Spot Connect for Smart Phones

We had also looked at sat phones as we had hired and used one up at Cape York. We also looked at HF and the cost was certainly daunting. My thinking is that most people have smart phones and these little contraptions connect to the phone and extend its uses. The inside of the cabin of our Ranger becomes highly disorganized the further we go from people trying to find "stuff" so having a sat phone to try and find amonst it is to much to bare. If one phone can do the job of two I would be happy.

Cheers
Georgie

I had look at this on the ExplorOz shop site. There doesn't seem to be much difference in price, is it simpler to use.

Cheers
Georgie

Thanks for the link. I have passed this one on to Carlo. When you start investigating this technology the mind starts to boggle. Are they available in Australia do you know.

Cheers
Georgie

I haven't chased that up Georgie but if the Delorme PN model GPS is anything to go by then the answer is probably no.

One thing to note is that some people have reported that these devices connected to smartphones reallly drain the phone's battery quickly if left on.

Interesting Bazooka. I would call that 'a spot with the working option'.

Monthly fees are over the top though. Think I'll stick to my HF for GPS tracking & contact and the Sat phone for emergencies.

I emailed Delorme about 6 months ago asking whether they had plans to include Australian Mapping for the InReach version of the GPS.
Unfortunately their reply was that they are only focusing on North America at this time and they had no plan to include Australian mapping within the next couple of years.
It is a shame as this is the version I would purchase for hiking.
Smartphones have their limitations when hiking due to the inability to put AA or AAA batteries in them for multi-day treks.

When camping with the vehicle however I can see where I would use the SpotConnect version. Even camping on our farm we have no mobile reception and the satellite phone is too expensive so we tend to just have it there in case of an emergency but would never use it just to send messages for regular communication.

Brett

Hi Brett,
You can make the same criticism of an EPIRB and they are the standard distress system world wide. You can have anything if you have enough money. The Spot2 is much more flexible than an EPIRB in that you are able to communicate good news or bad news to a number of people and all at an affordable price.
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
I agree with you to a point but my comment was not a criticism. It was just a warning to those that might be under the impression that the SpotConnect device is capable of receiving text messages. The 3 people I have discussed this device with all assumed that you could send AND receive from your Smartphone through the device.

In fact I have the Spot 2, and I also have an EPIRB, a satellite phone, and several GPS units. they each serve a different purpose and have advantages and disadvantages over others depending on the application.

I am certainly considering the new SpotConnect myself as it can still perform a function that only my satellite phone can perform but at a much more affordable price.

Brett

Hi Brett,
I too would have thought you could send and receive text messages. However I am quite happy if it can be used as one way text to inform distraught children where there jocks and socks are, and where their wayward parents have gone. Having said that I am assuming they are able to ring the Spot Connect in case of emergency.

We have hired sat phones before and have only had to use it once but better to be safe than sorry. Until I joined ExplorOz I wasn't even aware that such devices existed, I thought all such things were extremely expensive.

Thanks
Georgie