MurrayMinchin
Membership Council
This is an unsolicited review.
http://international.findmespot.com/
I've had mine for a couple months and feel totally comfortable recommending it to people who photograph off the beaten path. While it's still a new-ish (about a year old) first generation product and will certainly be improved in the future, it has enough life saving and peace of mind features that it goes with me every time I head out.
What it does is fix your location with GPS then sends one of three messages, each of which you can customize yourself, by e-mail to your computer at home and to other people you want. The e-mail contains a link to Google Maps where your location is highlighted on a map, satellite image, or relief map. The three message options are;
OK - Mine says, "I'm OK. Here I am, or where I'm changing direction."
HELP - Mine says, "Myself or someone I've encountered is in a non life threatening emergency. Send family or friends immediately"
911 - Mine says, "Myself or someone I've encountered is in a serious life threatening emergency. Send rescuers immediately."
Both the Help and 911 messages are sent every ten minutes until it's turned off. The help message goes to the computers you send the OK's to, and the 911 message goes to the closest emergency responders to your location...pretty much anywhere on Earth. If the 911 is activated a person will phone your spouse, or whoever is your primary contact person and keep them informed of the rescue.
There is also a tracking feature (for a little extra money) where if you hold down the OK button for five seconds, it'll send a message every ten minutes for twenty four hours, and put them on a single Google Map.
Where I live on BC's north coast it has no problems sending out messages if I'm in an open area, but has trouble under the mature rain forest canopy. This really isn't a big concern for me though because even if I fall into a ravine and don't return home, my wife can call the RCMP with my last known location and direction of travel, instead of saying something like, "He's somewhere on the south side of the Seven Sisters Mountain Range".
It is slightly annoying having to wait and watch the blinking LED's to be sure a message got out, and am pretty sure it'll emit a beep on later versions so you don't have to keep your eyes on it. It has indicated an OK message was sent (by the OK LED staying on for five seconds) from some pretty marginal locations which never actually did get to our computer, which is a tad disconcerting, but your last known location should put rescuers hot on your trail instead of having to start from the trailhead.
Today the driving conditions were snowy, slushy, rutty and gross. The lake I went photographing to is out of cell phone range, so to let my wife know I made it there I sent an OK as soon as I arrived. Before getting the SPOT messenger she would have waited all day not knowing if I had rolled into the ditch driving out there. This is the most important reason I carry one, because it gives her peace of mind which then allows me to range further afield with a clear conscience, knowing she knows where I am and that all is well.
They go for around $150.00 US (there are rebates available I think) and the basic subscription for satellite communication goes for $99.99 for a year. Money well spent me-thinks
Murray
http://international.findmespot.com/
I've had mine for a couple months and feel totally comfortable recommending it to people who photograph off the beaten path. While it's still a new-ish (about a year old) first generation product and will certainly be improved in the future, it has enough life saving and peace of mind features that it goes with me every time I head out.
What it does is fix your location with GPS then sends one of three messages, each of which you can customize yourself, by e-mail to your computer at home and to other people you want. The e-mail contains a link to Google Maps where your location is highlighted on a map, satellite image, or relief map. The three message options are;
OK - Mine says, "I'm OK. Here I am, or where I'm changing direction."
HELP - Mine says, "Myself or someone I've encountered is in a non life threatening emergency. Send family or friends immediately"
911 - Mine says, "Myself or someone I've encountered is in a serious life threatening emergency. Send rescuers immediately."
Both the Help and 911 messages are sent every ten minutes until it's turned off. The help message goes to the computers you send the OK's to, and the 911 message goes to the closest emergency responders to your location...pretty much anywhere on Earth. If the 911 is activated a person will phone your spouse, or whoever is your primary contact person and keep them informed of the rescue.
There is also a tracking feature (for a little extra money) where if you hold down the OK button for five seconds, it'll send a message every ten minutes for twenty four hours, and put them on a single Google Map.
Where I live on BC's north coast it has no problems sending out messages if I'm in an open area, but has trouble under the mature rain forest canopy. This really isn't a big concern for me though because even if I fall into a ravine and don't return home, my wife can call the RCMP with my last known location and direction of travel, instead of saying something like, "He's somewhere on the south side of the Seven Sisters Mountain Range".
It is slightly annoying having to wait and watch the blinking LED's to be sure a message got out, and am pretty sure it'll emit a beep on later versions so you don't have to keep your eyes on it. It has indicated an OK message was sent (by the OK LED staying on for five seconds) from some pretty marginal locations which never actually did get to our computer, which is a tad disconcerting, but your last known location should put rescuers hot on your trail instead of having to start from the trailhead.
Today the driving conditions were snowy, slushy, rutty and gross. The lake I went photographing to is out of cell phone range, so to let my wife know I made it there I sent an OK as soon as I arrived. Before getting the SPOT messenger she would have waited all day not knowing if I had rolled into the ditch driving out there. This is the most important reason I carry one, because it gives her peace of mind which then allows me to range further afield with a clear conscience, knowing she knows where I am and that all is well.
They go for around $150.00 US (there are rebates available I think) and the basic subscription for satellite communication goes for $99.99 for a year. Money well spent me-thinks
Murray
Last edited by a moderator:
