SpotX Long Term Review

[@sfdint]

It was reassuring to hear your experience with Spot X. I'm 69 and do a lot of bike riding and even overnight bikepacking that takes me into National Forest land in western VA where you can pretty well forget about cell coverage. I need something that will a. reassure my wife that I am still kicking, b. let me communicate with her or others if we need to do something like coordinate a meeting point, and c. give me emergency contact if I have health or safety issues. Everybody tells me the Garmin InReach is so superior, but the base plan for the Garmin does NOT include tracking. For me that's a deal breaker. I am not a big time user so no way I'm gonna upgrade to the $25 plan to get tracking. It also has more predefined messages (14 vs 3) and twice as many custom messages per month. I'm not sure the Flex plan makes much sense. You pay an extra $24.95 for the privilege and an extra $3 a month. I can't imagine there won't be at least 1 time a month where I'll be off grid and the monthly fee is just an insurance policy. All I needed to know is does the Spot X work? Is it reliable? You answered that for me. Thanks.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Wonderful! It is always awesome to hear people getting out and staying active. I am glad the video was able to help answer some of your questions! I would love to try bikepacking one day, it sounds like a lot of fun!

[@PavelessAdventure]

I recently bought a spot x. We go sailing on a very large lake in Canada with virtually no cell service! The peace of mind in itself is worth the money!

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Totally agree!

[@justiceforall1288]

What sold the deal for me, was the Spot X's qwerty keyboard. If InReach had one with a qwerty keyboard, then Spot X could cancel Christmas.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

That is also a good point. I do like the idea of not having to tether it to a cell phone.

[@1603_theadventure_mattrix]

Great realistic review Mark. There have been tonnes of comparisons with out the realistic view!!!! I’m in AUS and checked coverage. Agree is you are going international but any any first world land mass it looks fine. The plans have me as well. It is looking like my next purchase!!! Thanks again

[@michaelrivera1165]

AMAZING REVIEW 👏 I love the way you reviewed this product. That is a smart device it sells itself and safety is important. Also that battery life is AMAZING. Stay safe and think smart everyone. 🙏👍

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Thank you! Glad you liked this video.

[@NoEndToTableaux]

Got mine since I only paid $100 for it. I’m in a similar spot, and only use it to send quick updates once or twice per day when I’m out adventuring.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Very nice! Exactly, we love ours for just that reason. Have you had any issues with yours?

[@NoEndToTableaux]

@@EmbarkWithMark No big issues, but have had an error when updating the software. Might have been my error since it was when I switched from windows to mac so was still learning the system.

[@mauriciohzamora4105]

I actually own the Garmin 66i. It's been almost 3 years with it. I always use it, mainly because I ride my motorcycle a lot, away from home (solo rides, about 3500 kms each time), so it helps letting my family know where I am. I do love the GPS features and extras you get from it BUT I find it too expensive for the "tracking" features: Paying U$0.10 each time my wife or friends want to know my location ("location request"... yes not big a deal if it is about 5 to 7 times a day, but it adds up to the overall monthly payment) and another U$0.10 every 10 minutes, keeps adding cost to a 24/7 location status of every trip, every month. So, in the end, for my average motorcycle trips (4 to 7 days each month). If my math is correct, every day of adventure costs U$6,00 (considering 10 hours of tracking every 10 minutes). Even if I only do 4 day trip, it will add U$24,00 to the monthly plan (either U$11,95 or $14,95 to the most basic "Safety" plan). If it is a 30 day trip, it will add U$180,00 to that monthly fee. And you've already paid for a very expensive GPS with lovely features and a SOS button for "peace of mind". So yeah, very nice device that comes to an expensive adventure (to my eyes and budget). Having said all that, my wife and one of my daughters do go camping with their friends from time to time, sometimes even when I am on the road, too. So, 3 devices, 3 monthly fees + 3 expensive tracking... ouch. I am considering SpotX now. Tracking and communication is more important than GPS features to us, especially considering that either we already have GPS units or someone else has one, and they usually go to places they already know (when camping without me). ¿Any experiences with Spot X coverage in Latinamerica? (Garmin maps and tracking works very well)

[@EmbarkWithMark]

I completely agree with you. For us, we normally have a Tablet with pretty decent GPS capabilities and our phones. While not as durable as that Garmin 66i, they seem to be decently reliable so far. So the Spot just acts as a communicator for various situations/emergencies. I must also admit, my Spot device seems to need firmware updates frequently. That's a good thing in my eyes.

[@mauriciohzamora4105]

@@EmbarkWithMark cheers! I bought the Spot X. It should arrive within the next 3 to 4 days. There is this one feature I really really really love about the Garmin 66i: "mark" button. Today, my daughter and I took a little trip through the Atacama desert to the sea side (from Antofagasta to Paposo/Tal Tal). On some parts of the road, there are lost of bumps and holes. My daughter was in charge of marking every bump and hole on the road on our way to Paposo. So on our way back, at night, we knew in advance, where to slow down. (Waypoints to mark road issues where there is no cell phone coverage) Is there anything similar in Spot X?

[@youngmoneyoutdoors841]

Thanks man this is helpful.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Glad to hear it!

[@mstott22lax]

Now that the new one has bluetooth it seems like the spot x is an excellent option compared to the garmin

[@EmbarkWithMark]

I agree! Mine is pre-Bluetooth but works great. I would like to upgrade to the Bluetooth one day.

[@Spunky-iq8jm]

Garmin is nice, but the subscription is too much. I just orderd 2 Spot X's with Bluetooth on sale at Cabelas for $249.99 Canadian which is $100.00 off each.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Now that’s a good deal! I like the subscription structure on the spots better as well.

[@edlively2616]

Any plans for an update? I just bought the Spot X w/Bluetooth and wanted to know how the product has held up and if Customer Service has been used.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

I still have and use this device. It’s worked well for us this far. I can give an update on it. How do you like the Bluetooth version?

[@edlively2616]

@Embark With Mark The Bluetooth feature is taking some getting used to. We are looking at some land that's in the National Radio Quiet Zone (near Greenbank Observatory in Greenbrier County, WV) and there is no cell service. That is why I bought the Spot X for when I come up here by myself. I'll try to check back later!

[@outdooriowan]

Do you still like it? I have the spot gen 4 but thinking I should get a 2 way device and stuck between this or the bivy stick? I've heard messaging sucks with this.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

We do still like it! I'm not familiar with the Bivy stick. I'll have to research that and check it out.

[@IAJeeper]

Nice video man. I've got the Spot Gen3 but am thinking of upgrading. How do you secure yours in your Jeep? I have a ram mount for my gen 3 that I use both on my CRF250L and in my TJ.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Thank you, Glad you enjoyed the video. I have been lazy about purchasing a mount and just have mine laying on my dash thus far. I do need to get a mount though.

[@elitecompany51]

Do I have to buy two? Or could the person you're talking to be on their phone of they have their own cell service?

[@EmbarkWithMark]

You do not have to buy two. This can communicate to cell phones and also email.

[@elitecompany51]

@@EmbarkWithMark okay awesome thank you. How does the person you're giving your tracking to receive that information? Do they download an app and watch your pings? Or does it send them a text of your coordinates?

[@EmbarkWithMark]

You have a few options. One, their is a website that the person your communicating with can access. If you have tracking turned on they can go and access your specific link to see your tracks. This is what we use for family and friends. They can login at any time and keep track of us on their own terms. When you send messages you have the option of including your specific coordinates as well. You can also send an email with your location info too. Generally we keep tracking turned on so family can see our route. Then we send the pre programmed messages with our location info once in a while as an update that we are okay. There’s a third option (name escapes me) where when you press it the device will send out an location update to the contacts you specify when you setup the device. It also sends a link so your contacts can go to your webpage with your live updating route. The thing works great we use it every single trip. Our families follow us along and seem to be worry free this far. It takes away a lot of stress for them.

[@nspinicelli]

How much water exposure has this thing had? Any problems with that? I'm hoping I can hike with this thing in a downpour and not worry about it.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

I cant speak to that one. It has been exposed to the occasional spillage of water, but I have not tested it in rain. However, I can tell you from handling it that it is very well sealed. I hope you are able to find the information you are looking for.

[@259Den3]

Where in your jeep is it mounted, and how is it oriented? I had a Spot Gen 2 and the antenna had to be kept horizontal. Thanks.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

Honestly, I have been lazy about mounting it. I just lay mine on the dash. I have my eye on a mount and really should get one. But not having a mount hasn't caused any issues... Other than the occasional bump sending it flying some were haha. Thanks for the question!

[@Spunky-iq8jm]

The new Spot X has Bluetooth.

[@EmbarkWithMark]

That’s very true. I’d like to get my hands on one to see how it works vs my current one.