Description
Product Description
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Pursue Your Passion | Embrace the JourneyAdd these rugged, pocket-sized devices to your essential gear and stay connected wherever you play or work. |
Sleek and Rugged | Meant for AdventureSPOT gives you a critical, live-saving line of communication when you travel beyond the boundaries of reliable cellular service. |
Guard Your GearSPOT offers advanced tracking for your most values assets. Follow SPOT Mapping on your phone or computer. |
Go Anywhere | Do AnythingThe SOS Feature on Spot X & SPOT GEN 4 alerts GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center with your GPS coordinates and information to local teams who can take life saving measures. All with the push of a button. |
Share & Save your Adventures and Favorite Locations
- Visualize your Story
- Enhance your Map Experience
- Get notified immediately with email + SMS Alerts
- Geofence Targeting to trigger alerts or mark map zones
west valton archer –
4.5 Stars-It does what it’s supposed to do.The Spot X gave me no problems during a week in the Rockies. It functioned as intended.Note that you will need a laptop or desktop to download & update the firmware prior to/during activation. Read and follow the activation instructions and you should have no functional problems with the unit.Once you’ve activated & subscribed the unit is fairly intuitive. The keys are small, (it is a full QWERTY keyboard) and typing in messages takes a little longer than on a smartphone. The typefont is on the small side and reading in direct sunlight can be difficult, not unlike a smartphone.I did not use the tracking function so I cannot speak to the accuracy, however, sending a “check in” message provides the Lat/Long & elevation of your location to the recipient.I sent several messages to contacts and all were received.For all intents and purposes, the Spot X does it’s job.
Heather –
Easy Setup / Know What You Are GettingI was able to set up this device and send the first message in less than 15 minutes of it arriving.Some important tips:Start by going to Spot’s website and registering the device. I already had an account for a previous generation Spot, so I just needed to add the new device to the account. The SpotX makes this easy because it displays the numbers you need the first time you boot the device. Tip: Update your billing before registering the device if you are using a new credit card different than the previous one linked to the account.As soon as it’s registered, I used the included USB to connect the device to the computer and downloaded the new firmware (the link for the software is conveniently on the same page as the device profile). The software downloaded and installed in about 5 minutes.I updated the firmware on the device which took about 3 minutes. Once done, I took it outside, aimed it at the blue sky, sent a message to my cell, and voila! Text message to my phone received about 30 seconds later in the middle of my subdivision with 2 story houses and trees surrounding me.Looking at many of these reviews, it seems like customers were expecting more out of this device. It is NOT a phone. If you had a prior model of a spot, this works essentially the same way except with the convenience of sending custom text messages (along with preloaded ones) to individual contacts which is a huge advantage compared to the regular spot.But don’t expect it to do anything else than that. It doesn’t pull up your facebook feed (although you can sinc your messages to social media to post text if you would like). It doesn’t pull up your email account. It is a handy tool for keeping in touch off the grid and for emergencies. It is not an iphone.The keyboard has the feel of an old blackberry for those old enough to know what I’m talking about. If feels rugged enough, but I don’t think a drop on concrete from 10 feet high would serve it well. As far as landing on dirt or water it seems sturdy enough to absorb the shock if dropped from your hand or out of a backpack outside. It has a nice sealing USB port cover that seems up to the challenge of keeping moisture out.It DOES have a backlight, but you had to press the power button to toggle it on and off. I am guessing forgetting to turn it off will drain the battery more quickly.The menu is a bit clunky, and requires reading the manual in order to understand what all the different notification icons mean. Once you get used to them, you will know what you are doing.Overall, I prefer the SpotX from the Garmin Mini. It is an all in 1 device that I don’t need to pair with my phone. I think the fundamental thing to understand is that while it’s not an iphone, it definitely is a great tool to send a receive communication outside of cell contact.
C-villean –
If there were any alternative I would get it!This is probably the most annoying piece of hardware I have ever owned. When it is working it is great, but boy is it uncooperative. Doesn’t respond to button pushes about half the time. Try to turn on tracking, it doesn’t turn on. Try to shut it down, it doesn’t respond to the button push. The software support is awful. It says Bluetooth, so I expected to be able to set it up using Bluetooth on either a computer or iPad. Never found a way to connect to it.The instructions were apparently written by the technical staff, so they use terms that I’m sure are very familiar to them but I had no idea what they meant. And I’m a technical guy. And skimpy. Again, for someone already familiar with Spot devices, I’m sure they are a good quick guide. For a new user, inscrutable.First I tried to establish an account and program it using the computer, but the web site only has the option to establish an account for the Global Phone product, no other options. So I set up an account using the iPad. But since there was no Bluetooth connection there was no way to program the Spot X. Had to program it by logging into the (now established) account on the computer and using a hard USB connection!It freezes occasionally. And it can take a very long time to upload data to the satellites. So you enter something and wait, not knowing if it is waiting to upload, or has frozen . . . and wait . . . no status indication, just wait . . . and wonder . . .The screen is hard to read, small print, black on gray. God help you in low light! If there were any alternative I would get it.But again, once it is on and working it’s a champ. Lovely little time-stamped locations sent out every 10 minutes. Pre-programmed messages to send, as often as you want.If you need a tracker, get it and good luck to you.
Don Farrell –
Good for off the grid communications but performance is mediocre.The device is great for staying in touch while you are out of cell range. However, you must have a clear line of sight to the sky. The Spot X does not work when hiking in the forest or near canyon walls. The battery life is not as advertised. I can barely get four hours of use while using the tracking function.Spot X offers much more affordable plans than their competitors. After paying the $30 activation fee I subscribed to a $15/month plan that provides unlimited check-ins and predefined message as well as 20 custom text messages per month. Additional custom text messages are $0.25 each.
Scott –
Communication between app and device is badIt got messages out, but took a very long time. My colleague fared much better with his sat phone. I suspect that Spot is relying on very old contracts with legacy satellite networks.The user interface of the mobile app is very different than the user interface of the device, which makes it a bit confusing. The app linked to the device via blue tooth very quickly, BUT it really did not transfer messages between mobile and device reliably. I gave up, put away the mobile, and just used the device. If I knew this was going to be the case, I would have opted for one of the less expensive Spot devices or (more likely) shopped a different brand like Garmin.Battery life is about as good as a 4 year old iPhone 8
gold digger –
not a Garmin In ReachMy Garmin In Reach was inadvertently packed away during a recent move. Unable to find it prior to my leaving to Northern Alaska I bought this in a pinch. It appears to work but functions were slow and the Bluetooth range is very poor. Some area code recipients simply never received msgs. Others took hours or even 24 hours or more. Not nearly as “robust” as the Garmin. I was inside the Arctic Circle so maybe the Globalstar satellites are not as plentiful as Iridium? If you can afford the Garmin you will find it a much better choice.
Amanda & Kody Miller –
Takes way to long to send a messageSometimes it doesn’t send a message and most of the time it takes around five minutes to send a message. Sent my location one and the link didn’t even work.
Russell P. Anton –
Totally UnreliableOthers have said this, I’m also saying it. Don’t say you weren’t warned. I have been a satisfied Spot customer through two previous generations of Spot devices. The SpotX is not like any of them, and is NOT user friendly in the least. I am not a satisfied SpotX customer. In fact, I’ve gotten rid of my SpotX and, for now, am reverting back to the use of my Spot Gen3. In the winter I spend a lot of time solo kayaking the Everglades, Big Cypress and the 10,000 Islands area of the FL Gulf. My wife puts up with this because she can follow my tracks. I got the SpotX for the added benefit of free form texting back and forth. I started last winter with my SpotX and a heart full of hope. On my 1st outing, a test, so, I had cell service, my wife called me while I was on the water. She was seeing no tracks. I called Spot on returning to shore and after a couple of conversations I learned that my device went into “pause” mode. The reason it did is that SpotX has a battery saving “feature”. A built in accelerometer, and if it senses no physical movement of the device, like the shaking it might experience while walking, it decides that you aren’t moving and it goes into pause mode almost immediately, and will not drop any more tracks until it decides you started moving again. You can’t get around this. Kayaking, the device is basically resting on the deck. So, you just can’t track kayaking. I’d bet you can’t track road biking. So, for the rest of the winter I reverted back to my Gen3 Spot device. On returning home to MI in the late spring I hoped to be able to use the SpotX for hiking and backpacking. First, let me say, unlike previous Spot devices the SpotX demands to be kept horizontal. Even the slightest angle, and you’ll receive warning messages that things may not go well unless you get the device horizontal. It is MUCH more sensitive to it’s positioning and the need for open sky. On my 1st hike I dropped zero tracks. I had the device on a carabiner hanging from my belt at my side. I guess it didn’t have a clear enough view of the sky, my body got in the way. You are supposed to get confirmation of sent messages. A check next to the message if it got through. A “?” If they can’t determine if it got sent, and an ”X” if for sure it didn’t get sent. I sent messages where that tiny status character wasn’t totally displayed. So, you have no idea if your message got sent. On one test hike I started SpotX, turned tracking on, and mounted it high on the back of my backpack. On finishing my hike I found the device had turned itself off. No tracks were dropped for the entire hike. The device itself, has a tiny keypad that, irritatingly, sometimes the key you hit doesn’t take. So, you have to re-enter it. You need to focus on every letter you key in. I cannot overstate how tiny the text of messages are, the status indicators as well, maybe more so. You better have 20/20 vision to use this. To sum it all up, after very thorough testing and numerous conversations with all levels of Spot technical support; this device is very finicky, unreliable and requires a lot of your attention. I ask myself, why am I out there? To focus all my attention and energy on making certain the device I am relying on for emergency communication, is in fact, functioning, and functioning as it should. I’ll stay with Spot Gen3 for now. Perhaps when the pain of this experience is a faded memory next winter I may take a look at Garmin InReach Mini. I hear that’s much better.
Sant –
One Year of Nothing But Trouble!I’ve had the Spot X and the Spot X service for just over a year now. All I really need is a device that can let my loved ones know where I am when I’m out of cell service, which is alot of the time. Plus an emergency SOS plan. Tracking, while a nice option, is actually not necessary. (I know where I’ve been, if not always where I’m going!)For the first six months, I was able to use the SpotX, despite the fact that I couldn’t get it to update via the computer interface. Finally, after about seven ‘chats’ with the company and trying at least ten different USB cords, a tech was able to reprogram it remotely. I can’t tell you how many times they told me to reset it by pushing the power and select buttons simultaneously! I’ve got that one down pat.I consider myself fairly tech savvy. So, finally I was able to manage the device with both my phone and the computer. This, after six months of frustration. Fast forward to just now (Nov 11, 2021), and I’ve been boondocking for about three weeks. The device was working fine, sending my loved ones my whereabouts on a nightly (thanks to me, not the subscription) basis.Suddenly, about fours days ago, the device would NOT recharge. ACK! I tried everything – different cords, wall plugs, computer. I left plugged in overnight; while I was driving; you name it. The recharge icon just would not come on, it was just an empty battery icon with a note. (See photo)Finally when I got to a wi-fi signal, I spent a half hour on “chat” with them. The friendly dude tried to get me over to Tech, was put on hold (yes, even their employees are put on hold) but finally he opened a ‘ticket’ for me, and told me that they would be in touch within 48 hours. 48 hours? I’m continuing my journey and taking off for the boonies again in the morning, isn’t there something you can do? NOPE. Is the warranty still valid? NOPE, it’s been just over a year, it’s out of warranty.SO after over a year of a service plan that only worked for six months, plus the now worthless device, I asked him to deactivate my account since I was being charged a monthly fee for something that wasn’t working. He couldn’t do that – I had to call that into customer service.In the end, everybody was trying hard, and very nice. I got the feeling that this wasn’t their first rodeo with a dissatisfied customer. The last guy finally came on the phone, and didn’t even try to talk me out of it. This says alot to me.I know everybody has different experiences. I was warned about SPOT X before I bought it, so I only have myself to blame. Trying to save a few bucks didn’t work out for me! Guess I’ll have to give Garmin or Zoleo a whirl.$300 (a year ago) for the now worthless device; $20 activation fee; $12.95 per month for 13 monthsFinal cost: $488.35Pretty pricey for what I got. Ultimately, an expensive mistake!My two cents? Buyer beware!
Allen G. –
Decent Device But You Have To Understand What It Is and Isn’tI see a number of negative reviews on this device. I had one of the first gen Spot messengers that I ditched for the Garmin Inreach (which does have a number of advantages over Spot–complete global coverage being one of them). I just downgraded my Inreach plan and picked up a Spot X. So far I’m glad I did.First, this is important to understand: it’s a satellite device. You really have to be outside in order for it to work reliably. It looks like people are picking these up expecting them to be some sort of everywhere-Blackberry’ish device. It’s not. But it’s close enough such that, properly configured, it will give people a way to reach you (and you them) in a semi-reasonable amount of time. It also does a stellar job of tracking and reporting your outdoor location.Bottom line: I’ve spent about 2 weeks with it on my hip, indoors and out, and here’s what I’ve found. Outdoors, it always works. It tracks, sends and receives messages perfectly. In the car it’s a little less reliable but setting it in a little suction cup holder on the windshield also works perfectly. In the house, if I set it on a table by the window it works some-to-most of the time. Anywhere else indoors is a black hole. Battery life is reasonable although I don’t think it’ll run 10 days 24×7 with tracking at 10 minutes. So take a solar battery if you’re going to be off-grid a while.Things I wish it did better: the user interface. It’s a little cumbersome to see what did and didn’t get sent. It would be nice if there were an “if you really want to send this, you need to stand still and hold it up in the air” beeps after a couple of minutes of not sending. Email-to-text has room for improvement but if you just text message phones it works well. Also, there’s no 2-way coverage in Australia? Really?! The one-way beacon worked great there but it would be nice to text from the outback. But for the Americas, Western Europe and Africa it seems to have you covered. I’ll say that the one-way version also worked flawlessly in The Gambia a couple of years back.But for $20 bucks a month ($30 a month if you want to spend your whole trek texting all your buddies every waking minute) it’s a good deal. You just have to understand what you’re getting.