Bowsite.com

SPOT SAT MESSENGER

Just have a few questions for those of you that use these or have used these in the past? Are they worth the money, do they work in the deepest parts of the Gila? What are your experiences using these satellite messengers? Thanks

I don't like them , a delorum is a hundred times better.

SPOT is lame. Get a Delorme. Delorme allows 2 way texting and confirms that your message was sent.

I DON'T chit chat with family via texting while I'm out, but the peace of mind knowing that if something hits the fan on the home front my wife can contact me is important to me. With the SPOT all you can do is send out.

Either system I haven't had trouble with service no matter how remote.

But get a Delorme over SPOT any day.

Friend of mine left his SPOT msgr at his elk kill site 2 miles back in a USFS Wilderness Area. As far as I know, it's still there 5 years later. I think he wasn't too impressed with it's capabilities. Looks like Garmin has an inReach product like Delorme, but with built-in gps capabilities. Real satellite phones can be rented too.

Garmin bought Delorme about a year ago. The Delorme unit is still available unchanged. Garmin made an improved Garmin version. Only reason I'm not ready to jump to the Garmin unit is $ and it's not touch screen. The main pain in the rear is typing with a screen keyboard and moving like with a joystick to get to each letter. When they make a touch screen that's like typing on a phone I'd consider changing.

One of the Delorme models has built in GPS also (although nowhere near the screen quality as the Gamin unit).

I had a spot at work- didn't care much for the options it had, but as far as I know it always reached the satellites. I bought an inreach for myself- I can send canned messages unlimited, and typed on the spot messages (I think I get 10 per month included with the monthly fee). As mentioned above, you get a delivery message. Never had a problems reaching satellites with it, either. Typing with the inreach is a pain, but it works if you go slow.

Muddy: The Delorme plan just changed to 5 free messages (from 10) but you're right, the canned ones are free. I double up the canned: you can modifiy to fit your needs, but as an example, "Location check, everything OK. If sent REPEATEDLY from same location CAMPING HERE". If you get creative you can make your messages mean more.

I suppose if you really wanted to get creative, sending 1x could mean something, 2x another, 3x another, etc.

I suspect that the free canned messages will go away at some point, just like the 10 free were cut to 5 free.

Just bought a Garmin inReach Explorer +. So far I like it. I needed a new GPS as well and this one fit my needs. My wife is expecting our third child September 24th and I have the first hunt. I know, I know, not good timing. also got selected for Grand Jury duty in Albuquerque for Sept and Oct! I needed a good way to stay in contact when no cell service is available.

butcherboy, I am curious that if you got called for jury duty would you leave your hunt and come home? or just if your wife was in labor?

I am not sure I would come back for jury duty

Kind of hard to tell a federal judge to pound sand, but would be fun to do so.

Wonder what would happen if you had an OIL tag and got stuck with a grand jury summons? Would game and fish let you turn it in and reapply?

I know before hand if and when I get summoned so I can plan around that. Planning around when a baby is born, not so much lol. I will be hunting Labor Day weekend mostly. After that it depends on when I get summoned and how things may or may not be progressing with my wife.

Not a SPOT story. But when I was drawn for NM tag in 2000, (I am an NR), I was on the list for jury duty (County Court). I sent them a letter stating there is no way I could turn in my NR hunting tag. (I even offered to switch to later dates). I was excused!

I was excused for hunting. Judge had no problem with it. Seemed excited and asked me questions. Probably to see if I was full of beans or not.

Grand Jury is different than local county or local Magistrate Court. They rarely give excuses but will give partial excuses. I'm going to try and get a partial for a week or two before #3 is born and a week or two after the due date. Just never know. I have to drive 3 to 3 1/2 hours just to hear the evidence and decide if it should go to trial or not. I hope to be using my GPS to send a message to my wife that I am coming home with an elk.

Register here to reply to this topic