SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger unit, Orange/Black
SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger unit, Orange/Black
- Faster GPS acquisition for quicker 911 response
- Sends check in message, capable of tracking, sends help assistance message
- More satellite detection than any competitive product on the market
- Operates under the harshest environments, temperature, altitude
- New smaller size, lighter weight
Includes all the same functionality as before – now in a smaller, more feature-rich form factor. 30% smaller 30% lighter faster GPS acquisition. New features/enhancements advanced GPS GPS acquisition light custom message button enhanced antenna performance. Dedicated tracking button improved tracking performance safety covers over S.O.S. and help buttons replaceable button covers illuminated buttons. Message sent indicator light. Includes armband case recyclable packaging. Features SOS emergency assistance request sent with your GPS location to GEOS every 5 minutes until batteries die or until canceled. Help/SPOT assist, request help from friends and family every 5 minutes for 1 hour. Up to 10 contacts – phone and email. Check in lets conta
List Price: $ 199.95
Price: $ 144.25
DeLorme Earthmate PN-60 Portable GPS Navigator
- 3 Axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter
- Power mamagement system with ambient light sensor for optimal battery life
- Exchange GPS Files to SD cards(including waypoints, tracks and geocaches)
- Unrivaled Map and Imagery Choices
- 3.5 GB of user-available memory
The rugged, reliable Earthmate PN-60 delivers next-generation GPS capabilities, plus DeLorme’s market-leading map and aerial imagery displays. DeLorme Topo North America desktop software and GPS maps are included, with comprehensive detail for all your favorite outdoor activities in the U.S and Canada. Aerial imagery, nautical charts, and supplemental USGS and Canada topo maps are also available. Next-generation GPS capabilities, plus DeLorme’s market-leading map and aerial imagery displays. Tested in the world’s most extreme conditions. Find your position on up-to-date DeLorme Topo USA 9.0 maps. View cutaway elevation profiles with your position pi
List Price: $ 399.95
Price: $ 249.54
More GPS with Customer Reviews
Patrick
February 1, 2012Everything I needed, plus more,
I realized I wanted a GPS when I discovered geocaching, it took me one time going with a friend to find a cache and then I was hooked. I did however, spend at least 2 weeks shopping around, reading about GPSr’s from every company I could learn about, and then narrowed it down to a few. Both Delorme’s were in my radar, as well as the Garmin Oregon, Dakota, and GPSmap series. My friend owns a GPSmap60csx from Garmin, and I must admit that those have extremely exceptional accuracy, which most reviews and forums will attest to. I also learned that the Garmin Oregon and Dakota have had issues with attaining WAAS satellite locks, which took them out of the picture. These WAAS satellites give a much more accurate reading, and when you’re looking for caches in thick woods, pinpointing the area is crucial. What made me decide on Delorme over the GPSmap is mostly the software that Delorme offers. From my experience with both GPS’, the Garmin may be slightly more accurate in readings, by about a foot, which is a negligible amount. Having said that, back to the software, Delorme’s Topo NA software is incredibly in depth, (although not very intuitive). As well as Delorme’s map subscription package, you have many options for how your GPS will portray its data to you. I mean, for adding the $30 subscription to your total price, you have access to satellite images, USGS quad maps (which is amazing!), aerial photos, nautical maps, canada topo maps…. it just can’t be beat. And with the Topo software, you can layer and customize all the maps to work together as one super map on your GPS. Not to mention the Earthmate PN-60 has a much nicer, newer interface than the Garmin GPSmap.
All in all, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase of this product. It offers everything I wanted for geocaching, plus with a car mount, this works very well as an in car navigating GPS, and for bicycling too. Also with the nautical charts it will work great for boating and fishing as well. Many reviews I read about this GPS complained about the screen being too small for a car, but for someone with avg-good eyesight, it is perfectly readable. Lastly, I would seriously recommend buying this from Amazon, as I got impatient and bought it from a different store, which had the best price with my coupon added on. But to my dismay, only 2 days after I purchased it elsewhere, Amazon dropped their price almost $100 cheaper than they had had it listed for. So I say for this new listed price on this product, it is a steal!
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|C. Dillman
February 1, 2012Much better model for mapping GPS,
The PN-60 is a much better unit than the PN-40. Battery life is infinitely longer compared to the PN-40 (I had one) this unit will go all day on the Li-ion rechargeable pack. Additionally, the new menu system is far quicker to navigate and the profile view showing elevation is great for hikes. This unit teamed with the new Topo 9 also provides for quicker and simpler map and routing downloads. As far a GPS units this one may not have the biggest screen or smallest size etc… the reason you buy this unit is for the data layering and the Delorme maps – nothing comes close for $29.95 / year.
Check out the Delorme web site for plenty of examples.
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|Trevor Smith
February 1, 2012Great fun but not life saving,
I’ve seen several posts talking about the down side to a SPOT I believe it is unfair to compare the SPOT to a PLB. If you are looking for strictly a life saving beacon to be used in emergencies then I would have to agree with some of the over comments and say a SPOT is not for you, buy a PLB that is more reliable and has no monthly subscription.
But if you are looking for a fun, rugged GPS tracker then SPOT it what are looking for. SPOT is great so your friends and family can see a cool google map of your track as you are going along. Also SPOT is great a giving your family an added comfort when you press the “I’m ok” button or some other message to let them know what you are up to.
PLBs and SPOT have I believe have two different missions and would complement each other in any outdoor situation.
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|R. Brooks "22Tango"
February 1, 2012Could be a 5 Star Product but LOUSY Website and MANUAL !!!!,
(NOTE MY UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS REVIEW BEFORE BUYING)
I bought a Spot GPS Messenger 2 in May 2010, mainly to use when I travel in my airplane (if you go to my Flickr account, “SouthwestUSA” or Google “Flickr, SouthwestUSA Spot GPS Messenger” you’ll see my Spot resting on top of the panel in my airplane over New Mexico where it always managed to send a message) or RV. This product has received more than it’s fair-share of less than favorable reviews, and I too had earlier given this product a 1 star review here on Amazon, about 7 days after I received it. I was so frustrated and mad at one point, I was close to cutting the Spot in half on a band-saw and posting a video of the severing on YouTube. I wasn’t a “happy camper” the first week I owned this little jewel.
Here is the “meat” of some issues that need to be considered before you order this product.
#1. (Like most people advise) It is not a substitute for a full-fledged ELB.
A “full-fledged Emergency Locator Beacon does not require an annual contract, the Spot Messenger does. So, A ELB might be a cheaper alternative to the Spot if you need such a device for 5 years or longer.
#2. The website, where you must activate the Spot and purchase a service plan is complicated and convoluted. It is difficult to navigate and understand. It took me more than a week to finally get their BIZARRE website figured out in order to get my Spot GPS Messenger 2 set up and working as I need it. The manual that came with my Spot 2 is TERRIBLE. I should cut the manual in half, and post a video of that on YouTube. These folks need to produce a better manual. IT’S TERRIBLE!
#3. If you buy this little jewel, you’ll have a boatload of questions once you open the package. Rest assured, if you go to the “Follow Me Spot” website and look at the “FAQs” be advised that 90% of your questions will NOT be addressed on the website’s FAQs.
#4. If you call their customer support people, be prepared to wait for up to 20 or 30 minutes for a real human-being who you can actually talk to. I only have a cell phone and it was annoying wasting my “minutes” while on-hold.
#5. Don’t even think of sending a question to these people VIA e-mail… You MIGHT be lucky if you get an answer in 7 to 10 days by e-mail.
#6. The tiny buttons on the Spot provide NO TACTILE FEEDBACK (click) and it’s somewhat difficult to determine if your button (“I’m OK” or “Send Help”) was actually activated and worked… The button you push for the specific message eventually lights-up and blinks when they have been “activated and sent” however when viewing these very tiny buttons in sunlight, they hard to see and determine if the message was indeed “SENT.” If you are 6 years old, your little finger can get to the small buttons. If you are a Baby-Boomer like me, your fat, old fingers might have trouble pressing these little buttons in order to send a message. I have to use the fingernail on my “pinky” or a ballpoint pen in order to press the button to make it engage the electronic contacts. I suspect if I fell down a cliff or were injured in some way, I might not be able to get the tiny buttons to work because they are so small and awkward to access with my fat and stubby fingers.
Once I FINALLY got my account established and my emergency contacts set up, I’m having more confidence in my Spot as a device that can contact my wife when I am in a remote area not having cell service. My iPhone has a couple of WONDERFUL apps where I can press one button and ask for 9-1-1 assistance and another app that I can press, to send my wife (or anyone having an e-mail account) a message showing my GPS location on Google Maps… but the iPhone doesn’t work everywhere, and I love going into remote areas to tour ghost towns and old mining camps where there is NO CELL SERVICE FOR MILES. (You’ll see on my Flickr account my Spot GPS Messenger in a few Ghost Towns.)
The SPOT GPS MESSENGER can easily beam your pre-determined message to a satellite, when my iPhone can’t work. And so far (after learning the pain-in-the @$$ website for SPOT, I now am confident I can go nearly anywhere and be able to get my pre-programed message to my contact list. PLEASE NOTE… You can not create “tailor-made” messages with the spot while out in the boonies. You have to get on-line with your computer, go into your “Follow Me Spot” account in advance and create a pre-determined message. You get a choice of 3 messages with the 3 different buttons on the Spot. Below are examples I programmed into my “Follow Me Spot” account. You will probably want something entirely different.
There are three options for sending messages… #1. (Which goes to my wife) is “I am safe, here is where I am.” She is able to then click a link and it takes her to Google Maps and shows her my location. Each time, the accuracy of this seems to be around 150 feet, which is accurate…
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