Comments on: OR Show – Day One Highlights http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/ Backcountry Skiing Weblog Blog, FAQs, more, links and info about randonnee, telemark and backcountry ski mountaineering. Mon, 20 May 2013 02:47:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jonathan Shefftz http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/#comment-16771 Jonathan Shefftz Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:12:20 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1954#comment-16771 Big difference in reliability for Tracking vs Okay vs “911" - Tracking is far by the worst given the limited time available to send the message, the likelihood that you’re moving, and that the position of the unit being something other than perfectly horizontal. (The belt clip is certainly a misleading accessory!) Even putting Spot in a stationary horizontal position for ~30 minutes is not a perfect proxy for “911" reliability, since if Spot can’t get a GPS fix during the Okay function, then no message will be sent. By contrast, for a “911" message, the unit will upload to the sat data network (for which its antenna is more optimally designed) even if it doesn’t have a GPS position. Now that does mean that GEOS will have a Send-in-the-Cavalry alert w/o knowing where to send those horses, but if you left your planned itinerary with your emergency contacts, then that’s still a big advantage. (In my unit’s profile, for the 911 section I also include the email account and password for where I send my itinerary for solo trips.) Big difference in reliability for Tracking vs Okay vs “911″ – Tracking is far by the worst given the limited time available to send the message, the likelihood that you’re moving, and that the position of the unit being something other than perfectly horizontal. (The belt clip is certainly a misleading accessory!)
Even putting Spot in a stationary horizontal position for ~30 minutes is not a perfect proxy for “911″ reliability, since if Spot can’t get a GPS fix during the Okay function, then no message will be sent. By contrast, for a “911″ message, the unit will upload to the sat data network (for which its antenna is more optimally designed) even if it doesn’t have a GPS position. Now that does mean that GEOS will have a Send-in-the-Cavalry alert w/o knowing where to send those horses, but if you left your planned itinerary with your emergency contacts, then that’s still a big advantage. (In my unit’s profile, for the 911 section I also include the email account and password for where I send my itinerary for solo trips.)

]]> By: Lou http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/#comment-16769 Lou Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:56:11 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1954#comment-16769 Good feedback John, thanks! Good feedback John, thanks!

]]> By: John Lohr http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/#comment-16767 John Lohr Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:51:55 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1954#comment-16767 I've been using Spot for almost a year now, backcountry skiing, kayaking and flying. These are mostly clear view of the sky applications. For a little plane trip from San Diego to Mammoth Lakes and back in late July 2009, here are the stats, which have been completely typical for the many tracks I've made. Up the Owens Valley, across the Sierras at Mammoth and back down the central Valley Spot was running the tracking function, which should send GPS position every 10 minutes. The unit failed to send position on 17 of 47 scheduled times. The gaps were sometimes in groups, suggesting the conclusion that it could be satellite coverage that's to blame. The longest gap was an hour when Spot missed 6 consecutive position reports south of Fresno, which is completely flat, awful, country. Otherwise the gaps were distributed singly throughout the time period or in groups of 2 or 3. There was never a time when there was not a totally clear view of the sky. I had similarly erratic performance two months ago in Italy at sea, also with no obstructions. It works OK, but not as advertised. Depends on how fast you're bleeding out whether you want one or not. The web site also could use some redesign and there have been bugs in the web software, which caused the notification link allowing friends to follow the track without logging in to the web site to be unexpectedly changed under some conditions. Spot said this was a known problem which would be fixed and may already have been. Customer support for me has been pretty good, although with a better web site you wouldn't need it as much. John Lohr Encinitas CA I’ve been using Spot for almost a year now, backcountry skiing, kayaking and flying. These are mostly clear view of the sky applications. For a little plane trip from San Diego to Mammoth Lakes and back in late July 2009, here are the stats, which have been completely typical for the many tracks I’ve made.

Up the Owens Valley, across the Sierras at Mammoth and back down the central Valley Spot was running the tracking function, which should send GPS position every 10 minutes. The unit failed to send position on 17 of 47 scheduled times. The gaps were sometimes in groups, suggesting the conclusion that it could be satellite coverage that’s to blame. The longest gap was an hour when Spot missed 6 consecutive position reports south of Fresno, which is completely flat, awful, country. Otherwise the gaps were distributed singly throughout the time period or in groups of 2 or 3. There was never a time when there was not a totally clear view of the sky. I had similarly erratic performance two months ago in Italy at sea, also with no obstructions.

It works OK, but not as advertised. Depends on how fast you’re bleeding out whether you want one or not. The web site also could use some redesign and there have been bugs in the web software, which caused the notification link allowing friends to follow the track without logging in to the web site to be unexpectedly changed under some conditions. Spot said this was a known problem which would be fixed and may already have been. Customer support for me has been pretty good, although with a better web site you wouldn’t need it as much.

John Lohr
Encinitas CA

]]> By: thelawgoddess http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/#comment-16753 thelawgoddess Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:06:58 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1954#comment-16753 I hope they're talking a true 22 mondo shell for the ladies for once!!! I hope they’re talking a true 22 mondo shell for the ladies for once!!!

]]> By: Lou http://www.wildsnow.com/1954/or-show-09-highlights/#comment-16735 Lou Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:07:56 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1954#comment-16735 I really thought the new Spot was going to have a small LCD that could show some info, such as basic GPS coords, sat-lock state, etc.... probably would add quite a bit of cost, but would be very cool. Main thing, the GPS folks seem to be seduced by things like adding cameras and touch screens, rather than really useful things like satphone link such as that used by Spot, or in the case of the Magellan that crashed on me, simple reliability and battery life (what a concept). I really thought the new Spot was going to have a small LCD that could show some info, such as basic GPS coords, sat-lock state, etc…. probably would add quite a bit of cost, but would be very cool.

Main thing, the GPS folks seem to be seduced by things like adding cameras and touch screens, rather than really useful things like satphone link such as that used by Spot, or in the case of the Magellan that crashed on me, simple reliability and battery life (what a concept).

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