SPOT Assist
 

I was looking for some safety gear and came across this product. The new version has some interesting features, one is a call to TowBoatUS. This could be really handy when out of VHF and Cell range.

There are some bad reviews online, but they seem to be older reviews ('08). Things may have changed since then - but I don't know.

Does anyone use one of these?, or know anything about them?
Thanks.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

This may get lengthy - but I talked to the head of IT at SeaTow. They originally tested SPOT and turned it down for several reasons. According to them it is good for letting family know your GPS location. TowBoatUS uses it for that and for the second feature - non emergency distress. In other words, you are Ok but simply need a tow. It does not work for an emergency distress - where you need Coast Guard assistance. But it gets more complicated.

If you use the non-emergency distress option, meaning you need a tow, there is no way for the receiver, in this case TowBoatUS, to know whether this is a false alarm or not. They also have no way to give you a confirmation that they received the call. So you sit, hoping the thing worked, 40 miles offshore waiting for a tow boat you hope will arrive. Apparently TowBoatUS dispatches on some false alarms from time to time and SeaTow did not want wasted dispatches.

His advice was to go with a 406-PLB until the SPOT technology gets to the point that you can get a message received confirmation back. The PLB's run about $300 right now I believe.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

I liked the idea of the non-emergency distress. With a PLB, if my understanding is correct it is an all or nothing emergency. All of the troops would be dispatched for what might be a simple tow.

Are there any other options?

Re: SPOT Assist
 

I looked at this one also. It looks kind of cool if you want someone to watch you travel but it does not seem to be a good emergency tool. An EPIRB is the way to go for emergency situations.

For Non-Emergency situations I picked up a globalstar sat phone. The phones are available used via your favorite auction site. The service is around $30 a month for unlimited (at least it was when I activated mine) due to the current poor service they have. The service is bad, but I normally can turn the phone on let it sit until it gets connected (sometimes 15-20 minutes) and get a call through. Long conversations drop but short ones are not a problem. Globastar is launching new sats and service should improve over the next 18 months.

With that, I have no issue reaching the Coast Guard or Boat US when I am offshore via VHF. I have raised Boat US on the VHF from the Bahama Banks (60 miles off Stuart FL) for a radio check several times. If I need a tow much further than that, I will reach out to Boat US from West End in the Bahamas.

Not sure what kind of trips you are taking but you should look into the combination sat phone/EPIRB if needed.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

Tucker, with the PLB you are right - it is all or nothing and if you activate they send the world looking. Off north Florida and Georgia I have a problem reaching anyone onshore from 40 - 50 miles off with my 25W VHF and an 8 ft antenna. Maybe it's the radio - A fairly expensive ICON. I have to get a relay by someone closer to shore. Wonder what the range of a standard 25W VHF signal should be. I thought it was all line of site - the higher off the water you transmit, the father your signal will reach beyond the curve of the earth. Seems I remember a formula that said for very foot off the water your line of site increased by "x" amount - whatever "x" is. My brain fails me at times...

Re: SPOT Assist
 

An answer to your range problem is on the Orion(?) emergency flare packaging. They produce a "range of visibility chart there to illustrate how the curvature of the earth's surface effects the range of visibility of the different flares they offer. Using the "line of sight" guide of VHF transmission range you can easily interpolate what your VHF range likely is, assuming optimal equipment condition.

Good luck.

PS. They might reproduce the chart or one like it in the West Marine catalog. Come to think of it there might be a VFH range chart there for radio range purposes. Take a look and I will do the same, if I remember to do so. If I get an answer, I'll let you know.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

Down here the guys have them seem to like it - it was and is not supposed to replace an EPIRB - if your running that far offshore an EPIRB should be onboard

Re: SPOT Assist
 

Google works wonders:

http://www.naval.com/sight/index.htm

Re: SPOT Assist
 

From 6' above the surface of the water, the horizon is 12 miles away, it says here in my 48th edition of Chapman's Piloting. That's 2 miles per foot. So since line of sight = maximum range, then from an antenna 8' MSL (above mean sea level) to another antenna that is also 8' MSL maximum range 32 miles. That is, of course, degraded by bobbing up and down on the waves. Therefore, according to Chapman's, effective range is generally no more than 70% of maximum.

But wait...Digital VHF radio's are supposed to have 15% greater effective range than analog, (whatever that means). That would make the effective range for a digital VHF 80.5% of maximum range.

Okay, now my brain fails and my head hurts. :(

Re: SPOT Assist
 

naval.com is not even close to Chapman's calculations.
6 ft antenna on either end produced a 6 mile range according to navel.com.

Am I doing something wrong???

Re: SPOT Assist
 

This made me think. SO I went to "How Stuff Works" to find the following formula:
SquareRoot(height above surface / 0.5736) = distance to horizon.

That works out to about 1 mile for every 8 inches in height. So a 6' antenna (72 inches) has a line of sight of 9 miles.

I wonder if the current Chapman's still has the old guideline? My copy is from the late 1970's.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

Be sure to add in the length of the antenna PLUS the distance above the water to it's mount. In other words, how far above the water is the highest point on the antenna.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

I spoke to BoatUS yesterday and they said there has been only 1 request from SPOT to tow. He explained there are two SPOTs generation I, and gen II. Gen II is a little more power hungry due to increased power to transmit. There is also LED lights to let you know when a msg. has been sent, satellites aquired type stuff.

I was also assured TowBoatUS answers all calls because if the Towboats don't leave the dock they don't get paid.

Any bad experiences out there?

Gen I - $50
Gen II - $150
Both with $99 per year fees. It looks like I might be renting a Sat Phone this year and hope the technology improves for next.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

Just for the record, Coastel Offshore Cellular offers cell phone access from many popular fishing locations in the Gulf of Mexico, including the south end of the Florida Middle Grounds. The also have antennas on the Air Force towers in the Gulf, and many oil rigs. Very expensive, though. Any GMA or CDMA phone can connect.

I made three calls from 91 miles offshore in the Middle Grounds in '06 when a parishioner died, that cost me over $20 for about 16 minutes total.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

I have my vhf with the distress feature connected to my gps which should send my coordinates in an emergency. What would SPOT do in comparison as long as my vhf still has power? I can hail Tow Boat 25 miles out and both signals are pretty clear.

Re: SPOT Assist
 

What I'm basically looking for is a little piece of mind while fishing the Marathon Hump in the Keys. So a distance of 25 - 30 miles would be fine. Up here in NJ there is plenty of boat traffic for a relay if I run into trouble. According to what calculations you use a VHF may or may not make it.

No piece of mind in a may or may not.......

Re: SPOT Assist
 

I can't offer the piece of mind you are looking for but I can tell you there are normally plenty of folks on the Humps so you won't be alone. Also you will more than likely find you can communicate with the Coast Guard and Tow Boats at 30-40 miles with no issue. You may want to reach out to the Coast Guard and verify thier antenna height in this area. I did a quick search on line but did not find any good data.

If anyone is on here from the Keys, maybe they have some information that will help.