rvator51

rvator51

Well Known Member
I cant seem to get the Spot track to track my progress consistantly anymore. It will send an OK checkin message. Service at Spot seems to think I am doing something wrong cause if it sends an OK message, they think it should send a tracking message every 10 minutes.
I gave up after 20 minutes on the line with someone who didnt seem to be able to understand my questions or my answers.

One thing I received back in email coorespondance was to ask if I was doing a SPOTcheck (I'm OK) each time before I used the tracking mode to acquire the satellites.

I dont because no 1, I dont know whether it worked or not because it only goes to my wifes cell phone.
and no 2 because the manual says:

"To Disable:
You cannot cancel a SPOTcheck message, but you can stop any unsent SPOTcheck messages by turning off the messenger at any time.​
​
"​

Is there someway to go from SPOT check-in mode to tracking mode without turning the unit off, turn back on, wait a couple of seconds and then hold down the OK button for 5 or more seconds?
If you turn the unit off, doesnt it have to reaquire the satellites, which defeats the purpose anyway?

The OK Led also doesnt turn solid green for 5 senonds when a check in message is being sent. Instead it alterates leds between the ok led, the off/on led, and then both leds. Does anyone elses spot do this as well?

Since removing the batteries and putting them back in, I got the unit to transmix a track, but only when not moving. I walked around the neighborhood for 40 minutes and the only time it send a track was when I was at the house.
Am I doing something wrong?
 
Last edited:
rvator51 said:
Is there someway to go from SPOT check-in mode to tracking mode without turning the unit off, turn back on, wait a couple of seconds and then hold down the OK button for 5 or more seconds?
Click to expand...

Here's what I've found with mine:

Turn it on, wait a few second, press/HOLD the OK button (it will be solid green while you are holding it down. Once the solid green light goes out, you can release the button. Usually about 5-7 seconds). Now the Spot is in track mode. I place it up on the glareshield for best view of the satellites.

Note that I did not send out an OK message, I went straight to the track mode. I have my better-half, my best friend and my parents on the text-message setup and I don't want to wake them up if I leave early in the morning, which I often do.

When I get to my destination, I press and hold the OK button again for 5-7 seconds (solid green) until it turns to a blinking red light. It will blink red for a few blinks then turn off. Now the On/Off light is the only light blinking green. I have now turned off the tracking mode.

Next I press and release the OK button once. This will now send out an OK message to my list.

NOTE: You cannot send an OK message while the Spot is in Track Mode. You have to turn off the track mode before you can send an OK message. It is my understanding that this is NOT true of the Help and 911 buttons. They can be activated even if the Spot is in Track Mode.

I hope this helps.
 
With mine, I just turn the on/off button on which flashes green; and then the OK button for at least five seconds. From then on, it sends a track signal every ten minutes. Both lights flash green together every few seconds. And as I remember, they both flash amber when the signal is sent. My wife can use tracking on her work computer or our home computers.

L.Adamson
 
Craigs experience is....

exactly like mine. Used it this weekend on a hunt, sometimes walking sometimes driving, perfect track. Stopped once, turned off track mode, sent a check/OK message, no problems.
Doug knows almost everything there is to know about Spot. Since he is their Beta tester in aircraft:D
Maybe he will chime in!
 
I returned mine

Tom,

Due to the same problems you described, I returned my Spot. I had a flight that lasted a couple hours and had an "OK" at the beginning, one "tracking" and an "OK" at the end. When talking to customer support, they said that it should be better than only one tracking report in almost two hours but did not know why. All I got from them was to make sure it had a clear view of the sky and other standard responses. At first, they would not refund the $150 for the first year of service until I told them I would get VISA involved at which time they became cooperative. I am sorry it did not work as I believe it is a good idea. I will be investigating APRS for another try.

Good Luck,
Tom, RV-7A N175TJ Flying
 
tacaruth said:
Tom,

Due to the same problems you described, I returned my Spot. I had a flight that lasted a couple hours and had an "OK" at the beginning, one "tracking" and an "OK" at the end. When talking to customer support, they said that it should be better than only one tracking report in almost two hours but did not know why. All I got from them was to make sure it had a clear view of the sky and other standard responses. At first, they would not refund the $150 for the first year of service until I told them I would get VISA involved at which time they became cooperative. I am sorry it did not work as I believe it is a good idea. I will be investigating APRS for another try.
Click to expand...

So far, I've got four trips logged with good success. I'll be doing a four hour cross-country on Sunday. Will let you know if it all works out.

P.S. --- one thing I check once and a while, is that both green lights are flashing in unison every three seconds. If they are, the tracking should be functioning.

Other than that the APRS is too computer techo for my taste. :)

L.Adamson
 
Works Great

I've had mine for about a year now and use it everytime I venture more that 50 miles from homedrome.
I just returned yesterday from a trip to West Texas and used it on every leg. Over 1900 miles of use and it sent a message on average every 13 minutes. It skipped two points in the whole trip.
I'm very happy with mine.
 
I thought that was you!

Hey Jerry - I was pretty sure that was you tied down up at the North end here at 40XS the past couple of days. Glad you made it back safe.

To keep it on thread, I use Spot in the air and the car whenever my wife or I are travelling - never missed a beat.
 
Earlier this summer we took a 5 day float trip down the John Day river. I was able to track our progress by pressing the help button and just let the spot sit on the bottom of the raft for a couple of hours. I did this on all but the first day and it worked perfectly. The only people that got the messages were on the raft with me so if there had been a problem I'd of had to use the 911 button.
 
bad units or mounting not correct?

I wonder if some units just dont work as good as others? I found in the faqs where it says if it isnt getting good reception in an open area (led lights not blinkin in unison, that the gps module may have failed and to return for service.)
It also says to have the unit laying flat to get best reception, but I always use the belt clip to clip it to my harness which has the ant pointing horizontal instead of vertical. (however there video shows it clipped like this to the hikers). Maybe if I make a horizontal mount in the RV, it would work better.
How are others mounting the unit?"
 
glare shield mount

I removed the belt clip, placed some velcro on the unit and stuck it to the felt on top of my glare shield. Works great, always shows a full track after flight. I didn't know about turning off track mode before sending out an o.k. msg. That explains the only glitch I've had with an otherwise excelent product IMHO.
 
Two months ago I had a reply from Spot customer service to a question about optimum position/orientation.

The reply from Spot customer service was - "The optimum position to maximize satellite reception and message delivery is to keep SPOT horizontal facing upward. (Logo side up). In a vehicle, we can suggest mounting the SPOT messenger on the dashboard, however away from other commercial navigational units such as Garmin or Tom Tom. Please ensure a minimum distance of 5 feet is kept between such units. "
John
 
SPOT not so reliable

My SPOT seems to take breaks from transmitting. This can be up to an hour recently and often that is a significant portion of my flying time. The unit is mounted securely and therefore the lapses are likely caused by the unit or their system.

If you are having similar lapses then please call them. I only know of my unit and a friends that have this lapse, so I assume others are also.

SPOT is "checking into it" and will contact me with answers. The customer service rep was at a loss for words when I asked what would happened during the time no signal was shown if there was a need for the 911 button.

IMHO, that would negate the usefulness of this product.
 
I suspect the 911 button might still work even if the tracking isnt sending every 10 minutes as the 911 button sends the 911 signal to different satellites? Its been my experience so far that even when I dont get tracking, I can still send an "OK" check-in signal.
 
Any luck tracking shortly after sending OK msg?

rvator51 said:
Is there someway to go from SPOT check-in mode to tracking mode without turning the unit off, turn back on, wait a couple of seconds and then hold down the OK button for 5 or more seconds?
If you turn the unit off, doesnt it have to reaquire the satellites, which defeats the purpose anyway?
Click to expand...

I've had the same difficulty as Tom (with OK, then track), and wonder if it's my technique. Has anybody had success with sending an OK message (say just before engine start) then going straight into tracking mode shortly after? One thing I saw in the video was they said to test the OK message function, you should wait the full 20 minutes for that cycle to complete before turning off the unit. Wonder if the same is true for activating the tracking mode (hope not).

For those having success in tracking, any luck with hitting the OK msg button briefly to send that message, then pressing and holding the OK button to initiate tracking a few minutes later (without turning the unit off, then back on)?

Thanks!!

Cheers,
Bob
 
rvmills said:
I've had the same difficulty as Tom (with OK, then track), and wonder if it's my technique. Has anybody had success with sending an OK message (say just before engine start) then going straight into tracking mode shortly after? One thing I saw in the video was they said to test the OK message function, you should wait the full 20 minutes for that cycle to complete before turning off the unit. Wonder if the same is true for activating the tracking mode (hope not).

For those having success in tracking, any luck with hitting the OK msg button briefly to send that message, then pressing and holding the OK button to initiate tracking a few minutes later (without turning the unit off, then back on)?
Click to expand...

I just turn the SPOT on, when getting in the plane, and then the OK button for five seconds to put it in tracking mode. It usually sends the first tracking signal before I ever get off the ground. It's then every 10 minutes thereafter.

I don't use the OK feature for just an "I'm Okay" message, when at airports. I just use a cell phone for that.

P.S. ---- if anyone hasn't read it...............see the SPOT 911 thread.

L.Adamson
 
rvmills said:
I've had the same difficulty as Tom (with OK, then track), and wonder if it's my technique. Has anybody had success with sending an OK message (say just before engine start) then going straight into tracking mode shortly after? One thing I saw in the video was they said to test the OK message function, you should wait the full 20 minutes for that cycle to complete before turning off the unit. Wonder if the same is true for activating the tracking mode (hope not).
Click to expand...


Hey Bob, check out the thread Louise started (and links to in message #15 above) - yes, she has figured out how to do it - but you have to give it some time to send out the "OK" message before going to track mode. It certainly took us both time to learn the technique (and I only have it half down) - but she uses it almost every day going back and forth to work, and I get a departure and arrival message, in addition to tracking (such as it is - for her 35 minute commute, I get three track positions - at least I know she is somewhere in east Texas....).

Paul
 
rvmills said:
For those having success in tracking, any luck with hitting the OK msg button briefly to send that message, then pressing and holding the OK button to initiate tracking a few minutes later (without turning the unit off, then back on)?

Thanks!!

Cheers,
Bob
Click to expand...

This probably won't work Bob. After you hit the Ok button briefly, it can take several minutes to send an OK message, but probably less. The way you can tell that an OK message is sent is that the OK led quits blinking in unison with the on/off led. When you see only the on/off led blinking all by itself, they you know that the OK message was sent. Then you can hold down the OK button again for about 7 seconds until both leds start blinking in unison again and then it will be in track mode. Make sense?
 
Ironflight said:
Hey Bob, check out the thread Louise started (and links to in message #15 above) - yes, she has figured out how to do it - but you have to give it some time to send out the "OK" message before going to track mode. It certainly took us both time to learn the technique (and I only have it half down) - but she uses it almost every day going back and forth to work, and I get a departure and arrival message, in addition to tracking (such as it is - for her 35 minute commute, I get three track positions - at least I know she is somewhere in east Texas....).

Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul...shoulda looked at that earlier. Louise's review hits on all cylinders of this discussion. I think she (and other responders there) has/have touched on all the issues and suggestions for improvement I see at this point in early trials (like adjustable track hit timing and automatic OK-to-Track transitioning).

I'll try the "OK msg at preflight", then attempt to go to tracking in the hold short on my next flight. If that doesn't seem to work, then it'll be Tom's On-OK-OFF-ON-TRACK method (and thanks for that feedback, Tom!)

Can't wait to try it out more...good excuse to fly...like we need one! :)

Thanks much, all!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Worked tonight

When I send out the OK message as soon as I arrive at the plane (and open the canopy), the e-mail message generally gets out before I finish the run-up (i.e., well before 20 minutes). If it is important to know if it gets out and you have a Blackberry/SmartPhone, you can put yourself on the e-mail "OK" list and confirm that the message is out before you switch over. (BTW, when the preflight goes quickly and the taxi is short, I either turn the unit off or wait to activated tracking after the departure.

This evening, it worked well. The message was out and only one light was blinking when I called the tower, so I didn't have to turn it off to activate tracking.
 
Louise Hose said:
When I send out the OK message as soon as I arrive at the plane (and open the canopy), the e-mail message generally gets out before I finish the run-up (i.e., well before 20 minutes).

<snip>

(BTW, when the preflight goes quickly and the taxi is short, I either turn the unit off or wait to activated tracking after the departure.

This evening, it worked well. The message was out and only one light was blinking when I called the tower, so I didn't have to turn it off to activate tracking.
Click to expand...

Louise,

Did a test of this today, and it worked just as you said! I noted only one light blinking after run-up, and pressed OK again for 5-7 seconds, and had two blinkers after that. Tracked well on a little sightseer.

Sounds like you've hit on the technique... a bit after the first OK msg:

- One light only, go directly to TRACK, (do not pass go...OK bad joke)
- Two lights, OFF-ON-TRACK

Cool! Thanks (Louise and all) for sharing your experience with this! Helped a lot!

Cheers,
Bob
 
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