Taking the ‘Search’ out of Search and Rescue
If there is one thing we all have in common, it is that we love being outdoors and in the warm embrace of Mother Nature. Some of us aren’t truly happy until we are well off the grid, far from any social distraction, where Mother Nature’s embrace might not be so warm, but most importantly, well away from any cell coverage.
This is where the Spot Gen3 comes into play. As a communications device that uses satellites to get messages from the backcountry back to civilization, the Spot Gen3 is the perfect in-between device that allows you to leave all the networking and social distractions of a smartphone back in town, but still communicate your location, status or call for an emergency rescue.
Activation of the Spot Gen3 can be a little difficult for those not tech savvy, and there is a monthly plan that you will have to subscribe to for service. Globalstar, the company that operates the system, offers the service for $14.99 per month with service plan upgrades such as Enhanced Tracking for an added cost. Once users are connected, they can upload contacts email and cell phone data, as well as connect to social media (Facebook, Twitter and Spots own Spot Adventures).
When getting into the functions, you will read “predetermined” and “preprogrammed” quite often. With the Spot plugged into your computer, you can choose which contacts will receive messages from which service, what each message will say and whether you would like to post to social media. It is a great system as long as you know what you want to say, or what a possible problem could be, because once you unplug, your Spot is set.
There are only six buttons on the Spot Gen3, each with a corresponding LED light that will illuminate green when the service has been activated, or red when canceled. Once you get to know the device, it all becomes quite simple, there is a power button on the top left hand side to power up the device, an S.O.S. button, Help button, Check-in button, Track button and a Message button. All the basics you need in the backcountry and no other distractions.
In the box you get the Spot Gen3 device, strap, carabiner, USB cable, four rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and a quick reference guide. The Spot itself is built ruggedly with a rubber outer shell and weather resistant construction. Testing each function, other than the S.O.S., relayed texts, emails and my position to all the applicable contacts within seconds of pushing the button. Downfalls include having to keep the logo of the Spot facing upwards, so it is best placed on a dash or on top of a backpack. This makes getting to it difficult, but luckily there is an app that will connect to the Spot allowing you to operate it remotely.
It’s built well, simple to program and use, and it gives you the ability to communicate with the world when you are off the grid. It did have a couple performance issues when a clear view of the sky was not possible, but the greatest characteristic of the Spot is the piece of mind it gives you, the adventurer.
Price: $169.99 www.findmespot.ca