SPOT GEN3 Satellite GPS Messenger

Hi Pete

As you know, you have a couple of message functions.

On the flap on the LHS of the SPOT, you have the image of the 2 hands reaching out to each other.

Life the flap up and press the button under the flap and it will send out an emergency message to those that you have in your contact list that you set up, as well as you set up what ever message you need to be sent, which is very different to the SOS one on the RHS of the unit, which you use in a life threatening situation, just as you would trigger a PLB.

When you set your unit up via your SPOT home page, you could write any message that you like, eg, "have broken down please send help".

When you family or friends receive such message, they would then start the ball rolling and contact your motoring body, advising them that you have broken down at such a location, remember that your SPOT will send your message, as well as your coordinates.

Hopes this helps.


Cheers



Stephen

In Australia, for exactly what you want, you are better served with a Garmin in reach unit which can duplex (ie type messages and receive answers) over the iridium network.
Overseas, spot now has a similar duplex communicator with a keyboard but because their Globalstar satellite coverage over our country is so sketchy they can only support simplex units, and barely those over the northern half of the continent.
If you have a smart phone it will pair with the Garmin for easy typing, sms, email, even social media. It also has gps toppo mapping which is fairly rudimentary these days compared with instant upload maps, but good in a bind.

Judging by the wording of your question you might be better with a satellite phone or HF radio.
Re " road side service " in remote location!
If only for peace of mind .....

I'v always looked the these device's like Spot etc , PLB , as needing personal assistants in the case of an accidents etc .... although they do many other things .

But if you were wanting a tow etc when broken down from the closest roadhouse , not emergency services .... it would be better to speak to someone about your predicament ??
IMO ....

Thanks everyone for your advice. I guess I was kinda looking for a low cost solution to achieve the same sort of emergency communication functionality as a satellite phone. We already have a Globalstar phone but on 30 June they will decommission their Mt Isa Gateway meaning we will lose duplex voice and data services in Northern Australia. It hurts but maybe the only solution is a new, more expensive satellite phone.