[scottyt]

okay my idea is simple. ( first all names in this thread bear no resemblance to no one other than the name jumped in to my head ) ok the idea

every one here who has a spot messenger, btw i just got mine tonight, gets an email addy from one or two people who post a lot here. then the mods start a sticky thread about locations of members from the spot check in messages. so when ever anyone who has a messenger set to send the message to the volunteers it will get posted.

something like

hey i got a message from CD here is the link for the google maps for his location.

this would also do things like hey i see labatt is in town, maybe i will send him a PM. ( sorry labatt just know your coming my way )

also it would let others to be able to see where someone had been recently, and allow them to say something like "hey sailing dog i see you just sailed to Nantucket how was the shoaling, docking, etc".


okay i know its a little silly, but hopefully not stupid

 

[JohnRPollard]

Bump.

Maybe. Not sure if I fully understand it (i.e. how the SPOT links work, etc), and I wonder if folks would want to be "under surveillance". Of course, if they're using SPOT, they probably don't mind anyway.

But if a bunch of folks want it, and it's simply a matter of "sticking" a thread, I'm sure we'd be happy to do it.

Let's see if there's much interest.

 

[johnshasteen]

John, you can only track someone on SPOT if they push the button on their SPOT unit that transmits their location every 10 minutes or so.
We bought one last year after we got caught in a Force 10 storm and were well out of radio range, were a day over due in Freeport and everyone (family and Coast Guard) were worried and looking for us. Activating the EPRIB would have been wrong because we were not in distress. The SPOT would have been ideal because you can send a "we're okay" signal.

 

[scottyt]

john, the way i am thinking is for the people with spot would only be posted when they sent in the check in signal. not for the tracking feature, that can be dome thru the blogs that people run. it would be at the leasure of the spot owner, dont want to send in a signal dont hit the check in feature.

john check your pms

 

[bubb2]

John, you can only track someone on SPOT if they push the button on their SPOT unit that transmits their location every 10 minutes or so.

Copied from the spot web site. They say they have a automatic function.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Track Progress: This feature allows you to send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps. With your SPOT account you have the ability to set up a SPOT Shared Page which allows you to show your SPOT GPS locations to others on a Google Map.
Read more

HOW IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT acquires and sends your GPS coordinates to your SPOT account automatically every 10 minutes for 24 hours or until canceled. SPOT tracking must be reengaged to continue. Creating a SPOT Shared Page allows you to share your GPS route with your friends and family easily in near real time on the web through a personal link. You can make your Shared Page private or public. Your choice! Just share that url with your friends and family and they can easily track your adventures. You can also link your SPOT Messenger to SPOT Adventures, a social portal, where you can set up a profile and blog with others sharing their SPOT adventures.

TIPS FOR USING TRACKING:

To engage tracking - Turn the unit on, wait two seconds. Press and hold the OK button down UNTIL the green light goes out and the two lights (ON/Off and Check/OK) blink together.

Positioning - To ensure tracking reliability it is recommended to place SPOT in a horizontal position with the SPOT logo facing the sky.

It is possible that some Track messages may get blocked by environmental factors. Track Progress messages are scheduled every 10 minutes to ensure overall performance.

 

[flyingwelshman]

Copied from the spot web site. They say they have a automatic function.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Track Progress: This feature allows you to send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps. With your SPOT account you have the ability to set up a SPOT Shared Page which allows you to show your SPOT GPS locations to others on a Google Map.
Read more

HOW IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT acquires and sends your GPS coordinates to your SPOT account automatically every 10 minutes for 24 hours or until canceled. SPOT tracking must be reengaged to continue. Creating a SPOT Shared Page allows you to share your GPS route with your friends and family easily in near real time on the web through a personal link. You can make your Shared Page private or public. Your choice! Just share that url with your friends and family and they can easily track your adventures. You can also link your SPOT Messenger to SPOT Adventures, a social portal, where you can set up a profile and blog with others sharing their SPOT adventures.

TIPS FOR USING TRACKING:

To engage tracking - Turn the unit on, wait two seconds. Press and hold the OK button down UNTIL the green light goes out and the two lights (ON/Off and Check/OK) blink together.

Positioning - To ensure tracking reliability it is recommended to place SPOT in a horizontal position with the SPOT logo facing the sky.

It is possible that some Track messages may get blocked by environmental factors. Track Progress messages are scheduled every 10 minutes to ensure overall performance.

The user has to activate this tracking feature. The 'Ok' button can be pushed to identify the current location, it does not 'track' per se.

 

[bloodhunter]

Sounds like twitter for the GPS

 

[sailingdog]

While I and several friends have SPOT messengers and SPOT Tracking pages, they are limited to friends and family. This is true of many spot users that I know.

 

[scottyt]

actually blood hunter spot twitter is more like it and pretty accurate for what i am thinking.

people can "opt" out for a period just with am email to the contact. ie "hey george dont post my updates for a week"

another bonus of this system would be if some one hit the i need help option on the spot maybe some one on here who was local could help. of course this would take a little bit to be posted

 

[Bene505]

Maybe the company that sells Spots would setup a page here on SN, so that we could see where our friends are. Sounds like another joint venture in the making.

Regards,
Brad