Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

This Ain't Necessarily Fly Fishing => Gear Reviews => Topic started by: Woolly Bugger on October 05, 2020, 14:16:50 PM

Title: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 05, 2020, 14:16:50 PM
Ordered the new Gen 4 Spot satellite device on the promo deal; $50 off on the device and $100 off on first year of service which pretty much makes the device free.

You cannot view this attachment.

Now the GF will know when I'm on the road home from trips where there is not cell service. And I can contact some of y'all to get my ass if I get lost!

Will update once it's put into use!
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: troutboy_II on October 06, 2020, 09:09:14 AM
Been thinking about getting on of these.  Where did you find your deal?

Thanks.

TB
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 06, 2020, 20:06:38 PM
Quote from: troutboy_II on October 06, 2020, 09:09:14 AMBeen thinking about getting on of these.  Where did you find your deal?

Thanks.

TB

they emailed my -- deal expired 9/30
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 09, 2020, 13:08:21 PM
Still waiting on $100 discount code  n!n  n!n

Customer service sucks
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 10, 2020, 12:17:02 PM
finally they called and did the registration and discount over the phone...  d:b
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: driver on October 11, 2020, 11:05:21 AM
I've ne thinking about purchasing one of these type of devices. Mainly for when I'm fishing in the ocean.

I was thinking of the Garmin intouch mini. Mainly for two way texts. So if something happens at home I can get my ass on the way. Anyone have any experience with this.

Doug or J which one did you guys used out is CA?
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 11, 2020, 11:35:44 AM
Quote from: driver on October 11, 2020, 11:05:21 AMI've ne thinking about purchasing one of these type of devices. Mainly for when I'm fishing in the ocean.

I was thinking of the Garmin intouch mini. Mainly for two way texts. So if something happens at home I can get my ass on the way. Anyone have any experience with this.

Doug or J which one did you guys used out is CA?

Doug got the Garmin inTouch.. two way communications would be nice... but I got the Spot 4 for $99 and the first year service including activation was $69

The Spot can only send three stored text messages that you set up on the web plus the emergency SOS.

my messages are.

1. Everything is OK and I'm starting my trip.
2. Everything is OK and I'm on my way home.
3.I am in need of assistance, this not an emergency, but some help is required.

GSP coordinates are sent with the messages, and you can view tracking locations from the Spot Map...

4. SOS; There is no message to edit for the S.O.S. alert. S.O.S. alerts along with your GPS coordinates are routed directly to GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center.

The S.O.S. button should only be used in life-threatening situations.

The ability to send S.O.S. alerts to GEOS is covered in your SPOT service plan. However, the cost associated with rescue efforts are billed directly to the user. Make sure you're covered in the event of emergency with the GEOS Search & Rescue Member Benefit.

With the Garmin you can connect to smartphone and compose and send a message....
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Dougfish on October 11, 2020, 12:33:15 PM
Garmin Inreach Mini is what I bought. More expensive to buy and use, yes. The 2 way texting option was most valuable to the Missus and I. GPS location went with my messages. Operates flawlessly.
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Traveller2926 on October 11, 2020, 15:09:57 PM
I used an earlier generation of Spot for years and strongly considered the Gen 4 offer.

Thankfully, never had to use the SOS feature. 

My wife made me carry it since many places I float or bird hunt lacks cell service.  And, I usually travel very early / late while usually towing a drift boat; or raft; or, a dog trailer which also causes unnecessary worry for my wife.

I became very disappointed in the dependability of the Spot handheld and the Customer Service.

Just decided to go with the Garmin InReach Mini.  Extremely satisfied to date and the tracking feature is much more functional.  My wife can get an update anytime - 10 minute intervals...  be very careful with this feature!

So, to conclude.  I am Very pleased with the InReach and I offer a recommendation while hoping you have a better Spot experience than what I had.

Best...

Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Big J on October 12, 2020, 09:52:12 AM
Really liked Doug's Garmin Inreach Mini.  I'll eventually get one.  Doug's worked as advertised.  I think it's worth the peace of mind of a concerned spouse, especially with the stupid exploits I attempt. 
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 12, 2020, 10:20:02 AM
Quote from: Traveller2926 on October 11, 2020, 15:09:57 PMI used an earlier generation of Spot for years and strongly considered the Gen 4 offer.

Thankfully, never had to use the SOS feature. 

My wife made me carry it since many places I float or bird hunt lacks cell service.  And, I usually travel very early / late while usually towing a drift boat; or raft; or, a dog trailer which also causes unnecessary worry for my wife.

I became very disappointed in the dependability of the Spot handheld and the Customer Service.

Just decided to go with the Garmin InReach Mini.  Extremely satisfied to date and the tracking feature is much more functional.  My wife can get an update anytime - 10 minute intervals...  be very careful with this feature!

So, to conclude.  I am Very pleased with the InReach and I offer a recommendation while hoping you have a better Spot experience than what I had.

Best...



I got a Spot gen 1 when my son was 15 and going on multi-day backpacking trips with his friends ... it gave the parents piece of mind and also helped with pick-ups at the end of the hikes. (They hated having to check-in on the devise, they knew where they were!)

Really came in handy when they were trying to canoe on the Dan from Danbury to the Ocean and there was torrential rain that flooded the river... I was able to extract them on the morning of their third day... I think I posted that adventure somewhere on this board before.
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: troutboy_II on October 12, 2020, 10:38:44 AM
I remember the posts about your son's travels and that was got me to thinking about why I/we probably need something like this.  'Course that was a few years ago, so I obviously am a little slow to move...

Looking at the Spot vs. the Garmin, if I really only want to have someone to be able to bail me out or at least find the body :o  - the Spot looks like a much more reasonable use of my funds.  Hell. I hate texting on my phone to begin with and that's one of the reasons I fish off cell coverage.  Granted, at 70 I'm not getting as far out as before, but far enuff to make something like this make sense!  To that end, is the "text" message to your back-up person, not the SOS message, easily changed?  Most of the time Trout_girl is fishing with me, so I would shift those messages over to number 1 son instead if she is with me.

Thanks for the experienced info!
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Traveller2926 on October 12, 2020, 12:09:26 PM
As a Father, I am respectful and grateful that Spot provided comfort during your Son's travels.  I recall those posts.  I hated messaging until my Kids went away to college - still do actually. 

Don't know how Parents made it without or before technology such as a cell phone or a Personal Locator for extended / remote trips similar to your Son's.

As I stated earlier, I wish your Spot experience much improved beyond my mine.

Best...
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Onslow on October 12, 2020, 15:46:57 PM
I've had a couple near misses on the Tar river, one was an ankle entrapment incident wherein I lost my balance, and fell forward nearly breaking my tibia on a rock. Also side slipped on a different occasion, and landed on my hip socket. 

Did another side slip with a nasty hip socket hit on Upper Creek. 

That all being said, the two incidents that raised my hackles was a near drowning on the Ararat /w boots fool of sand/juicy water/wicked eddy.  Another involved an inner ear/vertigo incident on the bank of the Ararat.  That latter really rattled me.  I was on the ground completely unable to gain any composure while clutching grass with all my strength. If I had been wading in deepish, that would have been the end of me. It is unclear whether or not these devices would have helped in the last two situations due to the complete jarring nature of the situation at hand. Best keep these within reach, like on one's chest.   Oh, I forgot to mention the time I was wrapping up a float tube trip on the Tar when an extremely wicked lightening storm caught up to me just above the takeout.  A bolt well ahead of the thunderhead charged the river, and shocked my ass.  This really scared the crap outa me.
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 13, 2020, 09:22:03 AM
Test 1. Drove around with the Spot in the car and it pinged the location about every ten minutes these pings showed  up on the map.

Test 2. Went fishing, sent a text check in at the start, by placing the device on top of the car while I was gearing up. The message and corresponding map ping were finally sent after 10 minutes or longer as I was on up the trail at the first pool. I had hooked the device to the back of my pack. I was supposed to track my progress every ten minutes. I didn't see any more pings on the map, the device turned off after an hour (didn't know it was going to do that) because of lack of activity to save battery life.

After returning to the car I went to send a custom message (A-OK, on the way home) but the device only sent a check-in message, I'm now looking at my profile and making changes.

When setting up the messages, you can create profiles for the device to use and select the one you want to use for a particular trip. However you then must use the Spot Updater to make this work on the device, this involves using a computer and usb connection to the Spot. I didn't do this and I may have been the reason I had some issues on this test.

update: you only need to use the updater when making changes to the device settings like tracking interval or motion activation, dock mode, etc. , NOT profiles...

I was up on a creek with a lot of tree cover, this might also be a problem as the device wants/needs a clear view of the sky...

Test three coming up later ....


UPDATE: user error, i failed to activate the tracking by pushing the tracking button.... now I've got to go on another trip....
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: driver on October 13, 2020, 20:32:28 PM
Bossman what plan you using?
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 13, 2020, 20:46:47 PM
Quote from: driver on October 13, 2020, 20:32:28 PMBossman what plan you using?


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basic annual plan... no add-ons such as search and rescue insurance which would cover cost of rescue services outside of normal if there is such a thing as normal...

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services/service-plans#spot-gen4-plans

Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: troutboy_II on October 14, 2020, 14:22:00 PM
Thanks for the info - this is very helpful.  Let us know how your next "test" goes after all the tweaking.  I may have found the right product based on your test, but I will await your next post after the tweaking check.

Thanks again for the help!

TB
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 15, 2020, 09:17:37 AM
A I mentioned you can set up many different profile for the messages that will be sent. Earlier I had duplicated a profile but didn't check all of the tabs and messages for the items; check-in, custom message, and help. So before going on my adventure yesterday I checked everything on the the web-site and filled in the missing contacts and messages.

Then off to the mountains for peak foliage.

Checked-in at the start, the text message popped up on my phone since I had a cell signal at this location confirming that it was sent.

QuoteFRM:noreply@findmespot.com

MSG:Woolly Bu..

ll=36.07465,-81.79535

Everything is A-OK, just checking in! Starting my trip now.

I was only out for 2:30 hours so at 10 minute tracking intervals the spot should have sent 15 pings to the map..

I count ten on the map...

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/JSJ3

The custom message was also sent upon the end of my short trip.

It was received by all parties in a timely manner...

so I feel like everything is working as expected... an extra split ring added to my pack will help keep the Spot facing flat and in a better orientation to the sky.

 d:b 
Title: Re: New Spot Gen 4
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 19, 2020, 16:41:17 PM
$99 bucks at REI

https://www.rei.com/product/185349/spot-gen4-satellite-gps-messenger

Also $100 off on the Garmin