SOS locating unit - looking for some help with knowing what to buy.

[Bruce_92]

I want to purchase a locator so I can travel solo and feel secure in knowing that if I get myself into trouble I can use the device to send out an SOS and know that help is on the way.

I've done a little research but have not found a unit that I would feel comfortable in purchasing as of yet.

I was interested in a SPOT as it seems much less expensive then some of the others I've seen but have read that once they have your credit card information they will renew your yearly subscription without your permission even if your card has expired, also adding features you have not asked for and increasing your subscription fee. I have also read where they can be very difficult to deal with in correcting these issues.

I also have looked at a InReach unit but find the cost more then I would like to spend. The explorer unit is very nice but quite expensive and I find the monthly subscription fees quiet expensive also.

I would be more then happy with a basic inexpensive unit with the SOS feature.

I will keep looking and asking questions in my search for one of these devices but welcome any info/feedback and comments that anyone can provide.

Thanking you in advance.

All the best.

Bruce

[Coffindodger]

Hi Bruce, like you I had planned to go it alone and wanted 'insurance' albeit in the form of a personal tracker. Over several months I researched the market looking for a system based upon satellite communications as opposed to the mobile network which is unreliable in unpopulated or mountainous areas and decided upon the SPOT system. I bought the unit via eBay and registered as required. 2 years on and I still consider it an excellent piece of kit. Since registration the monthly subscription has risen by approximately £1.50, an amount I can live with given it's performance and reliability. My track is transmitted every 10 mins and is received by up to 10 nominated friends and family using Google Earth to track my progress thus keeping my wife reassured.
I have since also added a bike tracker hidden on my bike to inform me if it is moved and if so to where. At present I am home in the UK and bike in Spain, each day I get a sit-two to assure me all is okay. Been there since last October and will return in May. Friends keep a watch for me, I'm testing as it were under 'controlled conditions' and now have the confidence to trust it.
As regards renewing contracts since I go off for 2-3 months at a time I don't want to worry as to whether my 'insurance' is still valid.
Excellent system/service, recommend it.

Good luck

[kpredator]

delorme inreach,check it out.

[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by Bruce_92

I want to purchase a locator so I can travel solo and feel secure in knowing that if I get myself into trouble I can use the device to send out an SOS and know that help is on the way...

Hello Bruce:

As you already know, Spot and the Delorme InReach devices will meet your needs.

You might also want to consider whether a simple cell phone (that you likely already own) might also meet your needs. If you have an Apple iPhone, there is a small app provided by Apple called 'Find my Friends' that enables others to see exactly where you are at all times, presuming you are in range of a cell phone tower. Simpler even still would be calling someone from your cell phone, presuming again you are in range of a cell phone tower.

If your plans only consist of road travel - even in Northern Ontario - then a cell phone will likely meet all your needs. If you plan to go off-road in Northern Ontario, or to travel in very sparsely populated areas that are not served by cell telephony, then you will need a satellite based system such as a Spot or Delorme.

Michael