About 2 months ago I purchased the SPOT device. Thus far, I am pleased
with it. SPOT has a couple of other functions other than "disaster"
mode. It can track, send simple check message, send a "help" message,
and of course the "911" message.
When you sign up for the service you can set up the messages to fit your
particular needs, enter detailed contact information, and several other
things. For instance, I have set mine up for ground and air use with
notations in the database indicating vehicle descriptions, license & N
numbers, basic personnel descriptions, and instances where the device
would probably be used (users camp, hike, & fly). All in all I have
found it to be a useful tool.
Like anything else it does have some short comings:
In "track" mode, it will sometimes miss a signal. Possibly
the plane was banking away from the satellite or the car was passing
under a bridge at the precise second the burst was sent.
OK messages sometimes take 30 minutes to deliver.
I've not had occasion to check the "help' or "911" features as yet.
However, if I remember the company's claims correctly, they claim less
than 20 minutes to process an emergency message in the continental US.
There is a shared webpage that you can give the address and password to
for others to watch your progress when in track mode and they can see
your positions with other transmissions as well.
Google SPOT and you can read all of their propaganda.
All in all, my first impressions are good.
Tommy
N93929
________________________________
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Linda Abrams
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:05 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re: !21.5 Emergency Freq
Ooops; my mistake. Thank you to all who corrected it. Antenna on the
belly is transponder; ELT antenna is on the ELT itself which rides in
a little cage on the wall of the baggage compartment inside the
plane. (But it was worth making the goof to evoke the detailed
lesson on emergency SAR from Jim Truxel that resulted -- thank you!
And, like Ed, I'm wondering what the best alternative to the
expensive new installed-ELT would be, from the point of view of the
CAP folks who do the searching. What do you think, Jim? Assuming we
leave the old 121.5 ELT in place, is a hand-held PLB or something
like Find-Me-Spot a better addition?)
Linda
N3437H (Sky Sprite)
L.A.
2e. Re: !21.5 Emergency Freq
Posted by: "Syd Cohen" [email protected]
<mailto:sydlois%40charter.net>
Date: Mon Feb 2, 2009 5:58 pm ((PST))
ELT antennas are rarely mounted on the belly of an airplane. If you
see an antenna on the belly most likely it is the transponder antenna.
Syd
