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Jon Reining
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 37
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 Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:10 am Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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I've been thinking about getting a personal locator beacon (PLB) and it looks like there are two on the market, Spot and ACR. Does anybody have any experience with either of them? Recommendations? Any other products? How useful have you found the Spot feature of sending a message to a group of people to check-in?
Thanks
Jon Reining
40514 - finishing wings (as soon as the garage gets finished)
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Tim Olson
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2872
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:44 am Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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You of course mean unofficial when you are talking about
Spot, right? It's not the same or a direct substitute
for the 406mhz stuff that the ACR's and others can do.
It's a subscription based thing, that would be great for
letting friends and family track you, but won't be the same
as having a real PLB.
For regular real PLB's, I got this ACR unit before my last
trip. It's real nice and small, and it's officially
registered and has the emergency contacts set up on the
NOAA system. The price here is the best I could find,
after hours and of searching:
http://www.life-raft.com/dept.asp?d_id=9858&l1=9858
You won't find it for less.
PLB's are registered and there is no fee. The Spot
unit is very cool, but over 5 years you'll spend more
for the Spot than you will for a PLB. But, if you're
into having your friends and family track you, it
would be a cool thing. I'd probably do it, if I could
pay $25/yr, but for the price it is, I can live with
just having flightaware.com track my IFR flights.
Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying
do not archive
Jon Reining wrote:
| Quote: |
<jonathan.w.reining(at)wellsfargo.com>
I've been thinking about getting a personal locator beacon (PLB) and
it looks like there are two on the market, Spot and ACR. Does
anybody have any experience with either of them? Recommendations?
Any other products? How useful have you found the Spot feature of
sending a message to a group of people to check-in?
Thanks Jon Reining 40514 - finishing wings (as soon as the garage
gets finished)
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=160011#160011
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dlm46007(at)cox.net
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:37 pm Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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Check Fastfind GPS plus. about $600.
--
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msausen
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 559
Location: Appleton, WI USA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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The thing with the SPOT service is what happens if you let your subscription expire and you trigger the "911" button. Seems to me they would be opening themselves up for some serious liability if they didn't route it to SAR resources. I believe Onstar will respond to an emergency even if you don't subscribe to the service for that exact reason. Same thing with cell phones, 911 works regardless of any subscription or lack thereof. Anyone know if this is the case with SPOT? If it is it would be one cheap PLB.
Michael
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Tim Olson
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2872
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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I just read an article on it in a tech rag today that got me
thinking too. They said the service is $100/yr for the one
where you push a button to send a message or alert. But,
another $50/yr for the one that gives live intermittent tracking.
That's getting to be some serious subscription that could be
better spent on WX or other services...even charts. But then
I thought too about the chain of the alert. It said they'd
route it to the nearest 911 type emergency facility. I pictured
what would happen.
Sam -"Jim, we just got an alert from the GlobalStar system. It says
that someone is calling 911, and the coordinates are 46.180N
90.933W."
Jim- "Hmmm, I wonder what that could be. We're getting more and
more of these 911 alerts with no good info on exactly what
we're being alerted on. Whaddya think, Sam, you wanna drive on
out there and see what's going on? It looks like on the map
this thing is up in the Chequamegon Forest somewhere."
My thought is that, while a PLB gives the authorities a definite,
(you're legally responsible) registered name, and definite contact
list of emergency contacts, and additional registration info,
I don't know how some of the unofficial types of alerting will be
received by the individual departments. Especially as this
becomes more commonplace.
This isn't meant to disparage the product. I think it's really
cool, actually, and I can see buying one, if that subscription
price were dirt cheap, because it would be generally cool to
have. But, I just think that for actual emergency response, to
actually save your butt, you might be better off going with
one of the actual 406mhz type systems that are supported
well for marine, aviation, and other uses. At $550 a pop for
the top of the line portable PLB, with integral GPS, and
a 5 year battery, it seems that you could have a great PLB
system that over 10+ years would have a pretty good cost
per year, and be a real PLB.
Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying
RV Builder (Michael Sausen) wrote:
[quote]
<rvbuilder(at)sausen.net>
The thing with the SPOT service is what happens if you let your
subscription expire and you trigger the "911" button. Seems to me
they would be opening themselves up for some serious liability if
they didn't route it to SAR resources. I believe Onstar will respond
to an emergency even if you don't subscribe to the service for that
exact reason. Same thing with cell phones, 911 works regardless of
any subscription or lack thereof. Anyone know if this is the case
with SPOT? If it is it would be one cheap PLB.
Michael
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pcasson(at)sasktel.net
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:10 am Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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I've been playing with one of these SPOT devices for while now and think a lot of pilots and pilot's
wives will want one, at least up here in Canada where getting out of cell coverage is pretty easy to
do.
First on the 911 issue when you activate the device on the SPOT website you do give them pretty much
the same contact info as a PLB (who to contact, alternate phone #, etc).
What the SPOT device gives you that no PLB does is the check-in feature where for $100/yr as often
as you want you can push an "OK" button the unit sends a text message and email to who ever you wish
that looks like this:
SPOT Check OK.
Unit Number: 0-7356077
Latitude: 50.4384
Longitude: -104.538
Nearest Town from unit Location: Regina, Sask. Canada
Distance to the nearest town: 1 Mile
Time in GMT the message was sent: 01/18/2008 17:35:09
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=50.4384,-104.538&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Great for letting those on the ground know you are alive and well on XC's, ETA's if some is meeting
you at an airport, etc.
For the $150/year you can have the device sends a position report automatically every 10 min and
from the SPOT website (http://findmespot.com) you have a Google Maps app that shows your position
reports.
Too bad this device only sends position data, the higher end stuff also sends heading, speed,
altitude and some even transmit flight plan data pulled from your GPS but I'm hearing rumors of just
slightly higher cost devices much like this one targeted directly a GA are in the works.
Perry Casson
Regina, Canada
RV-10 C-FMHP http://casson.2y.net/rv-10
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planesmith(at)hotmail.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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Tim,
Thanks for the lead. I also have been thinking of getting PLB with the 121.5 ELTs not being monitored by satellite in the near future.
Vern Smith (#324 Will this fiberglass work ever end?)
do not archive
> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:37:55 -0600
| Quote: | From: Tim(at)MyRV10.com
To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Re: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon
--> RV10-List message posted by: Tim Olson <Tim(at)MyRV10.com>
You of course mean unofficial when you are talking about
Spot, right? It's not the same or a direct substitute
for the 406mhz stuff that the ACR's and others can do.
It's a subscription based thing, that would be great for
letting friends and family track you, but won't be the same
as having a real PLB.
For regular real PLB's, I got this ACR unit before my last
trip. It's real nice and small, and it's officially
registered and has the emergency contacts set up on the
NOAA system. The price here is the best I could find,
after hours and of searching:
http://www.life-raft.com/dept.asp?d_id=9858&l1=9858
You won't find it for less.
PLB's are registered and there is no fee. The Spot
unit is very cool, but over 5 years you'll spend more
for the Spot than you will for a PLB. But, if you're
into having your friends and family track you, it
would be a cool thing. I'd probably do it, if I could
pay $25/yr, but for the price it is, I can live with
just having flightaware.com track my IFR flights.
Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying
do not archive
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Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. [quote][b]
| | - The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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randy(at)romeolima.com
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:53 am Post subject: Spot vs. ACR Personal Locator Beacon |
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I agree with Tim's thinking on this issue which is why in my RV-3B, in which
an ELT is NOT required because it's a single place aircraft, I keep an ACR
MicroFix 406 Mhz Personal Locator Beacon. If I ever activate that thing I
will mean it, no kidding around. Here's a link with more info on my thought
process (scroll down just a bit)...
http://www.romeolima.com/RV3hq/Panel/panel.htm#Panel2
Randy Lervold
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