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dla
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dla
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PostMon Sep 08, 2014 12:21 pm 
wolffie wrote:
When I was off-trail, I used "tracking" mode. Had I not had it in "tracking" mode when I broke my rib, the GPS error caused by proximity to the cliff would not have been obvious if I'd hit the SOS button, and SAR would've been looking for me at 6450' on that east buttress of S. McCartney Peak, instead of 5250' on that north-facing cliff along my track.
Wow! That's the biggest GPS error I've ever seen. Any idea how many feet off that is? And I'm wondering if "Gurgle" Maps is just flat wrong too. If I were you, I would take the coordinates of waypoint 19 and plug them into Google Earth to see if there is a difference. Especially Satellite mode. I've seen 150' errors when next to a body of water (lakes and Ocean). Nice thing about track points is that the progression of waypoints tells the full story. BTW, I've encountered a few Google Earth map errors too, mostly where they misnamed lakes or features. Not very common, but it happens.

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wolffie
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PostTue Jan 27, 2015 4:08 pm 
I now believe this was operator error: mis-positioning of the unit. In the excitement of the accident, I think the SPOT3 got knocked askew, and when it tries to send a waypoint in poor alignment, it's inaccurate. It happened again last weekend. It sent an inaccurate waypoint exactly 60min. 0 sec. after the last accurate waypoint. SPOT3 shuts down automatically after "60 minutes of inactivity" (sic, in the instructions), and apparently this means either 60 min. of motionlessness (it has a vibration sensor) or 60 min. of blocked GPS signal. I've been carrying the unit in my pack's top pocket, with a lot of other frequently used stuff, and I get careless. I need to sew on a special top pocket for it.

Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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DigitalJanitor
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PostThu Jan 29, 2015 11:47 am 
Wolffie- you're in luck! Revelate Designs, maker of excellent bikepacking gear, makes a little add-on bag call the Spocket specifically for this task on the back of one of their bikepacking seat bags. Should be really simple to rig it up to a backpack lid if you were inclined.

~Mom jeans on wheels
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dla
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PostThu Jan 29, 2015 8:06 pm 
No, SPOT Gen 3 doesn't shut down because of lack of a GPS signal, but it does shutdown from lack of motion. It keeps the last GPS location when it shuts down. You must have some interesting pack material in order to block GPS reception - my Gen 3 can locate me in my house in the correct room.

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ranger rock
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ranger rock
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PostFri Jan 30, 2015 9:44 am 
For sure don't use the velcro strap or what ever that comes with the SPOT 3, they break right away and your SPOT will be gone.

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dla
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PostSat Jan 31, 2015 7:49 am 
As usual, nonsense. You aren't going to "break" that webbing strap. But it is a good idea to have a backup connection system if a person is going to be crawling through the brush. I use the stock carabiner and a large safety pin to anchor my Gen 3 to the top of my pack.

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ranger rock
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ranger rock
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PostSat Jan 31, 2015 8:19 am 
It's not webbing, it's neoprene or vinyl and mine did break. I still wonder about your adamant support for the SPOT and your lack of posts on any other subjects here other than the SPOT. I honestly believe you have ulterior motives.

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dla
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PostSun Feb 01, 2015 9:07 am 
That's not Gen 3. The Gen 3 has a Velcro webbing strap that encompasses the entire unit from end to end with an orange carabiner.

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tigermn
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PostSun Feb 01, 2015 2:16 pm 
Ranger Rock wrote:
For sure don't use the velcro strap or what ever that comes with the SPOT 3, they break right away and your SPOT will be gone.
Another reason to ALWAYS have your GPS tethered to yourself or at least your pack. That way if you drop it or it falls off and you don't notice, you will notice or at least not lose it.

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wolffie
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PostWed Feb 18, 2015 6:18 pm 
Here's the track for the Granite Mt-West Granite-Pratt Lake Trail loop. I was careful to keep the unit well-aligned all day. Waypoints 45-49 are inaccurate, presumably because of tree canopy or ridgeline blocking satellite acquisition. The entire return hike down the Pratt Lake Trail is not shown, probably for the same reason(s). Waypoint 50 may be accurate. Down in the valley, I did occasionally see a red light indicating poor GPS acquisition, but I'm quite surprised that it was unable to send anything during most of the hike out. The unit sent accurate waypoints (not sohown) all the way home on I-90 from inside my plastic-body Saturn. It worked well all along the ridge.
Granite-W Granite-Olallie loop
Granite-W Granite-Olallie loop

Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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tigermn
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PostThu Feb 19, 2015 9:46 am 
Why can't they make one with the electronics of the newer Garmins (and even older ones in the case of the 60) which wouldn't miss a beat on that route... I suspect they are trying to skimp/save $$$$. That's all I can think of...

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dla
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PostThu Feb 19, 2015 12:13 pm 
You realize that TRACK messages are not sent if there is no GPS reception?

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wolffie
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PostFri Feb 20, 2015 12:17 pm 
dla wrote:
You realize that TRACK messages are not sent if there is no GPS reception?
Yes, I'm discovering that. It also appears that it may try to send TRACK messages when there is incomplete GPS acquisition resulting in an inaccurate trackpoint (I've had one off by 0.8 mi). I'm trying to find out if it automatically powers-off to save batteries after 60 min. of no GPS acquisition. It's supposed to power-off after 60 min of immobility (it has a vibration sensor). I've found it unexpectedly off twice, both times when it was either poorly stowed or perhaps blocked by heavy tree canopy. The 2nd time, it send a way-off trackpoint precisely 60.0 min. after the last accurate one -- I think it was kind of a desperation "Hail Mary" message before it shut down. I've asked the company, but got an unintellible autoreply, so I'm trying to find out by experimentation. I'm not complaining about the unit; I just have to know how my gear works, and it's not idiot-proof. I've also noted that the shared webpage display is a bit awkward -- it only displays 25 waypoints per page, and only one page at a time. Your family should know how this page works. ALSO: I've told my family that if I ever send an SOS, it may not mean that *I* am in trouble -- I may be assisting someone else.

Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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dla
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PostFri Feb 20, 2015 4:26 pm 
I may be wrong, but I think it stops sending TRACK messages sooner than at 60 minutes of inactivity. I know this because I often leave it on the dash of my truck when I stop for a couple hours of shooting. When I check the track points, I don't remember seeing a big stack of them in the same place. Anyways, I know the unit will send a message with bogus GPS as I've seen it too - but not .8 of a mile. My units always seemed to get a location off by 150' or so when I was standing near water - just one or two TRACK points and the rest would be fine. I strongly encourage you to get the SPOT app on your loved one's phones. It is very easy for them to use. I made a special webpage with a pile of explanation in it and then put the link to it in my OK and HELP messages. But I'm not sure I need that anymore. Now I set my extra message to something useful before I launch ("I'm going to out an extra day and I'll send you this message each day I extend my trip"). Here's a collection of ideas you might find useful - http://tinyurl.com/p62vl7u And here is a shared webpage I used to use - http://tinyurl.com/qakgsqc

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DIYSteve
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PostSat Feb 21, 2015 4:39 pm 
wolffie wrote:
I've had one off by 0.8 mi
Sounds like a multipath error resulting from sat signal bouncing off something, e.g., a cliff

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