I was doing some rock scrambling the other day and I had my SPOT personal tracker with me as always. Of course, me being the way I am, I didn't bother to tell anyone where I was going because my SPOT tracker would send them text and e-mail messages. At least this is what I thought until I got home and tried to check my SPOT track.

No e-mails received from my SPOT. So I logged into the SPOT site at home and got this message:

"SPOT is performing a planned system upgrade and maintenance.

ALL 9-1-1 SERVICES CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED AT ALL TIMES.

Check-in and Help messages may experience some delay. Tracking messages will be viewable upon completion of the maintenance period.

At this time we are unable to process new registrations and provide account access.

The web site will be available shortly with full account access."

While it's nice to know that the 911 service was still up, I would have been screwed and tatooed if I needed non-emergent help! And I wouldn't have had a clue that my messages weren't getting through (out of cell range).

I sent the SPOT folks a nasty e-mail because I thought it would be nice if they would at least announce they'd be down for maintenence with an e-mail in advance.

BTW - the SPOT logs did come through ...... but about 12 hrs. later.

Once again I'm thinking about getting a sattelite phone.

I wasn't doing anything risky and the weather is pretty stable this time of year...... but it made less confident in this device. And maybe that's a good thing.

I'm glad you started this thread. I was out on the weekend and left Friday. On the way up I sent dome messages and checked with the wife via cellphone to see if she received them. Nope, she didn't. After some searching she told me the same thing you found. I can't believe they don't have some kind of back up system.

This was the first time I used spot and I was a little scatterbrained while camping/hunting...I guess the elk were more important than checking in. I could swear though that I checked in more than 4 times but that's all the messages that came through. I did some checking in, in the trees to test it, I suppose a good thinker would have kept a log to see when/where he tested it but that's not my style. Next time I'm out it's going to get a real good test and if it doesn't get every message through I think I'll return it.

It's a cool piece of gear and the wife was pleased to be able to see where exactly I was using google sattelite maps. It would also be great for searchers in an emergency but if it doesn't have 100% reliability it's just a false sense of security.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.759...62&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

here's a link to the area I was in....hope it works

the chef

Hey Chef;
Glad you made it back alive. Did you see any elk, or maybe a Grizz? Maybe, because I've got dial up, I can't make much out of that map, other than your co-ordinates. Whatever that river is, doesn't make any sense to me. Certainly doesn't seem like the Red Deer.

Our trail ride was certainly worthwhile. My horse needed the riding. He only managed to dump me once, slightly Saw two Blackies off in the trees.
My mind is still open on this Gizmo. Sounds like one of those things that will improve greatly, given a little time
Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:

here's a link to the area I was in....hope it works

the chef

Close (NE from) Big Horn Falls..... great area! 51.75990 -115.54620 says it all.‎

Thanks for the info, Chef!

From what you said, I think the SPOT site was down for more than "a few hours"..... a couple days?

In any case, I'm going to keep my SPOT.......hope they clear up these "lapses"!

Daman, I had no reservations on showing that site to the world. Heck it only took me 6 years to get the draw I figure if everyone has to wait 6 years it's not a problem if they want to go too!!

By the way a funny thing happened.....I spent an hour talking to an elk that kept wandering away up the mountain, I kept working him and getting closer and closer. Finally when I was getting in close I heard the horse that the "elk" rode in on. Haha, another hunter and I gave each other the auditory thrill of the weekend, I must have had his adrenalin pumping because mine sure was. I snuck out of there before he could get mad and drill me with an arrow, the poor guy spent another hour trying to sweet talk that "bull" back in.