Spot x 2 Way Satellite Messenger

The device is good looking and well made. However, setting it up is a lengthy process, and a bit clunky. I am still having issues getting it to work, despite following instructions and paying subscription. I think its a minor thing I'm doing wrong, but cant work it out. It currently is not getting any GPS signal, and when it does its fleeting. And it wont send out text messages. I paid for the activation fee and service plan (basic) for 12 months- was $215US, which ended up being $310 AUD, which is quite a lot. I just hope i can get it to work!

I went to Alaska on a 10 day moose hunt with several friends. We were hundreds of miles away from any help. I bought the spot x with the idea of it being my lifeline.I activated my account before leaving on the trip and tested the device, all seem to be working well. On the trip itself I was able to send a couple of check-ins to my wife.On one particular hike we had climbed to the top of a 5,000 ft knoll. I took out the device to send a check in. The screen was frozen and all the buttons non-functional. I was not able to turn off the device or restart it in any way. The device didn't work for the rest of the trip and after some time the battery died due to the screen being frozen on.The device was never wet, or dropped, or damaged in any way.I chalked it up ... MoreI went to Alaska on a 10 day moose hunt with several friends. We were hundreds of miles away from any help. I bought the spot x with the idea of it being my lifeline.I activated my account before leaving on the trip and tested the device, all seem to be working well. On the trip itself I was able to send a couple of check-ins to my wife.On one particular hike we had climbed to the top of a 5,000 ft knoll. I took out the device to send a check in. The screen was frozen and all the buttons non-functional. I was not able to turn off the device or restart it in any way. The device didn't work for the rest of the trip and after some time the battery died due to the screen being frozen on.The device was never wet, or dropped, or damaged in any way.I chalked it up to having one bad device until I called customer support to get the issue resolved. What they told me was mind-blowing!!!The customer service representative told me "sometimes these devices do that"And tried to justify it by saying "it only happened one time right?"One time could mean your life.I will never use any product from this company ever again. I regret not spending the money and getting something reliable. That was stupidity on my part and a mistake I won't make again. From now on I will try to steer as many people I can away from this product.

First, the good:1. It's way cheaper than a Garmin InReach. That's probably why you're looking at this product, right?2. It does what it says on the tin. You can send texts, receive texts, I assume that the S.O.S. service works (thankfully, I've never had to use it). You can look at a map of your route when you get home.3. Decent battery life.Now, the bad:1. Don't let it get wet! This seems like a strange thing to say about a device that's ostensibly built and marketed to wilderness adventurers, but I had an "incident" (read: dropped it in about six inches of water when transferring my portage bag into a canoe at a put-in) and it immediately became a useless brick.2. The keyboard is awful. If you liked typing on your Nokia cell phone in the late '90s and ... MoreFirst, the good:1. It's way cheaper than a Garmin InReach. That's probably why you're looking at this product, right?2. It does what it says on the tin. You can send texts, receive texts, I assume that the S.O.S. service works (thankfully, I've never had to use it). You can look at a map of your route when you get home.3. Decent battery life.Now, the bad:1. Don't let it get wet! This seems like a strange thing to say about a device that's ostensibly built and marketed to wilderness adventurers, but I had an "incident" (read: dropped it in about six inches of water when transferring my portage bag into a canoe at a put-in) and it immediately became a useless brick.2. The keyboard is awful. If you liked typing on your Nokia cell phone in the late '90s and want to relive that experience, this will be a treat. Otherwise, it's not great.3. The Globalstar satellite network is not as extensive as the Iridium network, which is what is used by Spot's primary competitors.4. The software that you can use to track your trips after the fact is not exactly user-friendly. It seems like it would be useful if you were in charge of a group of workers out in the bush and had to keep track of them, but it does not seem like it's designed for the average backcountry trekker.5. Customer support - forget about it. You're on your own.If this were an otherwise excellent product, I'd probably go out and buy another one and just put it in a waterproof case. It's not an otherwise excellent product though, it's not even a particularly good one. From everything I've read, I would have been much better off with a Zoleo or Garmin device. I'd recommend going with either of those two alternate options even without having yet used them.