Polaris OBark

I just purchased one of these from REI and will pick it up tomorrow. I thought we had a thread on this, but just spent 20 min looking to no avail.

I do most of my riding (and living) outside of cell phone range, so this might be worth it if it lives up to expectations. Supposedly it comes with a year of the basic plan, which enables sending a limited number of texts. I think both the recipient and sender needs to use their app.

Anyone have it yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

Polaris OBark

It was a Genec (RIP) thread in foo.

JohnJ80

Don't have the motorola version, but we've used the Garmin Inreach for years and it's been quite helpful. Haven't had to hit the SoS button but we did use it to help diagnose a daughter suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness at altitude and treating the resulting dehydration in the hinterlands of Bolivia and for weather updates in between storm systems when cycle touring out of cell coverage with messaging back and forth to family that had access to weather and radar. We also use it when one of us is backpacking even when in cell range for tracking by family back home in the event of a problem. It's been fun too for family to follow our progress on one of our remote location trips.

We also now take the inreach with us whenever we're traveling. Last summer, for example, we were touring in Arctic Norway so that could get access to emergency support irrespective of the emergency services if needed without needing cellular even though cellular coverage was quite good. When you're out in the middle of a virtual wilderness and especially in non-flat terrain, you can have cellular holes. If you're injured or attending to someone you're with who is injured, you don't want to be having to move around to get good cellular coverage. Too, with this you have backup if you failed to figure out how to activate the EMS in the country you're in. In cases of hypothermia or exposure, you may not be able to manipulate some complicated device like a cell phone. Having a backup is key - "Two is one and one is none" as the saying goes.

The other big advantage is that if you do have an emergency, your actual GPS position is sent with the SoS. That means that rescuers go straight to you with no real need for searching. That means less searching time, faster rescue, and more loiter time for rescuers if air support (i.e. helicopter) is required.

These things are so small now and they work so well that it's really crazy not to carry one if you are even on grid but in a wild area. We're big fans and use them all the time. It just provides huge advantages in a rescue. One of those things that if you need it, you need it bad,

unterhausen

I have a spot III. They all use the same satellites. You don't have to get far out of State College before you hit large swaths with no cellphone reception -- even texts. I probably should have hit the SOS button one time. I figured it would be faster to get a ride from my wife. Managed to get through to her for a minute on cell by climbing a mountain partway. It would have been a lot better if I had a device that had text communication. I have 3 pre-recorded messages I can choose from. After this experience, I now have it set up to send her a text message. Previously, I just had it set up to send an email.

Polaris OBark

Initial impressions:

• The iOS software this thing uses to send/receive texts and to take your money is total garbage.
• The absence of documentation is troubling.

Subsequent impressions:
I've played around with it a bit more, and although it is clunky and primitive, it is a bit better than my initial impression, above.

One of the low points with this is there is almost no documentation. There are 3 buttons. Power, Check-in, and SOS. Power does what you think, but even that is a bit tricky. From what I can tell, you press and hold it until the unit vibrates, and it then tries to establish satellite and bluetooth (phone) connections. I learned the hard way to do this first, before starting the iOS software. I'm still not entirely sure about how to turn it off. Pressing and holding again makes it vibrate and then beep. I think that turns it off, but it would be nice to know I am not running the battery down due to user error.

Edit: I finally located on-line documentation (they keep it well-hidden from even their own search function): Link to Documentation

The check-in button sends a check-in message to a designated recipient (blocked out by the orange box in the screenshot below), even if your phone is off (or lost or broken). It will send your coordinates and a pre-selected message:

I assume you can add more than one recipient, but I haven't yet tried. I did test to make sure that it worked (I turned my phone off). It gives longitude and latitude as a clickable link, and when the recipient clicks on it, they get a map and an option for directions to your location.

When your phone is on, and paired via bluetooth (turn the unit on first, and open the app and then verify bluetooth and satellite connection -- the icons in the black oval in the upper right turn green), you can send and receive satellite messages. The font is microscopic, and the interface is basic/adequate:



It works with speech-to-text (which would probably be handy in an emergency).

The same software is used to enroll/purchase a satellite plan. I bought this at REI for $150, which allegedly includes a free year of basic service with 30 texts/month. I think that is consistent with what is shown below. Enrollment was a bit of an ordeal, but I finally got it to work.



However, I am unclear if I am really getting that first year for free, because the final page where I agree to let them harvest my kidneys seems to indicate a 3 month trial, and then I start to pay. This is highly ambiguous, to put it charitably. Of course, they want your credit card details up front.

Summary, so far:

The good:

• It works.
• Satellite hook-up and messaging is nearly instantaneous.
• You only need to buy one unit.
• It is charged with a USB C cable.
• The recipient can be anyone with a cell phone that receives SMS texts.
• If the recipient wants to reply to a text, they need to install the Bullitt app (iOS or Android).
• The recipient can receive texts in the app when wifi is present but cellular service is not (an unexpected benefit since I live outside of cell phone range).

The bad:

• Almost zero documentation. I'm still not even confident of the on/off button behavior.
• I have no idea what happens when/if I press the SOS button. No explanation whatsoever that I can find.
• Bluetooth connectivity is hit or miss.
• The app interface is primitive. I've had it freeze up.
• Message sent verification is available, but costs twice as much in terms of the number of texts.
• The enrollment and fees for the satellite plan are not described clearly, and two seemingly contradictory policies appear to exist.

Polaris OBark

I finally found some documentation on line.

Here is a bit more info from Tom's Guide. Nothing I can find on DC Rainmaker's pages, which is a disappointment.

unterhausen

Spot service is an awful lot more expensive than that. But does it do tracking? Do text messages cost per message? I was hoping the inreach would get spot to cut their prices, but it hasn't happened yet.

Polaris OBark

I am pretty sure it doesn't do automatic tracking. I think you can manually press the "checking in" button up to every 90 seconds or longer intervals. I am not sure if that counts toward the text allocation or not. I suspect it does.

The cheapest texting plan allows for 30 texts per month. That goes for $5 or $6 per month (after the free year, assuming I get what was promised). You can get an unlimited plan or a more generous plan if you pay more.

unterhausen

The tracking that spot gives you is nice. You can mostly tell if someone is moving if you know the link to their tracking map. I have considered getting one of the devices that allow texts, it might be more economic than the Motorola if you want tracking.

Polaris OBark

I should check it out. I am still trying to figure out if there is any reasonable way my wife and I can share one device. The subscription appears to be tied to the phone number (which I think might preclude using a non-cellular iPad, for example, unless one were to get creative with eg a google voice phone number).

Polaris OBark

I've become a bit more frustrated with this, again. I keep getting notified to update the firmware, but despite trying everything imaginable, the iOS software disconnects bluetooth and satellite, and the update then fails.





Concurrently, the "check in" functionality no longer works, either from the button on the link, or the button in the iOS software. It makes me wonder if the SOS buttons similarly will not work in a time of need. I've put in a support request, but if this doesn't get resolved, it would be a deal-breaker.

unterhausen

Let us know what they say.

Polaris OBark

My prayers were answered, by Jesus himself. Completely missed the main point (I want to update the firmware
because the thingie doesn't function properly, not the other way around).

Polaris OBark

I tried to do a firmware update again, in case Jesus worked a miracle.

Same problem (I tell it to do the update, the phone disconnects from the Motorola unit, the iOS software freezes, and nothing happens). I think they are going to have to push their firmware update via a revised app, or else they are going to get a bunch of little bricks in their return mail.

The beep panics my elderly golden retriever.

JohnJ80

yeah, about that …. This kind of thing is not confidence inspiring.

this kind of thing is not the kind of equipment that you can tolerate that sort of issue. I’d return it and let them get their firmware/software more under control. Go with a more mature alternative.

unterhausen

Spot has been trying to get me to update the firmware on my spot for years. I'm not going to as long as it works. But it's not as fancy as this Motorola device

Polaris OBark

I've been getting unsolicited e-mails from Motorola telling me everything is now absolutely flawlessly great and all of the problems are in the past, so I tried it again. I can get satellite messaging to work. I cannot get the satellite 1-button check-in to work, which lowers my confidence that the SOS button works (I don't want to test it and precipitate a helicopter rescue in case it does happen to work.)

The firmware update still fails, BTW.

JohnJ80

I would abandon it and get something that you know works. The potential for catastrophe is high if you need it and it’s not working.

my wife has been backpacking way off grid in the PNW mountainous backcountry this whole week. I’ve been following her track without a problem and providing news and weather for her when they need it. We’re using a Garmin inReach mini.

Polaris OBark

I couldn't get it to work in Yellowstone.

Barry2 

Want do you guys think of the satellite based (no cell coverage required) SOS built in to iPhone 14 ?
I acknowledge having a separate device from your phone is advantageous.
But what if multiple phones are in your group.

Barry

Polaris OBark

I don't have one, but from what I understand, it does SOS and you can send your location to people via FindMy.app. Unless I am mistaken, you can't use iMessage or other texting programs.

Costco has unlocked ones on sale right now.

unterhausen

According to the only person I know who has used it, the iOS SOS button doesn't result in any help. I would be interested to hear of people with a different experience. Some people have said that about the SPOT SOS button as well, but nobody I know.

Polaris OBark

The iOS software basically tells the device what to do, so that is a bad omen. (The Check-In button is programable via the iOS software, and then I guess the device gets the info when you sync them.) I could not get the Check-In to work either via the iOS interface or the hardware button.

I hate to take it back to REI, but I guess I should do that before the return window times out. It sort-of works, so I keep holding out hope that they will fix it. (Maybe they have, via the firmware update I cannot download.)

Polaris OBark

I've finally given up on this thing. The software is completely unreliable, and it is getting worse (if that is possible). The hardware is probably fine. I didn't even mind if the first 3 months was effectively a beta test, but there is no evidence that this will ever improve. This is a major disappointment, because it could have been ideal for our use case.

This is one of very few items I have returned to REI since I joined in 1986.

noglider 

That's another good testimony for REI. I need to remember them when I need stuff.