Comment: Communications Equipment Review

I have been at the Avalon Airshow over the past 2 days. AMSA were there.

While on the AMSA stand I asked about another similar product, Delorme InReach. The officer there told me, after checking, that an Emergency signal/message would be sent from the tracker to the satellite provider who would then pass it to AMSA to act upon. The advantage this unit has is that messages can be passed to and from it. So an emergency can be called off, too.

On this information, I would assume that the Spot unit would also be acted upon when an emergency signal is received from it.

I am not involved with the sale of this product but was privileged to have one to trial for 6 months. One thing is for sure that when I go into remote areas again, I will be buying/hiring one of these units. I successfully sent and received messages from my son while trialling this unit.

Cheers
DW

I cannot add to what I have written previously but may I suggest you contact them direct. Then there is no doubt for you. http://www.amsa.gov.au/Search_and_Rescue/

DW

Whats your life worth? A GPS enabled MT410G PLB is about $350 these days which you register with AMSA. At any time you can update your information through their website. When I travel I put in a rough plan of my trip so if I do set it off it will match the plan I have given them and is likely to ensure a speedie response. (IE They can be reasonable sure it is not a false alarm.)

Spot devices have a number of transmission options being check in, custom, help and SOS. The SOS function is the only one which is sent to AMSA. AMSA do respond and I know this because I was involved in a rescue late last year from an SOS activation.
All other messages only go to your nominated email addresses/mobile phone numbers via SMS.
The benefit these devices have over an epirb is that you can watch the progress of a trip and you can also request assistance in a non life threatening situation. If you break down and you have an epirb, you can't be justified in using it where as with a spot you can request help with out AMSA launching a search op. In saying all that, they are not tested to the same standards as EPIRBS and rely on the user changing the batteries when required. I always advise customers that these can be used for but not relied upon in a life and death situation.
Tim

If you have an AMSA registered PLB you give yourself the greatest chance if the brown stuff hits the fan. Everyone who travels in the outback should have one. Unfortunately many a rescuer has lost his life looking for others in difficulty. With these PLB's you give you rescuers a lot of valuable information and significantly reduces the risks to rescuers of injury and death. If you read up on the deaths occurring on rescue missions you will find in excess of 90% of the deaths would not have occurred if the person in trouble had had a GPS enabled PLB.
Satellite phones are good but cannot be guaranteed to work, I always carry one as well because they can be useful.

The MOU between SPOT and AMSAR clearly states that they will respond to the activation of the SOS button. Also with spot you can register other events to send SMS or emails. I carry both when I have my boat but rely on SPOT for all 4wd activities.

Ignore the foolish and uninformed anti Spot comments above - this site seems to specialise in proponents of "The One True Way".


AMSA *do* respond to Spot emergency calls - what'd think they're going to do? "Yeah, we got this Spot thingie with a full GPS co-ordinate, but we didn't bother to follow it up - shame he karked it". Gawd!


For Australian vehicle land travellers a Spot device has a number of advantages over an EPIRB. Most likely our problems will stem from things such as being bogged or broken down in a remote location. Usually this is not a life threatening situation but it may become one in a few days if we do not get help. With an EPIRB your only option is to press the button - if you do that on day one you'll look a bit silly if help happens by ten minutes later. On the other hand if you wait until your water has almost run out it may be too late.


With a Spot you press the "Help" button on day one and your mate, family, whoever immediately knows *exactly* where you are and that you have, at this time, a non-life threatening problem. S&R has not been triggered because there's no need *at this time*. Now, ideally, you should have a HF radio or sat phone and then you can explain your predicament.


otoh if your situation is immediately life threatening; vehicle accident, snake bite etc the Spot has an "Emergency" button which will institute a full S&R in just the same manner as an EPIRB.


On top of that the Spot has a "Check in" button which sends an "OK" message and your GPS sourced location to family, friends etc via both e-mail and/or SMS. So if you sent one last night when you made camp but don't send another one (unconscious/trapped - vehicle accident?) at least S&R have an idea where to start looking. An EPIRB does not provide any of these non emergency facilities - it's a one-shot device and should only be triggered in the event of major and serious emergencies.


The situation for sea and air travel is quite different and an EPIRB is either mandated and/or the best choice in these situations - however the addition of a Spot would allow you to send "Check in" messages to reassure family and friends.


I have owned a Spot since they came on to the market, three years past iirc, and have used its "Check in" features successfully and extensively - I have also, very recently, been involved with S&R in one Spot generated emergency situation - all went well and serious issues were avoided because the "Help" signal was triggered before a full emergency developed - which, without doubt, would have occurred and then we might have been recovering corpses.


If you choose a Spot device I suggest you go for the stand-alone unit and not the one which mates with a smartphone - keep it simple is the ethos.

Thanks everybody! That's great information and discussion. One more aspect I'd like your combined opinions on- what about overseas- remote areas such as Tibet or Mongolia. Who will get the distress signal and activate the S&R - if anyone! And does either device have advantages in this situation?

re the Spot , Having paid outright for it and then pay the insurance I am on the understanding that I am covered for up to $110000.00 recovery costs for any major incident.