dan Jacobs <youroldpaldan at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Anyone have experience with SPOT-2 satellite
	messengers? Any alternative options?
To: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID:
	<CA+-77MWzPZj+6GpMu336gt6f422mKBvzdvRLZah8K+Kj=HeMDg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 12:50 PM, Dan Engleman <danengleman at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> I own a Spot 1 and a Spot 2.   I used Spot II on a thru hike, in 2011.  If
I do another thru hike, I will probably take the older version of Spot with
me. Reason being, you don't have to have a phone with you to make it work;
if something happens to your smartphone (which happened to me in the
Sierras) your Spot 2 is worthless.
>
> Dan

I believe you are speaking of the SOPT Connect, which can link to a
smartphone to send short messages. The SPOT 2 does not need any other
device to use all of its features. The 1 and 2 designations when
referring to the SPOT units is a version number: 1 is the older
version, larger, heavier, uses AA batteries; 2 is the newer version,
uses AAA batteries, is smaller, lighter, has a slightly better
transmitter, and the ability to send a "custom" message that the user
sets up ahead of time on the SPOT website to send a message like an OK
message.

With any SPOT device, if there is a recommendation in the owners
manual to use lithium batteries, do just that. Another email list I
belong to had a report of alkaline batteries ruining two SPOT units.
SPOT tech support said that using any other batteries besides lithium
can cause permanent damage that won't be covered under warranty.

Dan Jacobs
Washougal