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SPOT X 2-way satellite communicator

Melensdad

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Santa in the FedEx truck showed up with my new SPOT X

SPOT X 2-way satellite communicator arrived late yesterday and I got a little bit of time to play with it.

A few things:

The screen is not backlit, so using it at night requires some sort of external light. I know other units are similar. Still, there should be some emergency light for those moonless nights.

It takes several minutes to send off messages. This is not like texting. I knew this. It beams up to one of 24 possible satellites, which then beam back down to earth to another person's phone or email. The process can take 5 or 10 minutes. Again, totally known in advance. But what I didn't expect the messenger to follow/track me around our pool while I was sending out some test messages.

It can only send out 3 messages at a time so if you want to send out 4 messages, you have to wait until the first 3 are gone, then you can send out the 4th message.

The SPOT X comes with a dedicated phone number so you can have your contacts include that phone number in your contact info. They will then know that the messages are from you, not spam.

The unit allows you to preload 14 messages. You get unlimited sending of those messages without incurring any fees. It comes with samples but I edited those better suit my needs. This is a great feature. If you have access to a computer during a long trip you can change these daily to fit your needs/plans. I wrote messages regarding food, fuel and sleep stops, emergencies, etc. I even included a statement NOT to reply to the SPOT X unless it was an emergency because I have a limited plan on 'custom' messages.

The map below is the unit tracking me while I was transmitting from my pool deck tonight.

Since I typically ride alone this tracking will give my wife some peace of mind while i am off exploring the wilds of Indiana/Illinois, she can live the map open on an old iPad we have and the map will get a "breadcrumb" added every 10 minutes.

It will also give some peace of mind to our daughter and other family members when my wife and I ride on our long distance trips or do our backpacking trips. We have a Route 66 ride in planning stages and plan to hike across Wales, UK early next summer. The SOS button will work 24/7/365 regardless of cell service or location.
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Melensdad

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Correction. I should read that damn manual!

The screen is backlit.
The keyboard is also backlit.

Touching the power button after turning the unit on toggles ON the backlighting. Touching it again toggles OFF the backlight. Holding the power button turns the whole unit ON/OFF
 

Melensdad

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Just a few more observations about the SPOT X.

After reading and watching reviews of the SPOT X and the Garmin InReach Mini I was expecting so little from the SPOT X that I'm actually finding that it is far better than the negative reviews it gets. Perhaps because most of the negative reviews were of the 2018 version of the SPOT X and I have the newest iteration? And other Satellite Communicators like the BivyStick and the Zoleo area also getting rave reviews.

I find MOST of the controls to be very intuitive and it barely requires referral to a manual to figure out things. Its actually pretty simple to use, but there are some things that could be improved.

The features that actually "sold" me on the SPOT X over the other Satellite Communicators included:
  • PRICE - $199 for the unit + $12/month subscription but the subscription includes UNLIMITED tracking and UNLIMITED pre-programmed messages
  • STAND ALONE - this does not require a Smartphone to operate like the BivyStick or Zoleo, so you actually need to keep batteries charged on 2 devices.
  • PRE-PROGRAMMED messages - SPOT X includes unlimited sending of 14 pre-programmed messages, Garmin InReach only allows for 3 pre-programmed messages
  • TRACKING - unlimited tracking at 10 minute intervals, Zoleo has no tracking, Gamin costs 10-cents per pin drop or requires a more expensive monthly plan.
My SPOT X is the new "Bluetooth" connected version, but I'm not really sure that it needs to be connected to a Smartphone at all. The App works, but doesn't actually do much so there is not much point to it. Maybe I'm missing something?


Regarding the PRE-PROGRAMMED messages, the editing is done on a website and then 'sync'd' to your SPOT X. The editing is cumbersome and there is no way to change the sequence of your messages. I wanted my most used message to be first, and my least used message to be last, in the list of messages. So by order of projected use, the first messages would be sequenced first, second, third ... and the least used would b sequenced 12th, 13th & 14th. But there is no way to sequence them other than to DELETE everything and then type them in 1 at a time in the sequence you prefer. If you think of a new message you want in a specific position you must re-type all the messages or have you new message 'out of sequence'. That may not matter to some people, but it seems easy to have similar messages grouped together, and in order of priority.

I opened a word document, typed up all my messages 1 thru 14. Edited them the way I wanted them. Resequenced them. Then when I was satisfied, I simply "copy & pasted" each of the 14 messages, 1 at a time, into the SPOT X website, saving each to sync. When they were done, and I sync'd the unit, all of them were in the order sequence I wanted them to be in so now I scroll from most used to least used.

For example: "Made it to my destination safely" is 1st in the list. But in the last position is "I need assistance..."
 
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Doc

Bottoms Up
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Interesting. What does the SPOT look like? This device could sure be handy for anyone out and about where there is no cell service. The majority of my 47 acres the cell signal is hit and miss. When working on the tractor I would feel better carrying a device like this. Thanks Bob.
 

Melensdad

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Interesting. What does the SPOT look like? This device could sure be handy for anyone out and about where there is no cell service. The majority of my 47 acres the cell signal is hit and miss. When working on the tractor I would feel better carrying a device like this. Thanks Bob.

Looks pretty much like an old Blackberry, which some of us older folks will remember. In one of the photos I have the SPOT X sitting on top of an iPhone 11 for size comparison purposes. The Antenna on the SPOT X is sort of a bulky tube, that makes the unit taller than a typical cellphone but the body of the SPOT X is about 2/3rds the size of a typical cellular phone but it is about twice as thick.

Inside the box is a MicroUSB cable, some instructions and a small folding plastic stand that allows you to set the unit down with the antenna pointing up. For reaching a satellite it is best if the antenna is pointed directly to the sky. It also comes with a velcro strap + a carabiner so you can attach it to a backpack, jacket, etc.

The old Blackberry units had a curved face with a QWERTY keyboard with raised keys that was actually pretty easy to use. This unit has a flat face with flatter keys so it is not quite so easy to use as the old Blackberry and one complaint leveled against it is that you can't really use this with gloves on.

This is the MOST SOPHISTICATED and FULLY FEATURED of the SPOT devices and only costs $199.

They have a smaller unit, no keyboard, no screen, but it still has the SOS button, still can 'track' your movements every 10 minutes, has a simple "check in" button and still has a single message button that can send a simple pre-programmed messaged to your wife/family. The $99 unit is called the SPOT Gen 4, it is favored by hikers, hunters, kayakers and others who want something for light weight. This type of unit is used at IRON BUTT motorcycle events so the organizers can track each of the bikes. Utility companies and repair companies often issue these to their remote workers in the field, etc. For $99 it is tough to beat the simple reliable tracking.

SPOT devices have been credited with saving over 7000 people. SPOT devices work in all of North, Central & South America. They work in Europe and Northern Africa as well as South Africa and SOME areas in Asia. Honestly I would probably use a Garmin InReach or another brand if I was going to Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia as the Iridium Satellite Network, used by the Garmin is a WORLD WIDE service while the SPOT network is not worldwide. And while I travel frequently, the reality is I will probably never go on an "adventure" in any of the areas of the world where this unit has no coverage.

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For size comparison, here is the SPOT X sitting on top of an iPhone 11.

It is about twice as thick as a typical smartphone.

The added length of the antenna makes it taller but the body of the unit is clearly shorter than a cellphone and about the same width.
tempImagejM5EVL.jpg
 

Melensdad

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My initial thought was that I would somehow attach this to my motorcycle jacket, basically on my upper chest. On another forum I read that they fit into chest pockets on most motorcycle jackets. Seemed like a good idea to try.

So off I went on a 40 minute ride with the SPOT X in my chest pocket. In theory it should have dropped 3 to 4 breadcrumbs. In fact only 2 connected to the satellite. Coming home a different direction I had similar results. Not quite satisfactory. And honestly the guy on the other forum didn't mention if he was using his unit for dropping breadcrumbs, so maybe he was just carrying it there?

Placed it on the dashboard of my car, made a trip to the home center for some supplies. Slightly shorter drive than the ride but 3 electronic breadcrumbs were dropped on the way there, 3 more on the way home. I also tested the "check in" button and that showed the 'check in' location at about 150' south of the intersection where I pressed the button. So given travel speed, the unit connected up to the satellite and sent the signal in just a few seconds, I'm guessing it already had a satellite signal acquired to do it so quickly.

Off to the inter-webs I go in search of a mounting solution and I find Amazon has a SPOT X cradle for $11 with Prime shipping. Its a RAM Mount brand, I already use RAM products to hold my Quad-Lock so I simply T'd off the original mount and now the SPOT X and my iPhone sit side-by-side above my instrument cluster at the bottom of my field of view. The mount is oriented so the antenna is pointed straight up, which is considered optimal.


tempImagebk4OFf.jpg
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
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Good info Bob. It looks huge in that mount on your bike. But the iPhone 11 comparison helps visulize the size.

For use, when you mount it on the bike IF you are in an accident and thrown from the bike you could not use it to call for help. I thought the unit would have to be on your person to be of value.
 

Melensdad

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Good info Bob. It looks huge in that mount on your bike. But the iPhone 11 comparison helps visulize the size.

For use, when you mount it on the bike IF you are in an accident and thrown from the bike you could not use it to call for help. I thought the unit would have to be on your person to be of value.
Yes I am very conflicted on the bike mount. Honestly in most areas I ride, I am near enough to civilization that if I am thrown off the bike it is probably because a car hit me. There are some remote rural areas I frequent and an unintentional dismount would likely be of my own fault. The conditions of those roads/paths mean slower speeds so hopefully a crash would not result in the bike falling too far away from me.

I'm thinking I may end up at the local seamstress with a strip of Velcro and have her sew it to my mesh motorcycle jacket. I think it could be done on that jacket at, or near my shoulder and it would give me a latch point for the SPOT X. Not sure I'd want to do it on my waterproof Gore-Tex jacket as the stitching would destroy the waterproofing at one of the most exposed parts of my jacket to rain.
 

Melensdad

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Couple more observations about my SPOT X satellite communicator.

The satellites move across the sky, from horizon to horizon.

Near as I can tell the "check in" and "messages" take longer to send sometimes than others. I can only presume this is based on the location of the satellite when I hit the send button. Just guessing but if the satellite is higher in the sky I'm thinking the transmission is much faster than if it is lower in the sky. I've had some signals send, and then received back to my cell phone, in mere seconds. Others took 5+ minutes to send and another couple more to receive. It is normal for these small handheld satellite communicators to take a few minutes to send out a message so I guess my experience are all within the range of "normal" transmission speeds.

So far I have NOT experienced a failure to send a message or check in point. I have had at least 1 or 2 "breadcrumbs" fail to register but that was on a ride when I had the SPOT X inside my pocket. While it has been bike mounted the "breadcrumb" tracking has been flawless.

I've spend a few days riding in almost completely "open sky" with very minimal tree cover and mostly farm fields and suburban houses around me and the send/receive times seem to change from fast to slow to fast to slow over the course of travel. So I am thinking it must be related to the location of the satellite.

Given my travel path over the past few days I think I was in cellular coverage for 95% of my recent rides as none got too rural. At this point I'm really just testing the unit to prove reliability. So far I am happy.
 

Melensdad

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It’s not supposed to work but it frequently does. Sitting on a table on a 2 story covered porch. 4’ from the edge of the covered porch. With a 4’ roof overhang above the porch. Light woods to the west and to the north. Obscured view of the sky. It still worked.

2 photos one from the west, one from the east. Showing the SPOT sitting on the table. Instructions clearly state it needs an unobstructed view of the sky. It is pretty clear from the photos that there is no sky above the unit. The house blocks the sky to the south. It has only scant sky visible to the north and the west.

I’ve had 1 failure. I hit the check in button while parked next to a 2 story brick building. I was surprised by that failure and figured if I would have waited there 10 or 15 minutes and tried again the satellite would have moved enough in the sky to pick up the signal but I didn't fell like continuing the test.

Mostly what I’ve learned is:
  1. It is reliable
  2. My family is annoyed with me and my toy. I hit the 'check in' button frequently just to gain trust in this thing and am now pretty convinced it is close to foolproof.
I'm also not happy with the way I mounted it on my motorcycle, if I have time I'm going to modify the mounting point tomorrow.

3585C966-3A08-4F66-A8E7-F8D5B0B00BFA.jpeg
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Melensdad

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267 mile loop today with the SPOT X 2 way satellite communicator.

95+% of that route was 2 lane rural roads, several areas had no, or minimal, cell signal. When my phone has 1 bar and I don't have a 4 or 5 G reading, but instead just have an LTE reading, I can't make a call, but can sometimes send a text. The SPOT X lets me send texts in those areas, lets me map my route.

Tracking is set to drop a "breadcrumb" on a map every 10 minutes. And just for my wife's peace of mind I also hit the "check in" button several times when I would stop in a small town, or even get stopped by a stoplight. I also sent a couple messages via the SPOT X.

The prewritten messages are sent free and even the basic plan has unlimited use of those messages so I use them frequently. But I actually wanted to test the keyboard and sent some custom messages. I get 120 custom messages with my plan, if I go over that I pay a small fee per additional message.

The keyboard is actually very easy to use. The early reviews of the SPOT X keyboard were pretty critical, the newer Bluetooth upgraded SPOT X, which actually sells for $199, instead of the original $249 price, so a nice $50 price drop, has a good keyboard. The keys must have been reshaped. They are now rounded on top and have a good feel. Those of us old enough to remember the old Blackberry devices, and better yet the TREO devices, may recall they had tiny but very good keyboards. I'll say the SPOT X keyboard is not quite as refined as those devices, but the keyboard is very easy to use. I'm very happy with the keyboard.

The image below shows my map. You will notice some of the dots on the map have a small envelope icon next to them, those are when I sent messages. Others have a small green checkmark next to them. Others have nothing, the dots with no marks are the automatic breadcrumb pin drops.


BBE76F1D-8B12-4194-A019-15DF152BEF1D_1_201_a.jpeg
are the breadcrumbs.
 

Melensdad

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Just a bit of a follow-up. Got the SPOT X in early July. It is now early September and the SPOT X has been used almost daily. Literally every time I'm on the bike the SPOT X is on the bike.

What I have found is that the 10 minute tracking is pretty reliable. Most of the breadcrumbs it drops on the electronic map actually hit the map. There are those rare datapoints that are missed, but for the tracking purposes, if someone was trying to find me, they would still see my direction of travel and the prior point. If it is a data point in the middle of a ride then there is simply a gap in the data.

I tend to over-use the CHECK IN button but that seems to please my wife. Fortunately hitting the check in button is a free/unlimited service so it doesn't cost anything.

While out riding alone in rural areas I will hit the check in button at an intersection if I am making a direction change. That check in button drops a pin on my electronic map. It records that pin on the same map as the breadcrumb map. So while the electronic breadcrumbs ping every 10 minutes, the check in pings the map at the point where I hit that button. Should someone have to search for me they might be able to use that data to more closely find me.

I also now notice how bad the cellular signal is in the rural midwest. As someone who runs side roads and backroads I find if I am reasonably close to an interstate or a state highway then I have the ability to make a voice call. The farther aflung from those roads, the more likely I am to drop out of voice communication range. My typical solo rides have me in "1 bar" reception areas more often than not. When my phone shows 1 bar it is virtually impossible for me to get a call in/out, maybe 5% odds. If I have 2 bars then I can usually get a call out but the odds of transmission breakup is high. Even at only 1 bar, I can typically get a text message out/in. I'd say at 1 bar of cellular reception my odds of sending/receiving a text are 75%. So that said, I am rarely unable to communicate with home.

As I believe I have said previously, one of the strengths of the SPOT X is the ability to use its 14 pre-defined messages. And those 14 messages are pre-defined by me. I get to write them to say what I want, I upload them into my SPOT X from my computer. They are available to use FREE in unlimited quantities.

I typed mine up, in sequence of frequency of use, so:
1) I have reached my destination ...
2) I'm leaving here now to head home ...
3) Taking a short gas stop, back on the road in 30 minutes ...
4) Meal break, will be off the bike for 60-90 minutes ...
5) thru 14) . . . By the time you get to message 14 I'm asking for a tow truck, etc. But in various degrees of calm or urgency, depending upon the situation. I have one for minor mechanical issues that I can fix, like a simple flat tire.

The net effect is that I can keep anyone who needs to know very well informed and do so at NO ADDED COST to the basic $12/month subscription. When I looked at other devices like the Garmin InReach, Zoleo and BivyStick there was no way I could duplicate that level of service at the price. Zoleo has some serious communication power, uses both satellite and cell towers, picks the cell tower automatically if it is available, but it also has no screen and no keyboard so it requires a connection to a smartphone, which means both the unit and the phone have to be charged. The SPOT X, for me, being a 100% standalone unit, seemed to make the most sense as it does not require me to connect to my cellphone to use.

Mine is the newer SPOT X with Bluetooth at $199. There are lots of bad reviews of the earlier SPOT X model that cost $249. And be careful because some places sell the new SPOT X for $249 while others sell it for $199. The Bluetooth version seems to have corrected most of the flaws of the original version. But I will add that I almost never bother to connect my SPOT X to my cellphone because there is very little reason to do so. The cellphone doesn't add functionality, it just duplicates the functions. It does allow you to message thru the SPOT X from your phone, but you have to be within bluetooth range of the SPOT X to do so.
 

123

New member
Santa in the FedEx truck showed up with my new SPOT X

SPOT X 2-way satellite communicator arrived late yesterday and I got a little bit of time to play with it.

A few things:

The screen is not backlit, so using it at night requires some sort of external light. I know other units are similar. Still, there should be some emergency light for those moonless nights.

It takes several minutes to send off messages. This is not like texting. I knew this. It beams up to one of 24 possible satellites, which then beam back down to earth to another person's phone or email. The process can take 5 or 10 minutes. Again, totally known in advance. But what I didn't expect the messenger to follow/track me around our pool while I was sending out some test messages.

It can only send out 3 messages at a time so if you want to send out 4 messages, you have to wait until the first 3 are gone, then you can send out the 4th message.

The SPOT X comes with a dedicated phone number so you can have your contacts include that phone number in your contact info. They will then know that the messages are from you, not spam.

The unit allows you to preload 14 messages. You get unlimited sending of those messages without incurring any fees. It comes with samples but I edited those better suit my needs. This is a great feature. If you have access to a computer during a long trip you can change these daily to fit your needs/plans. I wrote messages regarding food, fuel and sleep stops, emergencies, etc. I even included a statement NOT to reply to the SPOT X unless it was an emergency because I have a limited plan on 'custom' messages.

The map below is the unit tracking me while I was transmitting from my pool deck tonight.

Since I typically ride alone this tracking will give my wife some peace of mind while i am off exploring the wilds of Indiana/Illinois, she can live the map open on an old iPad we have and the map will get a "breadcrumb" added every 10 minutes.

It will also give some peace of mind to our daughter and other family members when my wife and I ride on our long distance trips or do our backpacking trips. We have a Route 66 ride in planning stages and plan to hike across Wales, UK early next summer. The SOS button will work 24/7/365 regardless of cell service or location.View attachment 138289
Hi sir, I have been trying to use the weather service from Thomas Dang, but it’s not working out very well for me. Have you or anyone here tried it?
 

Melensdad

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Hi sir, I have been trying to use the weather service from Thomas Dang, but it’s not working out very well for me. Have you or anyone here tried it?
Nope, is that available on the SPOT X as a feature?
 

123

New member
Not exactly. A Canadian programmer figured out some coding where by texting to a specific number your longitude and latitude coordinates you are texted back with 4 days worth of weather with sunrise and sunset time. It kinda works, but I am not getting the right forecast. My GPS coordinates must be read wrong. For the record, they are the right ones, but I am not getting the right weather forecast. I can’t post links as I am a new user, but please Google Thomas Dang spot x weather service.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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Not exactly. A Canadian programmer figured out some coding where by texting to a specific number your longitude and latitude coordinates you are texted back with 4 days worth of weather with sunrise and sunset time. It kinda works, but I am not getting the right forecast. My GPS coordinates must be read wrong. For the record, they are the right ones, but I am not getting the right weather forecast. I can’t post links as I am a new user, but please Google Thomas Dang spot x weather service.
Interesting. I've got both an arm and a shoulder injury so I'm not riding yet (6 more weeks of physical therapy) but maybe I'll take my SPOT X in the car and see what I can find.

I'll definitely google Thomas Dang to see what I can find ... but it might be a week before I do that, moving/painting my 2nd daughter into her Notre Dame apartment and still doing tile work for my 1st daughter in her Chicago condo. So I'm pulled two directions at the same time and playing with the SPOT X is a low priority right now.
 

tommu56

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Interesting. I've got both an arm and a shoulder injury so I'm not riding yet (6 more weeks of physical therapy) but maybe I'll take my SPOT X in the car and see what I can find.

I'll definitely google Thomas Dang to see what I can find ... but it might be a week before I do that, moving/painting my 2nd daughter into her Notre Dame apartment and still doing tile work for my 1st daughter in her Chicago condo. So I'm pulled two directions at the same time and playing with the SPOT X is a low priority right now.
Can't you clone your self for times like this? :D
 

tommu56

Bronze Member
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theres a new one on market now

Motorola Defy Satellite Link​



REVIEW
 

Melensdad

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The newest Apple iPhones also have emergency capabilities for Satellite link up. But I believe it is only the 14 or 14 pro phone.

At some point all the InReach, Bivey, Spot, etc etc etc devices will be redundant.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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theres a new one on market now

Motorola Defy Satellite Link​



REVIEW
Now a review of that product is on our forums. Appears to be using multiple networks of satellites under the SKYLO trademark, but there seem to be at least 4 different groups of satellites being used.

Also, I recently found out that Apples iPhone 14 is using the Globalstar (SPOT) network for its satellite communication.

And just for the fun of it, I pulled out the SPOT X, charged it up and sent myself a test message. Approximately 2 and 1/2 minutes time from when I hit the transmit button to when I received a ping on my cellphone that my message was received. Given my injuries and surgery I've not been out much on the motorcycle, and I sold the Snow Trac. But I do drive through a very rural area of Indiana after midnight on secondary roads when I go back & forth to Purdue each week. I've been thinking that mounting the SPOT X on the dash might be a good idea because cell is spotty along some stretches of that path.
 

123

New member
Now a review of that product is on our forums. Appears to be using multiple networks of satellites under the SKYLO trademark, but there seem to be at least 4 different groups of satellites being used.

Also, I recently found out that Apples iPhone 14 is using the Globalstar (SPOT) network for its satellite communication.

And just for the fun of it, I pulled out the SPOT X, charged it up and sent myself a test message. Approximately 2 and 1/2 minutes time from when I hit the transmit button to when I received a ping on my cellphone that my message was received. Given my injuries and surgery I've not been out much on the motorcycle, and I sold the Snow Trac. But I do drive through a very rural area of Indiana after midnight on secondary roads when I go back & forth to Purdue each week. I've been thinking that mounting the SPOT X on the dash might be a good idea because cell is spotty along some stretches of that path.
Hi again! Thank you for the update and information. I was not aware of new motorola device. I too was injured and did not use the spot x for a while. Although I did try to get the weather service working, but was never successful. Good luck with you and be safe
 

Melensdad

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Just for the fun of it, I took my SPOT X in the car when I drove up to Michigan State University on Saturday. Forgot to turn it on when I left the house at 4:30am. In fact at that time I was just happy to remember my hot coffee. Flipped it on while driving just to test the breadcrumb tracking through a windshield because I don't think I've ever done that before. And I've never tested the SPOT X at 70mph on the interstates. My tracking is set to drop a breadcrumb every 10 minutes. Most of my "highway" riding on a motorcycle is on rural 2 lanes, speed limits 45-55 and occasionally I'd get a stretch of 60 on a 4 lane rural highway. In the rural areas it's not uncommon to have patching and occasionally no cell signal.

Traveling at roughly 70mph along the interstate highways, I never lost cellular signal on my phone, but I never expected to lose cell along the interstate. The SPOT X was just there for testing, didn't figure it would actually come in handy.

Here is are my breadcrumbs from the trip. Seems to have worked perfectly. There is one very long stretch, that is from the a prior location to the "start" point at this trip, and the start point was when I turned it on after I had already crossed into Michigan. Weather conditions were cloudy 100% of the time, some patches of HEAVY snow (1+"/hour), some patches of flurries.

Screenshot 2024-02-19 at 3.43.47 PM.png
 
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Melensdad

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Basically I'm getting ready for motorcycle riding season when I ride alone, and often in rural areas. So using the SPOT X frequently, just to check my gear. I'll also be checking my other gear like my air pumps, TPMS, etc.

For the past week I've had a minor issue, the SPOT X, windshield mounted in the truck, would put up a screen saying that I need to cycle the power OFF and back ON because it could not send a message. Thought maybe the unit was starting to fail. This issue has happened to me 3 or 4 times in my travels. In each case it happened AFTER a message was sent out by the SPOT X. It appears that the SPOT X is not sending the message, but when I send messages I send them to a recipient AND to myself. So I get the ping on my phone when I receive it. I checked my wife's phone and the inbound times of the messages, all were correct (within a few minutes) so the unit is working, but I'm getting a strange message.

So it did manage to send out the various messages, "check in" and still kept track of the breadcrumbs properly.


If you look close you can see a GREEN CHECKMARK on the map, I was stopped for a few minutes at Fowler, IN and sent out a "check in" message. This also explains why there are 2 pin drops in that area that seem too close to each other, because I didn't shut off the breadcrumb tracking while I was running into the gas station for a soda.

You can also see a couple small icons that look like ENVELOPES on the north side of Lafayette, I sent out a couple messages from the Freddie's Steakburger, where I grabbed a quick meal after the fencing tournament. One saying I was stopping for food. Another saying I was getting back on the road.

JUST FOR REFERENCE, I took an interstate down to Purdue, you will notice the breadcrumbs are spread farther apart on the eastern route I drove. Speed limit is 70mph, but traffic was flowing closer to 85mph (not admitting to keeping up with illegal traffic speeds) while the dots are closer together on the more direct, but rural highways as the speed limits are lower and there are 2 towns and 2 stoplights on that route between Lafayette and the northern edge of the route I travel.

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Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
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Quick follow up. 30 day experiment tracking my truck. This is not all my driving during a 30 day period, it is only what I did when I had the SPOT X, which I generally keep mounted in my truck on a Ram Mount.

1 trip to Michigan State University included some 'white out' snow conditions.
1 trip down thru Indiana included mostly heavy sideways rain and hail conditions.
Most trips were reasonably clear skies, mixed clouds, etc.

SPOT X recorded 346 pin drops. While you can't zoom in on the map below, own the live map version accessible to users, it is apparent that the SPOT X did miss some pin drops. But not many. There are 2 or 3 places along some of the routes, only apparent when zooming into the routes, show slightly longer stretches between pin drops. The SPOT X is set to drop a pin every 10 minutes. I'd guess that maybe it failed to drop less than a half dozen 'pins' on the map during this month-long test.

So the question is, is it acceptable to miss a few pin drops? Honestly I would say YES. If I was out hiking and the pins were dropping every 10 minutes, then 'missed' a pin drop, the distances between those pin drops, at 10 minute dropping, would likely be about a 1/4 of a mile apart. At no time in my testing does it appear that it missed dropping more than 2 pins 'drops' in a row; and it appears that only happened 1 time.

So from a Search And Rescue perspective, the search crew could simply look at my SPOT map EVEN IF I DID NOT SEND AN S.O.S., but get an alert from a family member that my breadcrumbs stopped and I was missing, they could see my path, my locations and my last pin drop, which would narrow down a search area to less than 1 square mile if I was out hiking.

Assuming similar scenario, but on a motorcycle, snow machine, ATV, etc., the search crews would do the same, but, EVEN IF I DID NOT SEND out any sort of S.O.S. would have a wider search area but would still have the path until the breadcrumbs stopped.

In either scenario, if I would have sent an SOS, the coordinates of the SOS would pinpoint my exact location with LAT/LON coordinates and allows for 2 way communication with the SAR coordinators.

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There are a couple GREEN check marks, those are locations where I sent a 'check in' and there are about a dozen ENVELOPES, those are locations where I sent a text message through the SPOT X. I did find that a 'check in' may(?) replace a pin drop, so both may not show on the map, but both are sent with the LAT/LON coordinates. Text messages also send the LAT/LON coordinates. All of this is included in the $11.95 basic subscription.

* Bear in mind you don't need a SPOT X for driving along the US interstates, there is cell coverage along our Interstate system, but it made for an easy test.
 
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