SPOT GPS IS SPOTTY

[isuhawkeye]

You know, I thought about that, but after talking with a friend who used the 911 function after a snowmobile wreck in the rockies.  He said that the response was so quick and accurate that I'm not sure that any DF based response team (other than the active duty coast guard) could be quick enough to make that feature affective. 

Now, including an avalanche beacon into the unit would be interesting

Or,

I'm not a fan of carrying 2 GPS units.  If they added a screen, and a simple interface like an E-trex I would be really happy

[es_g0d]

Of course we can what-if and build in multiple features into the "future SPOT."  I think that would seriously detract from the simplicity of the device, though.  The elegance of the SPOT is that its nearly as simple as a hammer.  I'd allow my technologically phobic parents to operate it should the need arise.

That said, a deluxe-SPOT ought to include GPS navigation, as well as the ability to modify the "OK" or "HELP" messages.  At that point it would become a true one-way messenger.  I think those features are more in line with a GPS company than with SPOT, but that's just my opinion.  I could see either SPOT or a GPS receive manufacturer making that happen.  It would be pretty spiffy.

Another call to technophiles .... any way to combine multiple SPOT tracks on a single page???  I need this technical challenge solved!

[Major Lord]

I was actually being facetious when I suggested adding a 121.5 beacon. The principal drawback of the SPOT is the satellite backbone weakness, and its low output power. a 406 ELT uses 5 full Watts of uplink power ( although admittedly to a different set of satellites) I believe the SPOT output is on the nature of a hundreds of Milliwatts, but I am not sure exactly. Its a great idea, but the space station end needs work. Still, they are cheap insurance, and might work in areas where APRS does not have coverage, like the botom of canyons, etc. Adding bandaids like a 121.5 beacon won't improve it, ad adding power eating features like a display GPS take away from its primary purpose as a distress or critical incident transmitter. 

Major Lord