Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: SPOT X
|
Author | Message Text | ||
boonie |
"I believe the Spot X DOES have month to month options available. I just spoke to Spot customer service (also on website: https://www.findmespot.com/spotx/lander.php) and they said they offer what they call “Flex charge” for the Spot X. This allows month to month (1 month min service) starting at $14.95/month and does require a $24.95 annual fee as well. This seems comparable to the inReach month to month option unless I am missing what others consider to be month to month. That’s entirely possible. I also note when comparing the two basic monthly subscriptions that Spot offers 20 text messages vs. inReach’s 10; a small win for Spot. Customer service also mentioned that they MAY offer Flex charge in the future for other devices which could be terrific for those like me with older Spot devices (Gen2). We’ll see…" SPOTX link |
||
ducks |
|
||
Michwall2 |
Thanks for your input. |
||
boonie |
|
||
boonie |
|
||
Jackfish |
The first place I looked was REI. It may interest you, as it did me, to read the customer reviews on the REI website. I'm going to wait a while before making that kind of investment. |
||
Marten |
Checking into Iridium (Inreaches satellite provider) and Globalstar (Spot satellite provider) shows me that Iridium is making money and Globalstar loses big every year. Also Iridium has just finished replacing their satellites. For the typical paddler the Garmin plans look the cheapest over the long run and you can get the weather on the Inreach. |
||
andym |
|
||
Minnesotian |
Also, I noticed on the Spot X review: "Unlike Garmin, SPOT does not offer a month-to-month plan, i.e. activate your service only for the months when you’ll use the device. For owners that need service for only a few months per year, the long-term cost of an inReach will probably be less." |
||
annlikesbass2 |
|
||
Jackfish |
annlikesbass2: "Be leery of relying on technology. Know your gear, route and maps. " +2! Definitely! |
||
Northwoodsman |
I have the InReach SE (older model) and I love it. I also opt in for the annual extraction insurance that is optional for my plan because it's only like $18 per year. It's cheap insurance in the event that you get stuck with a bill for whatever reason. Beware that in the terms that this insurance only covers the registered owner of the unit and nobody else in the group, in the family, or that you may come across needing assistance. Just wanted to throw this out there for those of us that like to read the first couple sentences and then click "I Agree to the Terms & Conditions...". I'm not sure who charges for rescues and who doesn't but like I said, it's $18 per year. No matter which device you choose, make sure that you know how to use it, it is charged or has fresh batteries, and keep it with you! If you are in your tent at night and a tree falls on you it won't do you any good if it is attached to the thwart in your canoe. If you just paddle out 100 feet to get water and you capsize and get tangled up and can't make it back to shore, it won't do you any good in your tent. I used to leave mine attached to my smaller pack on portages and then it dawned on me, I double portage and make 3 trips across, I only had my InReach with me 1/3 of the time. Duh! |
||
andym |
I think Spot may have a monthly plan but it may also have an activation fee each time you go off and back on a plan. With Garmin the activation for monthly plans is an annual fee. |
||
boonie |
andym: "Good point about the InReach insurance. It really bugs me that it doesn’t cover immediate family or offer that option. From the Andrew Skurka blog post: Service plans Like all SPOT and inReach products, the SPOT X requires a service plan. SPOT offers two levels: Weekender ($20 per month, or $200 annually), with 25 free messages per month (or 300 total per year) and unlimited tracking; and, Adventurer ($30 per month, or $300 annually), with unlimited messaging and tracking. Both plans incur a $20 activation fee. Unlike Garmin, SPOT does not offer a month-to-month plan, i.e. activate your service only for the months when you’ll use the device. For owners that need service for only a few months per year, the long-term cost of an inReach will probably be less. |
||
WhiteWolf |
Marten: "Competition is good for us consumers. Globalstar has hiked the minimum satellite pa kage to $1100 US (after fees and taxes) per year. I will be moving to a new device but will wait a bit longer because there is so much more that will probably be added to these devices. Competition is good!! Also Iridium has just finished replacing their satellites. Or really close to it according to Wiki Irudium 2nd Gen started going up last year |
||
tombo131 |
That said, Garmin has been putting the InReach Explorer+ on sale, so I'd expect they're coming out with a new model soon too. |
||
arm2008 |
|
||
Marten |
I rechecked and see Iridium is not quite done yet. Iridium news release |
||
andym |
arm2008: "I'm starting to feel really bad for you all that only need service a couple months a year! I'm outdoor "adventuring" about 50 weekends a year - hiking, camping, canoeing - and typically don't have cell service for at least part of the day. Still torn between the 2 major competitors, but for me I might as well have an active plan year round." There's just really good cell coverage where we hike near home. One of our favorite hikes is actually up a mountain that has a bunch of cell and comm towers at the top. On the water, the cell coverage is good. |