Finally Ordered Myself a Spot Tracker

spotWell, I finally broke down and ordered a Spot Gen 3 Tracker. I hope that I never, ever need it and it becomes a $150 insurance policy.

I’d been waffling on the whole topic – feeling like I never go anywhere remote enough to warrant having one. But as history shows, I could fling myself down in to a ravine or get into trouble a few hundred miles from home just as easily as some highfalutin globe trotter.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that just in the last 6 months I have been quite a few places that had no cell service. So,… what the hell? At the very least my mom can watch my progress on a road trip. (No matter how old you are you’re always Mama’s baby.)

They are offering a $50 rebate on the Spot Gen 3 right now if you’re on the fence. Perhaps that will sway you a bit.

Have you or anyone you know benefitted directly from using a Spot?

 

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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18 Responses

  1. Good decision. Riding alone, especially off the beaten path, you never know when you might find yourself down an embankment and unable to crawl up the the road.

    I should get one myself. Thanks for the reminder.

    Steve Williams
    Scooter in the Sticks

  2. Shybiker says:

    Hmm… never heard of this before so I clicked on the link. Seems like a good idea. Never hurts to be able to communicate in an emergency. Even in suburbia we can get lost or out-of-view. Better safe than sorry.

  3. Love my Spot Gen 3! My Spot 1 save my butt in Death Valley!

  4. RichardM says:

    I have a Spot 2 and when I used it on my month long road trip, my wife appreciated knowing where I was. Especially when going through Canada as my cell phone didn’t work and Internet access was kinda spotty. I think that one of the trackers or emergency beacons are a really good idea for anyone traveling on their own. Just make sure to carry it on your person in case you find yourself separated from your bike.

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      Yes, absolutely – on carrying it on person.

      I was reading on their site that it works best when the logo faces the sky. Any issues with signal having it vertical in a pocket?

  5. Eric says:

    I’ve had the gen2 Spot for several years. I’ve never had to use the SOS (thankfully). They make an arm band so I have mine on my arm. They do take some time and forethought to set up in terms of what you want your messages to say and to whom you want to send them. I have my assistance button set up with a message saying I need roadside assist (I don’t carry Spot’s plan) that goes to a family member. My custom message button goes to the same person with a message to cancel (in case I get help or fix in the meantime). I do a lot of solo riding in remote areas so it’s nice to have a Spot. Always have extra lithium batteries, too.

  6. Glantern says:

    It might be time to invest in this I can’t always rely on my phone to have service or enough battery for even a day trip. Thanks for posting this fuzz it’s something I think my wife would appreciate so she knows I’m ok.

  7. Here is a great and free website that works with the Spot Messenger https://spotwalla.com

    SpotWalla users share their location information via trips, location pages and device location widgets. Trips can be viewed directly and/or embedded into your blog or a forum post. Location pages allow multiple users to share their last known location on a single page. And the device location widgets allow users to share their last known location on a single page. Easily integrated into a blog or forum post or in an email.

    I have been using them for years!

    Rex

  8. RichardM says:

    The gen1 version didn’t work very well in northern AK and many times didn’t work at all. The gen2 works much better. I noticed that in east-west running canyons the 10 minute updates didn’t happen very often with some 100 mile stretches without an update. It seemed to work okay in my jacket pocket. The tracking function, i.e. ten minute updates, was more reliable when it was in my tank bag or fastened to the top of the inside of the top box.

    Before my trip, I tested it quite a bit both on the bike and on foot.

  9. RichardM says:

    BTW, I would second the use of Spotwalla as you can define “private areas” such as your home. The coordinates are blurred in these areas. And just publicize the Spotwalla page instead of the tracking page.

  10. Lanza says:

    I borrowed a friend’s SPOT 3 on my 35 day trip to Mexico last February and March. I think he was a bit concerned I’d get kidnapped or something! I did not use the “track” function as I thought it might consume too much battery with frequent updates So at the end of each day I’d simply hit the “OK” button to inform everyone I was still alive. This was a bit of overkill as most motels had WiFi and I was able to communicate anyway.

    Out in the open, it worked quite well though it could take as much as 10 or 15 minutes to send a message. In larger cities, it would occasionally have difficulty with surrounding buildings. I wore mine with a D-ring on my belt loop so it would be handy at all times. After all, you need / want it most during the unforeseen situations.

    • The Spot 3 has a motion sensor for the tracking, which conserves the battery when you are not moving. The battery last 3 – 4 weeks for me and I’m riding everyday.
      BTW: It’s good to have friends that worry about you!

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