Alternative to our SPOT tracker

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pcatterall

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We have used our Spot tracker for several years now. It is used for general simple messaging to family, friends and co owners and it is there for safety where shore personnel can track the boat on longer and overnight trips and also to send a full blown emergency signal if required. We like it, its simple and does all those things ( the emergency signal remains untested but as we use the communication system extensively we are confident that it will work in an emergency!) we like the ability to change the batteries ( cheap standard lithium AAAs)
BUT ...... the annual fee keeps rising so we wonder about other systems. Devices like the 'Yellow brick road' come to mind which do everything that SPOT does plus the ability to send short messages ( unlike the 'fixed' messages on SPOT)

We are committed to the idea of this kind of device and I will value any experiences with SPOT and similar kit. What are you using ? cost ( purchase and monthly/messages)
 
Not a lot of choice. SPOT-X with keypad is available in Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth models. SPOT also now offer a flexi contract which you can switch on for 30 days. Cheaper if you use it for less than 7 or 8 months a year.

The Inreach range that Garmin bought from Delorme might suit. Units are more expensive but subs might be lower depending on use. Uses Iridium satellites.

There are other products that rely on a smartphone app for messaging and/or only available in USA.
 
A yellow brick tracker starts at £399 plus vat. You need line rental at £12 pm and credits to send position reports or messages, 50 credits cost £7. Depending on your usage you could easily use 500 credits or more a year.
So its not cheap - I don't think any of these devices (Spot, In Reach or whatever) are.
I used mine very sparingly for messaging because of the cost - most relying on phone text or email to keep in touch.
YB has a built in battery but very long battery life. The people at YB I have found to be very helpful so I am sure they would answer any questions you would have.
 
I’ve used an InReach moving a boat from Greece to Barbados. We had an unlimited subscription which allowed us to send and receive as many messages as we wanted: that’d cost you about £70 a month now but cheaper, more limited plans are available from about £15 a month. Tariffs are here Garmin inReach® Satellite Communication | Garmin | United Kingdom.
You can use the InReach as a stand-alone messenger but it works best paired with a phone or tablet via Bluetooth. The InReach mini is about £300 or so details here inReach Mini | Handheld outdoor GPS | GARMIN.
I’ve also used an Iridium Go which is effectively a satellite modem. Looking at the functionality of the newer InReach, I think it’s been largely overtaken by them in many ways. It was also less reliable in establishing comms than the InReach and very expensive. If I were making a long trip now, I’d almost certainly be looking at buying an InReach, mainly for its flexibility.
 
figue said:
SPOT now do non-annual "flex" plans, e.g. SPOT Service Plans | Saved by SPOT.

The Garmin InReach Mini seems to be the most favoured of the alternatives. You don't need to buy your subscription from Garmin, e.g. ProteGear Freedom - Dataplans for InReach & GPSMAP 66i/86i. n.b. Protegear allow you to activate your plan ctivate by month/week/weekend/day.
Click to expand...
Thanks guys. The basic InReach plan does not work out at much more than the SPOT and the 2 way communication is a bit of a clincher. Even the basic plan would accommodate our usage most months and any extras are not too painful. I did check again what restarting my SPOT account would be and once Tax was added it was pretty expensive.
 
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