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Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

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ceengland(at)bellsouth.ne
Guest

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:19 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

Anyone know any details about this product?



http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/spotmessenger.aspx



IF it's using the public SARSAT satellites, maybe it would still work 

after the 1st mandatory subscription lapses. (Still be a lot cheaper 

than typical PLBs with built in GPS.)



Charlie

rv7(at)b4.ca
Guest

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

On 19:18 2008-01-09 Charlie England <ceengland(at)bellsouth.net> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Anyone know any details about this product?



 http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/spotmessenger.aspx



 IF it's using the public SARSAT satellites, maybe it would still work

 after the 1st mandatory subscription lapses. (Still be a lot cheaper

 than typical PLBs with built in GPS.)


	


Nothing more than is already posted on their website, but it looks like a

very interesting device.  I've been following it for a while now, and will

probably pick one up this year when the weather gets better and I start

flying more.



Personally, I find the tracking/datalogging capability to be more

interesting than the emergency functionality, but the emergency capability

is extremely compelling.  Flying around the mountains in the Pacific

Northwest it's nice to know that someone will have a starting point to

locate your carcass if something goes wrong unexpectedly.



I could see myself using the findmespot product for flying, motorcycling,

bicycling, and hiking.  In all cases, it would be neat to be able to call

up a Google map later and see where i've been.  Up until now, the only way

is to download a track from my GPS, convert it to a Google-compatible file,

and then view it on Google Maps.  And that does nobody any good if the GPS

goes down with the plane...



-Rob

sbuc(at)hiwaay.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

Charlie England wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Anyone know any details about this product?

 

 http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/spotmessenger.aspx

 

 IF it's using the public SARSAT satellites, maybe it would still work 

 after the 1st mandatory subscription lapses. (Still be a lot cheaper 

 than typical PLBs with built in GPS.)

 

 Charlie


	




There is quite a bit of info and background on the Spot on the VAF site 

and forums. Looks like a useful device.



Sam Buchanan

Larry Bowen

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 802
Location: NC, USA

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

You can do something similar called APRS, if you have a amateur radio license.  Feed nearly any sort of telemetry from airplane (or whatever) to a repeater, and the the internet if you like.  I don't know enough about it to be dangerous yet, but plan to figure it out and equip the RV-7 with it.  Another RVer in VA has it working in his RV-6A.  Cool stuff. 



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Position_Reporting_System

http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/ 

http://n1vg.net/opentracker/

http://aprs.fi/?

etc



-- 

Larry Bowen

Larry(at)BowenAero.com  (Larry(at)BowenAero.com)

http://BowenAero.com 



On Jan 9, 2008 10:18 PM, Charlie England <ceengland(at)bellsouth.net (ceengland(at)bellsouth.net)> wrote:

[quote] --> RV-List message posted by: Charlie England <ceengland(at)bellsouth.net (ceengland(at)bellsouth.net)>



Anyone know any details about this product?



 http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/spotmessenger.aspx



IF it's using the public SARSAT satellites, maybe it would still work

after the 1st mandatory subscription lapses. (Still be a lot cheaper

than typical PLBs with built in GPS.) 

  [quote][b]

_________________
Larry Bowen
RV-8 SOLD,
RV-7QB in progress...

ronlee(at)pcisys.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:46 am Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

I doubt that it uses current SARSAT satellites.  As Rob mentions in a reply,

the "I am OK/Check-in" position reporting function seems helpful.  It would 

greatly reduce

the area that needs to be searched in the event of a problem.



If I did not already have a 406 MHz PLB I would probably get one of the Spot

systems.



Ron Lee

ronlee(at)pcisys.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

The other point is that after 4-5 years it becomes more expensive

than a 406 MHz PLB when you add in the $100/year cost.



However, the "I am OK/Check-in" function is one that a PLB does not

have and can easily justify the extra cost.



Ron Lee

rhdudley1(at)bellsouth.ne
Guest

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

There is another site that advertises this unit for $20 less. See: 

https://secure.baxinternet.com/~satdir/spot_sales_order.html

RHDudley

Ron Lee wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 I doubt that it uses current SARSAT satellites.  As Rob mentions in a 

 reply,

 the "I am OK/Check-in" position reporting function seems helpful.  It 

 would greatly reduce

 the area that needs to be searched in the event of a problem.



 If I did not already have a 406 MHz PLB I would probably get one of 

 the Spot

 systems.



 Ron Lee

rv7(at)b4.ca
Guest

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:11 am Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

On 8:16 2008-01-10 Richard Dudley <rhdudley1(at)bellsouth.net> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   There is another site that advertises this unit for $20 less. See:

 https://secure.baxinternet.com/~satdir/spot_sales_order.html


	


They could give the units away for free and still make money on the system.

 It's the yearly fee that's paying their bills, not the capital received

from selling units.



I heard that COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilot's Association) is trying to

arrange a discount for it's members.  Maybe AOPA would do the same in the

US?



-Rob

rgf(at)dcn.davis.ca.us
Guest

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

I attended a presentation on this device a few days ago.



- It absolutely does not replace any kind of ELT on aircraft.  You must

still have an ELT, either 121.5 or 406 MHz.



- It is a private satellite service.  You don't pay the annual fee, it

doesn't work for you.



It seems to be an initially cheaper alternative to portable PLBs, but they

then charge annual fees to make up the cheaper purchase price.  Seems really

designed for outdoors hikers, backpackers, sportsmen, etc.



--

John.Morrissey(at)csiro.a
Guest

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:49 pm Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

Hi All,



There are some poor man's versions of tracking for mobile phones that

might do some of the functions outlined here.



Have a look at  



http://www.codeproject.com/KB/mobile/FindMe.aspx



It's a program that gets your GPS equipped Mobile phone to report its

location in response to a SMS call.



I would still have the PLB but if the family want to find you then this

may be a cheap alternative using stuff you may already have.



Cheers



John



--

JohnInReno

Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Posts: 150

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:51 am Post subject: Cheaper 406mhz plb alternative?

My brother-in-law told me about Spot after he saw it in action at a 

Colorado company that rents helicopters in Mexico. Near real-time 

tracking of expensive assets including Lat/Long and altitude. I had 

already splurged on a PLB so I didn't follow up and have no first-hand 

experience. If you fly in the mountains or remote areas, it seems like a 

good idea... we are still looking for Steve Fossett near Reno.



John Morgensen



Ralph Finch wrote:

[quote] 



 I attended a presentation on this device a few days ago.



 - It absolutely does not replace any kind of ELT on aircraft.  You must

 still have an ELT, either 121.5 or 406 MHz.



 - It is a private satellite service.  You don't pay the annual fee, it

 doesn't work for you.



 It seems to be an initially cheaper alternative to portable PLBs, but they

 then charge annual fees to make up the cheaper purchase price.  Seems really

 designed for outdoors hikers, backpackers, sportsmen, etc.



 --

_________________
John Morgensen
RV-9A - Born on July 3, 2013
RV4 - for sale

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