Mike,
I bought a Spot messenger a few months back and I keep it in the airplane for emergencies, but I probably ought to hang it around my neck and carry it wherever I go. I didn't spring for the full-up "tracking" package. I primarily bought it to use like a fire extinguisher... if I go down in the desert and I'm still alive after the dust settles, I can push the "911" button to summon help.
It will also send a pre-determined text message via satellite to specified phone numbers to let them know that "all is well and I'm having a great time". That is for when you want to check in with your friends/family but you're out of range of the cell towers.
Mark S.
On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 9:21 PM, Mike Wills <rv-4mike@cox.net> wrote:
A number of my glider flying buddies use the SPOT messenger so friends and crew can track them in semi-real time. Similar to the amateur radio system Ed mentioned, but relies on satellite communications rather than ground based ham radio repeaters. Seems to work pretty well, cost is pretty low, and actually provides a potential safety benefit if you end up landing somewhere other than an airport and need to summon help. There was a write up in one of the avaition mags recently.
Mike Wills
RV-4 N144MW
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ernest Christley" <echristley@nc.rr.com>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:20 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: MotionX-GPS as a flight instrument?
Ed Anderson wrote:
iPhone? I don’t even have an iPod and have not figured out all the features on my 3 year old cell phone. Beginning to feel like I am falling (have fallen) behind the technology curve on consumer electronics – no, don’t have and LCD, LED or Plasma TV either {:>).
A number of guys on the RV list mention using some Amateur Radio network and a gadget to track their flights in real time – apparently anyone can follow the flight path over the internet – look out Flight Following, technology may render you obsolete.
Ed
Don't feel bad, Ed. I just got my first cell phone about a month ago. Business partner made me do it...mostly for the data access. I don't understand the imperative to pay huge sums of money to listen to music that I can get for free over the radio, or to be hounded by people wanting me to do stuff while I'm driving. But that's just me.
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