Wade- hardcore- any field test on PN60 with spot?

[Bruinbrewin]

Wade,
Have you had a chance to get a PN60 with spot where you could field test to see how well it works? I'm interested to see how it performs and if it is as useful as it was designed to be. Just wondering?
BB

 

[HardcoreOutdoor]

The combo works but I can't justify switching from my Garmins, yet. I love, yes love, my second gen SPOT, and would recommend that anybody who leaves the truck get and learn to use one but at this point there isn't enough capacity FOR ME to adopt the PN60 set up. However, I don't need to send any other messages than the three I have already programmed in the SPOT. You might haave the need to devise and send short messages from the field.

When it all comes in one unit and it gives me a larger letter count/capacity then I will give it some more consideration. So it depends on what you need/want.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com

 

[sab]

Bruinbrewin:

I have the PN60w setup. I was using the first generation SPOT with a Delorme PN40, and when I heard the SPOT communicator was coming, I sold the PN40 and upgraded. I've only field tested it during training hikes, but I really like it. The Delorme PC software has a steep and frustrating learning curve, but having climbed it now, I wouldn't go back to my Garmin 76CSx under any circumstances. The advantages of the Delorme units over Garmin units are that you can actually modify your maps yourself with the Delorme software, you can subscribe to their Map Library for $30 per year to get all the USGS topo maps and aerials you want, and they actually value their customers. Every time I had to deal with Garmin, they treated me like they were doing me a huge favor. In contrast, with Delorme, they treat me like I'm doing them a favor.

If you can afford it (it's pricey, as you may know), and you have a need for sending custom text messages from the boonies, I highly recommend the PN60w with SPOT.

Regards,
sab

 

[Bruinbrewin]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
My biggest concern is last year I rented a satellite phone for my backcountry hunt and I had to climb up on top of a ridge to get reception.Sure glad I never got hurt, it would have been tough to make that climb or perhaps impossible while injured. I am most interested in knowing if the PN60 will get and send signals from the deeps of a canyon in remote areas. By remote, I am talking 50 miles from the nearest berg.My thoughts are if the satellite phone did not work as well as I would have liked, the PN 60 will follow suit or be worse.
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[sab]

BB:

As you may know, the SPOT system runs on the same satellite system as the sat phones. That system does not use geosychronous satellites, so it only works when a satellite is within line of site of the beacon, and there are not that many satellites in the constellation. With satellite phones, you have to keep trying your call and eventually a satellite will come into position.

The way the SPOT system deals with this is your message is automatically sent multiple times over a period of time, increasing the chance of a transmission getting through. I have a couple season's experience with a gen 1 SPOT beacon, and I have had good luck with it, although I've never been in a deep canyon. The gen 2 beacons are supposed to be much improved in transmission capabilities, so I'm excited to use my new one on a trip. I have a solo muley hunt in northern NM in a couple weeks, so I'll soon see how well it works...

sab

 

[Bruinbrewin]

Thanks sab, best of luck on your upcoming hunt. Let's see some pics and I am looking forward to hearing how the PN60 worked for you. Try texting from a couple of deep canyons if your hunt takes you to such places.
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[HardcoreOutdoor]

It is significantyly more complicated than that. Not fair to compare sat phones to the SPOT or other EPIRBs because it is much more difficult to obtain and keep a signal for a duplex conversation than it is to send/recieve a small burst of data.

Also, there are two main sat comm systems covering the US. One, Iridium, works pretty well as long as you have good line of sight with the sat constellation. The other, Globalstar, used to be the best but they had some severe technical diificulties which they are still working out by replacing the birds. SPOT is a subsidiary of Globastar but works on a different system which has not been effected at all by the technical problems and I can tel you that I have a 100% success rate using both my gen 1 and 2 SPOT units.

I was an early adopter of the SPOT and was involved in the development/improvement of the SPOT 2 unit and I can tell you that after proper clothing and water it is the most important piece of gear I own.

The SPOT 2 is infinately better, faster more user friendly than the 1 and it does a great job. However, you have to use it properly.

Slot/deep high walled canyons with diminished views of the sky are going to be a problem for any piece of comms gear which means you have to be smart about how you use it. Send messages before you get in too deep, send additional messages when you the opportunity presents itself and send more when you get back out.

Make sure that somebody responsable knows that if they have not heard from you in X period of time that they are to report you as over due to the authorities who will start the search from the point of your last message.

There is no magic bullet guys. The device will help but it all boils down to you, your skills and good old common sense. I have a great deal of practical experiance with wilderness emergencies and I have the means to have any device on the market. The one I have chosen to carry is the SPOT because it works better than anything else I have ever tested.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com