New SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger

I think the accidental activations were pretty “existent” for those rescuers who put themselves in harm’s way to head up Denali and into the backcountry in response to poor product design.

Linky and Linky2

I’m glad they fixed it. With a more powerful antenna and a button cover this is starting to look like a decent product.

Yup… this is exactly what I was waiting for…. upgrades. Hopefully the price and plans will be similar to the original model.

i wish they would have included contact points for nmea connection for linking with other devises (plb or mapping).

I hope they’ll have some kind of upgrade plan for existing users, or at least allow you to move your plan to a new unit.

I’m a member of Mountain Rescue in the Pacific Northwest. I responded to two Spot calls, both of which ended up being from accidental button pushing. We found that the coordinates given to us by Spot were “spot on”; even under the canopy, the plotted coordinates weren’t more than 50 feet from the subject. If someone needed help, a Spot would save hours or perhaps days in alerting and assisting rescue members. That said, I’m glad they’ve added button covers! :)

I am so glad for the covers. That is something that has always worried me. I love the spot. I am a nature photographer and go out by myself which isnt always the smartest thing. But my wife feels mcuh better now that I have the spot. It would really be nice if there would be a discount to upgrade.

Greetings from SPOT! We are excited to bring the new SPOT to market next month. Thanks to our loyal customers providing us valuable feedback we have made some enhancements which I think you’ll enjoy. As part of our customer loyalty program, you’ll be able to keep your existing service and upgrade to the new model at a discounted rate. More details to follow.

Thanks SPOT. I’ve been using mine since its inception all the while clamoring for the upgrades that now appear to be imminent. For the life of me I can’t imagine sending an accidental message but having been a pilot for nearly 40 years I’ve been a proponent of “guarded” switches. What I’m really hoping is that the upgraded chips will provide better signal acquisition/transmission than the old unit. Thanks SPOT!

Is this at retail stores yet? I can’t find it.

The SPOT website lists retailers… but I’d call and check to see if their stock has ‘arrived’. A minor quibble: it’s easy to think one’s reading about the new GPS Messenger and discover one’s reading about the old unit. Careful!

I wish your display showed GPS coordinates for navigational purposes. I’m a back country hiker and like GPS units for mapping. I would buy your unit if you offered this feature.

Does anyone know how well this unit performs in forested areas of NW California or any forested areas for that matter? Can the unit hit a satellite under canopy?