For those of you who are SPOT fans:

From the BC Floatplane Newsletter:

New SPOT3 Messenger will be announced soon
A couple of new features that are helpful for aviation.
It will have ability to configure a faster tracking interval (the old one was fixed at
a 10 minute interval). It will stay in tracking mode until you turn it off but not
repeat locations reports from the same spot (the old one only tracked for 24 hours
and repeated messages while stationary).

I think I heard it will be $150. Any idea of service cost?

They need to fix the spot messenger so that you can hit a button on it to "Check in" with a default message instead of always connecting to the APP to prompt check in or start tracking. That's my biggest pet peeve of the Spot Messenger, otherwise it's pretty cool to give specific messeges when I want.

Their website does hint at a new SPOT coming this summer. The main thing, for me, is they need an ability to receive messages as well as send them. I'm tempted to jump ship to a DeLorme InReach when my current SPOT contact expires.

Compared to Spot, besides having the advantage of two way texting and emergency SOS and message receipt conformationm, InReach is also far more reliable and works anywhere in the world. Reason for this is Spot uses Globalstar and InReach uses the Iridium sat system.

InReach is more expensive than Spot, about $100 more to purchase and then, depending on the plan, maybe $10 more a month. Being able to send and receive text messages anywhere in the world with my smart phone (no cell coverage needed) is pretty amazing.

bumper

Spot coverage is not worldwide, but I don't fly my plane in those parts of the world where it has no coverage, probably nobody on this forum does. My experience with Spot is high reliability, better than Sat phone, better than HF. Very small and light, and because it uses lower orbit satellites it doesn't need much "juice" to get a message out, so batteries last and last and it's pocketable.

Best thing with the new Spot 3 is the 2.5 min tracking - as good as the 2 min tracking on our commercial ships. The three message options are enough for me, I haven't felt the need to receive texts if I'm only away a few days. In fact it is a relief to get away to where I can't receive any texts.

Here's the thing that bothers me (a lot) about SPOT.

Success rates are forecasts for a SPOT messenger to successfully deliver a single message during a 20-minute period, based on network availability. Additionally, in everyday conditions it is normal for some messages to be blocked by your environment, such as hills or buildings. That 's why the SPOT Messenger is scheduled to automatically send multiple messages in every mode – giving you excellent overall reliability

So this means that you might be very happy with SPOT performance because every time you land you can pull up a map with your entire flight, but that's because it's been caching messages and broadcasting a group of them to assure they get delivered once it can see a satellite occasionally.

Put another way, it gives a false sense of security when it might go 5 or 10 or 20 minutes between successful broadcasts. So that day you are in a valley, with limited view of the sky, and have engine trouble, the last successful message might have been sent 20 minutes earlier just before you entered the valley. Thus the SAR will be 20 - 60 miles away from where you actually went down depending on the speed of your aircraft.