Contributors to this thread:
Looking for opinions on personal locators, SPOT, Delorme, others. I solo bow hunt elk in Colorado wilderness areas and am considering one of the PL's on the market for the obvious reasons.
I've read up on several units, some have limited battery life but offer a rechargeable battery, but if you don't have access to an outlet, now what? Of most concern, was other units need an unobstructed view; typically not available in elk country.
Not interested in texting or other BS, but a unit without limitations, that works under these conditions.
What are you using? Good/bad or otherwise.
Bob
I have a SPOT unit and am willing to sell it. PM me if interested.
However, I also used a DeLorme InReach unit last year that paired with my iPhone and was able to send texts and communicate with home while out of the country. The text size is limited to 150 characters I think and only people that you have texted can text back. But communication is real, as opposed o SPOT's cryptic message.
Both units are capable of alerting 911 or emergency calls; however, I have not tested that feature (fortunately!).
SPOT allows you to: 1) Contact 911; 2) send a help message to a pre-selected group - say to family that you might have a flat tire or need help dragging an animal, you choose & type the message on a computer in advance; and 3) An OK message. I used an OK message that said "One of us got lucky and killed a big buck!" One year, after we had 3 bucks dead in 2 days and allowing 10 minutes for the nessage to send each of 3 separate times, my son called my wife and exclaimed "How many f****** tags do they have, I've gotten 50 emails!". Another year, all 4 of us tagged out, but for some reason, the multitude of messages was only received 3 times, so folks were concerned that someone got skunked.
It depends on your needs. Again, SPOT for sale - real reasonable!
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I owned an AquaLink unit made by Cobham Electronics, but sold it mainly due to size and weight.
My current unit is a FastFind Ranger which is very small and highly dependable. When deployed and activated it sends an emergency notification through the SARSAT system which contains the exact GPS coordinates of the beacon's location. It's painless to carry and basically free of the stuff I don't want such as constant updates, messages, and so on. I want a unit that never needs messed with until/unless I need the cavalry to show up. Recommended.
I picked up a Delorme In Reach last year and used it for two weeks in the Colorado Wilderness and it worked great. Blows away the Spot I had used years past. Use it when you need it and it lasts a long time on battery. I picked up a small solar charger off amazon and it charges the Inreach and my phone just fine
Delorme InReach...what Don said!
Your contacts can track you on a map, everytime you send, they have your exact position.
Pretty reasonable, and you can discontinue the monthly plan as soon as your hunt is over...so no annual fee.
Best of Luck, Jeff
This is the very simple part.....if the unit breaks or you are unable to push the SOS button you spent a lot of money for nothing. Make sure you get a unit that will do a "breadcrumb" trail. At the very least there is a last point SAR can start from. Batteries last a long time on these units. The new SPOT Gen 3 goes to sleep when not moving for a certain period of time- like when you stop for the night and forget to turn it off. It then starts up in morning when you start moving. It also includes the "breadcrumb" feature. The newest InReach offers monthly plans rather than paying for the whole year. Be aware of hidden costs on both units.
I bought an ACR 406mhz homing beacon. Doesn't do anything but send a signal, but very reliable. Little spendy though.
BOBH92057,
How do you know you will have cell service where you will be hunting?
Will you be able to repower your unit daily?
For years I have relied on my faithful Bushnell Backtracker to get me around in the woods and back to my point of origin. I may have to go thru hell's half acre, but I can always get back to where I started or want be. Operates on 2 AAA size batteries. Works well for me.
JM2C
Buffalo1, This thread is about a personal locator that sends a signal for help if you get into trouble.
The spot costs a pretty big chunk of change for service for the year, the DeLorme you can just pay for the month you use it. I also have a Spot I'd be willing to sell you cheap, put good lithium batteries in it and it will last multiple seasons unless you leave it running all the time. I'm probably going to replace it with a De Lorme, plus I think the DeLorme doubles as a regular GPS.
Running a spot gen 1. Never had to use it but it is a piece of mind. After reading some of the posts I'm gonna look at some of the newer ones.
Great information. Do any of these work with another GPS? Here is my situation.
I need one that can show the location of one of the members in our group but not require someone to click the button like on the Rhino GPS. In other words, it is constantly on and does not require the person using it to remember to push the locator button but others in the group can still see his location.
Mike
Another vote for a Delorme InReach, works very well. Never used it elk hunting, but it worked very well for keeping in touch with home on my moose hunt last year in Canada. I like to check in with my wife at least once a day and it came in handy for getting my flights changed when we were weathered in. (I texted someone my info and they had them changed for me.) The battery lasts quite a while if you just turn it on when you use it.
I did a month long solo Elk trip 2 years ago, I rented a spot and a satellite phone, the phone was real spotty on where it would work, but the spot worked everywhere, I was pretty impressed with how good it would pick up satellites. I since have bought a spot, be aware the yearly plan is $178. For canned messages, bread trail, help or SOS it works great.
I have a Spot. its a gift from my daughter.... I hunt and trap solo, and for the most part I am in western UP, and in Ontario, Northern Wis
The Coast Guard personnel on Lake Superior, told me, that when that 911 call goes out, they and the state police, get that communication......
No matter who gets the assignment, they know exactly where you are.....
Also the Delorme gets good reviews from them also....
Now that I a 65, its nice to have
I found spot to work good but in deep elk canyons it took a while for signals to be sent . Phone service was a 60 mile drive . Im sure it can be a life saver ,, I myself just need a way to contact emeg help if needed.
Midwest,
Sorry about my confusion on the subject. I'm always more concerned about where I am, rather than somebody else being concerned about where I am.
ACR is the brand professional search and rescue people use most often. It has a 10+ year battery life, and does nothing but send out your exact gps cordinates to Search and Rescue once activated. Some of the newer units also have a subscription text message service, but I'm not interested in communicating with friends and family while out in the back country. My sole purpose in carrying the unit is to call for professional help in the extremely unfortunate event the need arises. It does not rely on cell phone service, and works anywhere in the western world. It is absolutely the most reliable means of contacting help when truly required. Bill
"I found spot to work good but in deep elk canyons it took a while for signals to be sent" .
Louis, the InReach is the same way. It took up to 15 minutes to get a text out in some of those deep holes last Season. But eventually, they got out.
Best of Luck Jeff
"I'm always more concerned about where I am, rather than somebody else being concerned about where I am."
I used to feel the same way. Even if it meant I had to die a slow death in the middle of a hell hole with an injury that prevented me from getting out on my own. Then I realized how selfish that would be with all the anguish it would cause my loved ones, all the time and cost associated with SAR when I came up missing.
Great info, thanks for the feedback. I've read the online reviews on the Delorme as well, seems mostly positive. Will look into the various models and options. Seems like the most dependable unit for hunting backwoods areas. I have an Oregon GPS with chip, so that's a good stand alone by itself. Ran this by the wifey last night, she sounded more reassured. I think I'll pass on the SPOT offers above.
Thanks Bob
Great info, thanks for the feedback. I've read the online reviews on the Delorme as well, seems mostly positive. Will look into the various models and options. Seems like the most dependable unit for hunting backwoods areas. I have an Oregon GPS with chip, so that's a good stand alone by itself. Ran this by the wifey last night, she sounded more reassured. I think I'll pass on the SPOT offers above.
Thanks Bob
This thread about being lost and whereabouts unknown reminds me of the scene in the movie Dances With Wolves when they were riding across the prairie and found a human skeleton with and arrow sticking upin the grown. A person had been shot by an Indian. One of the observers made the comment, "I'll bet someone back east is going- Now why don't he write?"
I think this was in a time before GPS and personal locators !!
I went back and forth between the SPOT and the inReach. I choose the inReach and have been extremely happy with my choice. Never thought I needed one until I blew my knee out last year while scouting 7 miles in on a trail and ended up getting home way latter then expected. I went and bought one the next weekend. It's not so much for my safety, but to ease the mind of those at home wondering if your alright, or if they need to get ahold of due to an emergency.
The nice thing about the inReach is you can message back and forth as well if they send you a message you will receive it once you turn the inReach ON.
With the Delorme InReach you can get a text back, so you know the message was received. Plus, as others have mentioned, you pay for the time you want to use it. I had like a 2 month plan and canceled it until this fall.
With a SPOT, there is only one way communication and there is no way of knowing whether it was received. It can alert 911 in an emergency, if that's all someone is looking for.
Personally, I don't leave the unit on and I don't want it going to Facebook or anything like that. I turn on the InReach, send my text(s), then shut it off. I check it later for any replies.
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The Inreach is also hands above the Spot as you can text back and forth with another Inreach user. Nothing like being able to tell your partner you have a Elk down and he knows right where your at. Also great tool to contact your packer when your in the wilderness and need your animal packed out.
I don't want the features of the InReach. I only want to send messages out, not get into a texting exchange about the mother-in-law's gout or my daughter's breakup with her boyfriend. I don't want to post my location on Spacebook. I just want to let wife know where I am and that I'm ok, I have a broken truck and need some help, that I'm coming home tomorrow to resupply, or I'm hurt and need the flying monkeys to rescue me.
The SPOT Gen2 works great for my needs. I can leave the drama at home and hunt. My wife can find me in an emergency. I use it year round and the lithium batteries never seem to wear down. I don't have to carry two devices. The monthly plan is inexpensive.
To each his own. If you need to stay connected for some reason, the InReach would be a better choice. If you want to leave the world behind and go adventuring without any drama but still have a safety tether and reassurance to your significant others, I highly recommend the SPOT.
I have not tried the Spot, but can tell you the inreach is a great unit. I like the ability to pair it with my cell phone. Don't do but one text a day, but like the ability to convey a non standard message if the need arise. The number one reason i like the delorme product is the service plans. The ability to pay for what you use, is really nice.
"I only want to send messages out, not get into a texting exchange about the mother-in-law's gout or my daughter's breakup with her boyfriend. I don't want to post my location on Spacebook."
Sounds like a lot of good reasons to never buy an InReach. ;^)
A quick cost comparison:
Spot Gen 3 - $75 (with current $75 rebate), plus 1 yr. basic service - $100
InReach - $300, plus annual fee - $25, plus monthly fee - $15 which can be suspended at any time.
Other options are available but these are the minimums.
FWIW- I went with InReach earlier this year. I have not activated it or tested yet. Price was right (Bought w/Cabelas points and discount coupons) I will be activating for a couple of months this fall.
Personally I like the thought of being able to send and receive texts. One of my favorite parts of deer hunting is sending messages to my dad and brother while they are hunting or working. Trust me I could care less about real world happenings. But sending a text stating I saw a big buck or 1000 caribou when we are miles away brings a lot of enjoyment to those who cant be there even though they would love to be.
Gotta love the Bowsite. I was planning on renting a Sat phone for this year's hunt and decided on the InReach (which I didn't even know existed) after reading this thread. Thanks guys.
Not understanding the comments about the need to carry a cell phone to use the InReach. Must be one of the very early models? With the InReach I have (bought it 2 years ago) my cell phone can stay in the truck. The device is fully functional on it's own to send & receive messages. Both pre-set messages and free-style messages.
What I like most about the InReach is the option to turn the service plan on & off at will. I plan to keep the device for 10 years or longer, but will only need it for one or two months of the year. Avoiding to pay for 100+ months of service contract is a lot of dough saved.
ACR ResQlink for when you really need the cavalry to respond. Works worldwide.
For you guys that like to text, why don't you just take your wifey or girl friend along to hold your hand?
Now days, it isn't all that hard to find cell service if you just drive around a bit.
In my view, PLBs are different than the new Sat Gadgets.
PLB: McMurdo PLB Fast Find 220 ASR - Any device
Have no fees associated with the service Works anywhere in the world Global emergency alerting via COSPAS-SARSAT No risk of some service not getting your signal No communication (ie: txt) 10 yr Battery Life and it is dead
Sat Gadets: SPOT and inReach
Service Fee needed Relies on a service (i.e.:SPOT) to get your signal Communicates (ie: txt message) Some will sync to iPhone txt drives up cost Batteries need charging or replaced
Both work: Your needs are the key...it sounds like you can save money and use PLB in this case.
PLBs are definitely different. They use the SARSAT system administered by NOAA (in the US) to effect search and rescue. This is a 24/7 system which is free to access and use, and is the same system used by pilots, ships, etc. When you activate the rescue function, you will be leaving as soon as the good guys arrive. PLBs can but often don't include any odds and ends communication stuff. If they do include it, that plan will cost extra but the PLB/rescue function remains free of charge and always available. You buy it, register it and carry it...that's it. No other costs.
The DeLorme unit looks interesting, but I believe it must be activated and a subscription started in order to use any of its functions...correct? In other words it only works when you pay for it to work.
>>>-WW->> I used to do 2 1/2-3 week solo wilderness trips and never worried about communications, but that was prior to wife and kids.
Spotty cell service allowed my wife to get a text through to me on an elk hunt. Our youngest had the H1N1 flu.
I don't think most guys are texting like fourteen year olds. If I have a spot with some service, I'll text "K" once a day.
When I get back to my solo trips, I will be carrying a Spot or InReach or something. We heard about a guy who dislocated his ankle and tore the tendons. He had a rough commute. My wife gave me the look.
She says that it's important to locate my body so the kids can get the insurance money.
ACR hands down if it is for safety. SPOT if you want to text like a high school girl.
orionsbrother, Apparently, it's going to cost you your man card.
It's OK Midwest. I can take it. I'm married. My wife comes from Vendish Valenian Cannibal Peasant stock. The fact that I'm still alive testifies to my mettle.
I kinda like.... OK, lets call em college girls.....
There is another one out there? You use your cell phone and it connects wireless/bluetooth/something. It's more of a satellite "modem" of sorts?. You can even get internet access?
Be real handy if you do much "outside the office" work might even buy you a few extra days in the field.
Or maybe post a REAL live hunt to the bowsite? heheheheh....
Two years ago I rented a Cerberus (by Briartek) for a month. The rental cost was reasonable. Using your iphone you send a text to the Cerberus and it sends/receives via satellite. It both sends and receives texts. It works anywhere that a sat phone will work. Sometimes a text would take 10-15 minutes to go out because of satellite visibility.
It is a communicator and not a locator.
It worked great when it worked. But, that was only about half of the time due a poor Bluetooth connection with the iphone.
I hope that somebody else has had better luck with the connectivity. The worst part was not knowing when the Bluetooth connection was failing.
Just looked up the info I had on the one I was researching, Iridium Go. Kinda pricy, but interesting. Get a goggle earth shot on location.... um, live hunt for the bowsite...
If the Inreach is a step over the Spot, this would seem a step over the Inreach. If folks are looking for a sat. phone this may be more versatile?
TD, when I got a MiFi hotspot for my laptop, it not only allowed me to post the "real" live hunts, but stretch a couple weeks of vacation into about 45-50 days of hunting. Definitely a bonus when I had a real job.
But that meant I also had cell service. And a teenaged daughter with muy drama that my wife expected me to not only hear about daily but also deal with. From elk camp. In the wall tent. With bulls bugling on the hills around us.
I can sure understand how guys with jobs they can't leave behind and families with small kids would want to have 2-way communication of some sort. Texting is exponentially better than listening to elevated yammering on a cell phone every night. "Honey, sounds like the signal is going out!" (to sounds of crinkling aluminum foil next to the receiver.)
Moving to a different area to hunt with no cell service and my daughter moving to Chicago were both extremely positive life-changing events, retirement notwithstanding.
Stretching the hunting sounds good Lou. The other stuff not so good. I don't normally have aluminum foil and the plastic coated Mountain House and Alpine Air pouches don't crinkle the same.
I think I'll just text "K" once a day.
Is there anything wrong with the Gen1 spot? Do they still work fine?
For durability, battery life and pure rescue choose ACR.
I know for a fact they work but that's another (embarrassing) story. I also know for a fact the U.S. Air Force is involved in deployment of rescue teams (I had to speak to The Colonel)
OK Tilzbow.....we have to hear this! You can't throw that out there and not play
Not only am I too tightfisted to have a cell phone, they don't work in many places I go (western WY), so I consider a SPOT's cost (hundred bucks/year) to be cheap insurance in case something goes wrong.
Of course, I carry a GPS to try to stay out of trouble, but a PLB is a good back-up plan in case one twists an ankle, has a run-in with yogi, slides off the road in a January snowstorm, has a heart attack, steps on a rattler, etc.
caribou77 +1
C'mon Tilzbow. Nothing holds rapt attention like stories of disaster. Obviously, everything turned out alright. You lived to tell the tale. So, please tell it.
Bowsite's "I'm so embarrassed, I shouldn't be alive"
You used your ACR and it worked well, so it's topic relevant.
I was hiking with my wife and we hiked to a lake about 4,000 vertical feet and 7 miles from the trail head. Once at the lake we started to eat lunch and while rummaging through my pack I found my PLB which hadn't been tested for a couple of years. I "tested" it, everything appeared to be fine and I threw it back in my pack and we hiked back to the truck. Once there I threw the pack into the shell covered bed, we took he dogs swimming, then went back to camp where I proceeded to start cocktailing. An hour later, after I was good and drunk and smoking a large cigar, the camp host showed up and asked my name. I told him and he asked if I had some sort of rescue beacon. Right then I knew I was in serious doo doo! He said there are people running all over the mountain looking for you and he sent the sherif to my camp. My wife, being supportive, went into the trailer and locked the door while I tried to compose myself. The lead of the search and rescue team was really cool and basically said don't worry, it was a good training exercise since they'd never had to deal with one before. He gave me the phone number of NOAA and told me to follow up with them the next day. He also informed me that both my family and work had been notified of the situation and were in constant communication with NOAA so I needed to call all of them immediately. I called family and work right the guys left and followed up with NOAA the next day. When I called NOAA either a captain or a major answered and I thought "Great!" (My dad retired as a Lt Colonel...). He passed me onto the commanding officer who was pretty cool about it. He said they tracked me from the lake to the trail head where the signal was lost so they figured it was an accidental (see stupid!) discharge... My brother is a fire fighter and has been trained in PLBs and was told in his training that they have to be deployed, with the antenna out and the body pointed at the sky. My ACR was tucked deeply in the bottom of the pack and it wasn't until I put the back under the shell that NOAA lost the signal per the commanding officer at NOAA. The colonel or major also mentioned the signal was real strong and moving really fast.
So, that's how I know for a fact that the ACR PLB works really well! BTW - I wasn't charged for any of it, at least financially, just my ego....
wow....instant sober! lol
Thanks for the follow up. You're probably more embarrassed than warranted because you have a conscience.
And if your friends are like mine, they remind you of it frequently.
Link is a good comparison of these units Big difference in cost between the Delorme units and the Spot.
Big difference in satellite performance too as the spot uses Globalstar and DeLorme uses Iridium [which is much better] I've seen stats on the Spot where only 70% of messages get out.
The one thing I rarely see mentioned is an airplane channel portable radio. These can be set to airline emergency channel -121.5 MHz civilian, 243 MHz military-to signal planes overhead, give them your situation and coordinates in case of emergency. They are about the size of a sat phone and are fairly heavy as they take 10 AA batteries. They work good but need line of sight.
I still like using a sat phone as I can keep track of business issues
Another nice thing about two way communication with the In-reach is when you do send a SOS call they can ask you what the problem is and prepare much better for you.
