For the last 10 years the I used a Spot Gen 3 to let people know my location, provide peace of mind and to have just in case of emergency. With virtually no cell coverage in the desert around Moab I wanted to try the two way texting capable Spot X Satellite Messenger. It is not very good, I wish I didn’t pay for a year of service. I’d love to try the Garmin because this is a battery burning frustration station. I regret this purchase.
With the Gen 3 I could send hundreds of messages between swapping batteries. With this, I burn half the battery after maybe 5 messages.
The ergonomics are just weird, it is a big device, like an old blackberry with an antenna and a cheap carabiner. I’ll also never understand why the Velcro is horizontal not vertical. How do you attach it to your shoulder strap? Also you can’t really type with it attached.
It is too awkward to mount on your bike, this was short lived, it bounced out like 30 seconds later.
Now let’s talk typing. The lag is insane, you type and wait for the letters to appear, and if you want to use capitals or punctuation just prepare to be frustrated. You can however send email or texts. A few before the battery dies.
It is rechargeable via USB.
It features Bluetooth. When it works. My phone has only connected to it twice. And oh god, make sure you know the password for the app which is required for use with Bluetooth. The app will log you out and you’ll stare at this screen in the backcountry.
In the end I regret buying this. It is an exercise in frustration. I also wonder if they purchased the intellectual property from Blackberry? Probably not, those were better than this. Heck a palm pilot is better. God this thing is disappointing.
Spot says: https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services/spot-x