SPOT Gen3 satellite tracker

[Christophe Noel]

I've used the Spot 2 and 3 units quite a bit as well as the InReach SE. The big advantage of the Spot 3, to the overlander, is the ability to easily power it with the vehicle's power source. Saves oodles on batteries. Through our Overland International team's many travels around the globe, we've found the Spot coverage usually exceeds expectations, but does have some noteworthy dark spots. The InReach uses the more advanced Iridium satellite network with superb reliability. We used that satellite system to communicate to Scott Brady to/from the South Pole which is quite an endorsement.

I could go into more detail, but I'd still suggest the InReach SE, or the new InReach Explorer.

 

[Matt_OCENS]

I've used the Spot 2 and 3 units quite a bit as well as the InReach SE. The big advantage of the Spot 3, to the overlander, is the ability to easily power it with the vehicle's power source. Saves oodles on batteries. Through our Overland International team's many travels around the globe, we've found the Spot coverage usually exceeds expectations, but does have some noteworthy dark spots. The InReach uses the more advanced Iridium satellite network with superb reliability. We used that satellite system to communicate to Scott Brady to/from the South Pole which is quite an endorsement.

I could go into more detail, but I'd still suggest the InReach SE, or the new InReach Explorer.

I am just curious about the issue you mention with charging the inReach SE, since it charges via USB, which is about as universal as it gets.

 

[carbon60]

I am just curious about the issue you mention with charging the inReach SE, since it charges via USB, which is about as universal as it gets.

I assume he was referring to previous generations of the inReach, which require a very odd 12v contraption or AA batteries.

A.

 

[Ziv]

I have been using a SPOT gen2 for the last 15 months. I use it regularly for a.m./p.m. check-ins and route tracking. To date, it has never missed a check-in and darn few tracking waypoints. The tracking waypoints that were missed were in an area of Deschutes N.F. with VERY heavy canopy on a miserably cloudy day. For my use, in the Pacific Northwest, the SPOT has met/exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend. That said, having lived and sailed in the Virgin Islands for 8 years I would never use a SPOT unit as an offshore PLB or EPIRB.

Ziv

 

[Christophe Noel]

I am just curious about the issue you mention with charging the inReach SE, since it charges via USB, which is about as universal as it gets.

Sorry, that was intended to read - the advantage of the 3 over the 2 is the ability to power direct from a 12v source.

 

[Matt_OCENS]

Sorry, that was intended to read - the advantage of the 3 over the 2 is the ability to power direct from a 12v source.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[JKJenn]

Any follow up on the performance of the third generation? I am about to renew my Spot 1 but if the performance is considerably better on the third generation, it might be worth upgrading. I would switch to the Inreach, but they have no plans of developing a Windows Phone app?

 

[izaicinajums]

Wanted to share my experience after using SPOT 3 for a year, which also included daily use of it for 6 months while traveling overland in US and Mexico.

For the most part it has been really good. It wouldn't check-in only when we were in canyons, tunnels etc. - basically in places with very limited visibility of sky. (Check-in interval automatic 5-15 min).

When we were using it for hiking we didn't notice a lot of skipped check-ins.

However we recently used it while biking in Stockholm, Sweden and experience large amount of check-in not reaching servers, both automatic and manual despite the fact there was no indication of problems with sky/satellite visibility. Which is not great at all...

I still think it's a good product, but now I would consider looking at inReach after these incidents.

As I am not sure would it be much better and we are not ready to invest money in new Deloreme inReach the question on whatever inReach would work better, will be left unanswered.

P.S. If inReach would like to offer us device for long term testing, we have nothing against that. hahaha

 

[Latetom]

Thank you to everyone who posted a question or an answer espectially to those who posted answers with their logic as a backup to the questions they were answering. I took what I read on this thread and combined it with what I found at http://opensignal.com/coverage-maps/India/ (this map gives a good idea where cell service is availabel) and decided the InReach was the devise for my wife and I. Knowing a family member can get hold of us when we are outside of cell phone service brings a lot of piece of mind to my wife as we travel around Australia, through SE Asia, India, Nepal, China, the 'stan countries, Mongolia, Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. It also brings a certain amount of piece of mind to both of us we can contact others when we are out of cell phone coverage. Again, thank you to everyone for solving a problem for us.

 

[jpachard]

I switched from Spot to Delorme Inreach since I travel solo frequently and the Spot was quite unreliable, even in CONUS. For me, if I'm going to spend the money on such a device and plan, it better be 100% reliable.


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[carbon60]

I switched from Spot to Delorme Inreach since I travel solo frequently and the Spot was quite unreliable, even in CONUS. For me, if I'm going to spend the money on such a device and plan, it better be 100% reliable.

Couldn't agree more! :iagree:

I've had an InReach for years with 100% reliability. And I've used two-way messaging twice in situations that did not warrant an SOS call, but that were serious and required assistance from the outside.

A.