Spot Tracker Airtime

[didnothingfatal]

Need to buy a package for airtime for my Spot. Has anybody subscribed to the 'Track Progress' package for the extra €40?

[pedalhead]

Yup. It's the feature that let's others follow a breadcrumb trail of your progress, like this... http://pedalhead.net/satellite-tracking/

[Ian]

Yep, I use it.

I also use SpotWalla to save my spot records. http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id= ... e019fdbb3b

Spot's own website deletes the points after 7 days unless you save them over to the Spot Adventures page.

[pedalhead]

ooh that looks good Ian. Does that provide live tracking or is it just for after the fact?

[didnothingfatal]

Yep, I use it.

I also use SpotWalla to save my spot records. http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id= ... e019fdbb3b

Spot's own website deletes the points after 7 days unless you save them over to the Spot Adventures page.

From what I'm seeing it's 30 days, according to this page

http://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=111

Pedalhead,

Was that track made by the Track Progress button, hat transmitts every 10 minutes?

[pedalhead]

Yep, I use it.

I also use SpotWalla to save my spot records. http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id= ... e019fdbb3b

Spot's own website deletes the points after 7 days unless you save them over to the Spot Adventures page.

From what I'm seeing it's 30 days, according to this page

http://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=111

Pedalhead,

Was that track made by the Track Progress button, hat transmitts every 10 minutes?

yup, it was indeed. I've used it a few times like this. Generally fairly reliable, although I'm trying to work out a decent way of mounting it on the bike as the flimsy case broke on that ride & I had to velcro the unit to the frame which wasn't too effective.

[Taylor]

Mine will be on the Good Friday ride page for reference.

[didnothingfatal]

How many days running can you use that 'Track Progress' should be ok for a couple of weeks?

[Taylor]

The Spot 1 will last for a week in track mode but Spot 2 with AAA's has a burn time of 4/5 days i recall.

[Ian]

Spot used to keep spots for 7 days, perhaps they've changed it. Anyway, the point is that they delete them eventually, which spotwalla doesn't.

Spotwalla's service does the live tracking thing too. It downloads data from Spot every 10 mins, so at worst there'll be a 20 minute lag (assuming successful transmission of track point every 10 mins, which isn't guaranteed).

I must be on about 80 hours of track mode on the same set of batteries. The track function will run for 24 hours at a time, and needs resetting (unless you switch the unit off) to re-enable tracking mode. While in tracking mode, you can't send OK messages without turning tracking mode off, iirc.

[pedalhead]

While in tracking mode, you can't send OK messages without turning tracking mode off, iirc.

Really? hmm I hadn't noticed that. Will give it a test when I get a moment.

[Ian]

Might be different on the Spot 2, but that's what it said in the instruction for the Spot 1.

[didnothingfatal]

So the messages in tracking mode, aren't coming out of the 200 'OK' messages you get out of the basic airtime package? Adventure trading post told me I didn't need the Tracking package, but I had a gut feeling I do!

[pedalhead]

I think you get unlimited tracking points with the additional package. I think half the fun of the Spot is having your route trackable in real time. WIthout that, it's purely a safety device imho.

[didnothingfatal]

That's my feeling, otherwise, I'll just use my mobile when I get signal. Their website, just keeps going on about how you need to be safe in the great outdoors, not really what the packages include!