new device--SPOT SOS--land epirb

seen this on fox tv.
What a handy device -- something like this should be manatory in everyones backpack-along with a whistle--well I reckon so .
type in: spot sos on the web.
my life is worth about $250. great investment.

Regards
Oneday69

Is this it? http://www.flymanilla.com/Equipment/SPOTGPSTracker/tabid/350/Default.aspx

Hi Nero
Yep that is the one. I was on the english site-- set them an inquiry to see how small these things come.. Thinking they could be implanted inside the tector box.

Regards
Oneday69

Yes, these are great little "Get me out of the crap" devices. I picked one up earlier in the year. Pretty sure I paid $200 fir it. There is a registration fee of about $140 per year too but I see this as a small investment if your life is at risk. That plotting option is an extra $40 per year so you can send updates back to google earth to either plot your course when you get back home or so that loved opnes are able to hook on to goofle earth and see where you are and when you last sent an update.
I like te idea of being able to send pre-arranged text messages to 2 people too. These are good "just letting you know that I am fine" devices as well as "SOS" option. Easy to set up and use too which is also an advantage for those older, not so clued up on modern contraption people. (Sorry folks, but I am sure there are one or two of you out there).
This SOS device also comes with a velcro arm strap that you can attach to yourself and keep on at all times whilst prospecting in case you fall and break a leg or fall down a mineshaft (though not to sure how good these devices will work if you are down a mineshaft as they rely on satallites).
Good cheap little device in my opinion that is well worth the investment

Good post oneday69. There are too many prospectors who spend time in remote spots with no bombproof comms for an emergency. I had a close look at the Spot and they are a good cheap emergency system, but I went for a satellite phone using the iridium network. (i don,t have mobile reception at home so i qualified for the fed gov subsidy and got the latest motorolla for $400 all up).
I recommend that anyone who spends lots of time in areas with no mobile phone reception get some form of emergency comms whether it be sat phone, spot, VKS or other.

I am happy with the satt phone and found that the biggest advantage is that family and friends could contact me if there was a drama in the family or some good news. I feel the best thing about having a satt phone is it can sought out all the oh so common semi dramas you may have that don't warrant a SOS, Ringing up and ordering car parts in remote areas or begging a friend to come and tow you etc. With the iridium network friends can send unlimited SMS 140 character messages to my satt phone for free via the internet.

Plus its really great to be able to ring your mum from the wilds and tell her you found a huge nugget on one of her old patches.

Tributer

We have been using the spot service for about a year now, its fantastic, we have our account to send sms/facebook/email to contacts we want, its great because you can send an everything is OK messages every day, you also have a option for an assistance message, E.g, Everything is ok but we require assistance, then also the full blowin SOS message where you need to be rescued.
There is a yearly fee but its well worth it and money well spent.

Cheers

Hi Rarebreed
Can u opt to sign up for 6 months or is there a set minimum term say 12 months?
Regards
Oneday69

oneday69 wrote:Hi Rarebreed
Can u opt to sign up for 6 months or is there a set minimum term say 12 months?
Regards
Oneday69

12 months only

Yay!

Prices are coming right down on these Spot 2 SOS Sat Tracker/Epirbs from just under A$120 inc postage from the States.

Current listing on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SPOT-2-Satellite-GPS-Messenger-Silver-/130672142069?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6caaa6f5

Check out this one at A$135 or make them an offer (posts from the US) Ad doesn't give the usual full blurb so I don't know if that's a warning sign.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spot-2-GPS-Messenger-New-Box-Satellite-Personal-Tracker-/270959852973?pt=AU_Electronics_GPS&hash=item3f16773dad

Average price in Australia is around $175 with free postage. Rego required at $115 USD per year plus whatever other features you want.

http://au.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=103

Being diabetic, clumsy & prone to fracture easily, it's time to get one methinks for the SOS factor alone - but being fairly new to Victoria, I am very short on non-emergency contacts (like none!) who get signals on their mobiles in my general area or who have email for basic assistance messages.

Any "volunteers/angels" in the Triangle (where I am often to be found backfilling other ppls holes & scrap metal/beer bottle collecting!) who would be prepared to allow me to enter their mobile numbers or email addys as a back-up please PM me! I'd never bother anyone unless I was really in the pooh & couldn't dig myself out of it! My mobile phone rarely gets a signal out here so this Spot 2 thing seems like the solution!

Thanks.

Pixi.

PS: I have an older model Tom-Tom GPS but like many things in life - it lies & is non interactive.

Sat phones are way cheaper,I had an Iridium with monthy fee, but went to inmasat, with pre-paid.

Iridium are $2.oo@minute for outcalls, $5.oo @minute incalls.

Inmarsat is $1.oo @ minute outcalls, up to $35.oo @ minute incalls.Credit good for a year.

bye

cairns27 wrote:Sat phones are way cheaper,I had an Iridium with monthy fee, but went to inmasat, with pre-paid.

Iridium are $2.oo@minute for outcalls, $5.oo @minute incalls.

Inmarsat is $1.oo @ minute outcalls, up to $35.oo @ minute incalls.Credit good for a year.

bye

I am on Iridium , and I pay around $2 a min for outgoing and no fee for incoming calls, and the incoming caller gets charged normal mobile rates which cost me a standing charge of $35 a month

Thanks guys. Food for thought about a sat phone instead of...

the good thing about the spot is you can do things like send out a "I'm ok" message and things like that.....
The newer models connect wirelessly to your Iphone etc and open up a whole bunch of good things......

Yea Harb, I meant the person calling the sat phone pays those rates.

The Inmarsat was supposed to be able to download data 18mths ago, but the system is not in operation yet.

If these epirbs can download data, it would interesting to know speed and cost.
bye