SPOT Messenger Locator?

Sorry I left something out…
I have to qualify my arguments…you have to have a dsc handheld radio with built in gps like the Standard Horizon 751 or 851 to get the most out of the rescue 21 system.

Yukon 1000
The yukon1000 race uses them as their primary tracking device/ camp break enforcement. We carried 2 in the boat this year offset to transmit several minutes apart and used them continuosly for the entire race. This included travelling in some of the most remote portions of North America, including some time above the Arctic Circle. Not one issue came up and I would endorse it as reliable.


If you are going to rely on a marine
radio for rescue as far as I know you must know your exact location…hence the need for a quick peek at your GPS and an even calm mind not to mix up the numbers.



Mixing up the numbers could cause a really big delay.



Personally I would rather just deploy the PLB. It sends a GPS fix.



But back to SPOT…its main advantage is communicating with those at home at least re your welfare. Especially when the user is solo there is often some worry.



My SO at home enquired today (finally got phone range) as to why I had not moved camp one day…but the SO also had correlated my movement via SPOT with the daily weather report… which on the day in question was truly awful.

Get both
Really you need to look at what you are going to use it for and how long. A SPOT can get expensive but so is a Terra-fix (EPLB) at first. If you are only using it for emergencies not to tell loved ones your ok a EPLB might be better it has a initial up front cost but that is it and it goes straight to the people that are going to rescue you not a private company that then has to notify someone to resuce you. Five years down the road they have both cost you the same amount of money. If you do have loved ones then a SPOT is great since it is so multi functional even if it isn’t as powerful.

Now I know this is going to make the VHF guy really mad so let me say up front you should carry one. If someone is close and you know your position they could get there really fast or relay to the proper rescue officals (like SPOT does). Getting weather reports and other things that can be done with a VHF will make you much safer and you should carry one. I can tell you from 20 years in the military where my life depended on me being able to send long range communications (more than 200 miles at times) line of sight will not go 200 miles. Simple put that is over the horizon so it is no longer line of sight. I’ve worked with AM (sky wave) FM (line of sight or ground wave) and Sat Comm and 200 miles out of line of sight isn’t going to happen without one REALLY tall antena and a powerful radio. If it is my life I’m going to carry both but rely on Sat Comm to send out my position and keep sending it even as I move.