Share Your SPOT Custom Messages

BakerBoy

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
5,446
Location
Golden, Colorado
STOC #
1408
I thought it would be good to share how we each setup our SPOT messages as it may generate a good practice or improvement in how we each 'communicate' to our family with our SPOTs.

I have these custom messages setup with my SPOT II service:
Check-in/OK: All's good, just checking in. Lovies *
Help: NOT an emergency. No cell service. Send help (fuel, flatbed tow). *
Custom: Cancel requested help. Resolved. Lovies *
SOS: Touring Motorcyclist, Wearing HiViz Gear. 49yo male. Blood Type A+.​

I've got my wife as the recipient for the first 3. She knows that I'll rely on tracking to keep her up to date on my location, and that I may think of sending 'Check-in/OK' messages when I stop (but if I don't, she is not to fret over multiple SPOT locations at the same location on a map).

I put the SOS text as shown so that the local emergency dispatch gets some information on what to look for and/or to expect if I have to use that button.

Would you mind sharing yours? I'd appreciate understanding how others use theirs so I can improve my messages if there's a better way.

TIA
 
Here is mine:

Check-in/OK: Checking in. Everything is OK
Help: This is a HELP message My location is shown in decimal degrees WGS84. Contact..(wifes name and cell number)
Custom: Having fun. Everything is OK.
SOS: 10/11/1958 SSN **** Kaiser Member 00024***** NKA No Med HX Glasses
 
Using a SPOT 1

OK: KC0BID checking in from the road (stolen from RealST)
Help: Something is wrong most likely mechanical please keep trying my cellphone or send help.

Messages goto Wife, Father-in-law, and a hand picked forum member. I also now have it linked to Facebook.
 
BakerBoy said:
I have these custom messages setup with my SPOT II service:
Check-in/OK: All's good, just checking in. Lovies *
Help: NOT an emergency. No cell service. Send help (fuel, flatbed tow). *
Custom: Cancel requested help. Resolved. Lovies *
SOS: Touring Motorcyclist, Wearing HiViz Gear. 49yo male. Blood Type A+.​

TIA
Click to expand...

Thanks I almost copied yours to the dot.

jrnySTer said:
My location is shown in decimal degrees WGS84.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for this, hopefully it prevents that issue where people have their GPS set to the other standard and can't find me.
 
Checkin/ok - checking in and all is well
Custom - If it morning I'm starting to ride, if its evening I'm parking the bike, all is well.
Help - alerts the Spot road service
SOS - Name, DOB, RoadID web address/phone# my RoadID serial # and pin #
 
Updated my help message to include a shortened link to my tracking page so they could see if I pressed the OK button after the help one for some reason.

"NOT life threatening. No cell service.Send help.My loc is in decimal degrees WGS84 http://tinyurl.com/5wylhqw"
 
I am not seeing a "help" field in my config. page.
I have;
Check in
Custom
Spot Assist Roadside-NSD ( I would think I should put my help message here but there is no box)
SOS
 
Mountain Mike said:
Updated my help message to include a shortened link to my tracking page so they could see if I pressed the OK button after the help one for some reason.

"NOT life threatening. No cell service.Send help.My loc is in decimal degrees WGS84 http://tinyurl.com/5wylhqw"
Click to expand...

Why? It sends that anyway. Or is it for non smartphone cell folks?
 
Using a Spot 2 here.

Check-in/OK: Don't want you seeing my next move - you can stop watching now.
Custom: Watch this space... I'll be back!
Help: I'm screwed and can't fix it. Send scrap collection device please.
SOS: URGENT Assistance required. Off duty Police Officer so NO jokes. (Contact Numbers) If no contact please arrange SARMAC!!

SARMAC is a term used by Qld Police
 
I set up a profile for each trip.

Generally it looks like this.
OK. At start and end of each days riding. Describe the trip and when I get back
Custom: Used to mark special places I wanted to remember and see from space again!!!!!!!!!!!!! May use Custom for something else now and just use OK button to mark unique places where I am stopping.
Help: I need mechanical help
SOS: :pie1::pie1::pie1::pie1: out of Luck..............I really need help!
 
I gotta get my log-in info from STrayCatt. :D

I know my OK sez "Still Kicking", don't know about the others fur sur.

I use the OK to mark significant stops, if I'm gonna be stopped for a significant time and/or to mark neat locations for future use.

I use SpotWalla instead of My Spot to build my custom trips as Jason's program saves the data forever. I have 2009 and 2010 and 2011 set 1-1 to 12-31, can build a custom route AFTER the fact using appropriate dates, ala http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=3aee4e937a7bb5918

I have Deba, STrayCatt, and my sister in IN on my contact list. Adam is my most trusted "lurker" as relation, site member, and LEO. :D
 
Finally got around to this, should'a posted'em sooner, but Uncle Phil's note about his new SPOT got me off the dime:

OK = "Still Kicking"
Help = "Out'a gas or need a tow, send non-medical help."
911 = "Motorcyclist on tour. Blood type A+. No allergies, no medical conditions. Probable serious crash injuries requiring EMT."

Also, I've added 970 Mike to my emergency contacts.
 
A couple of points that I think are important or informative):

Help messages: Make sure at least one of your HELP contacts is receiving the HELP message via email. If they are only going out SMS you lose the map feature.

Cancelling HELP messages: You can cancel a HELP message by pressing the button for ~5 seconds (until it blinks red). SPOT will automatically send cancellation messages to the same folks who received the HELP message. Same for the 911/SOS feature. (Now BB can use us custom message for something else.) :)
 
Thanks for the extra tips, David.

I have Deba down for both e-mail and SMS. She's not interest in the map until end-of-day so interim OKs are just quick info.

I like having SPOT here at -Owners, folks stuck at home watch the tracks so any 'mergency messages will be noted almost immediately. That's a good thing. :D
 
1129VLD said:
A couple of points that I think are important or informative):

Help messages: Make sure at least one of your HELP contacts is receiving the HELP message via email. If they are only going out SMS you lose the map feature.

Cancelling HELP messages: You can cancel a HELP message by pressing the button for ~5 seconds (until it blinks red). SPOT will automatically send cancellation messages to the same folks who received the HELP message. Same for the 911/SOS feature. (Now BB can use us custom message for something else.) :)
Click to expand...

Thanks...good point about the cancel! :)
 
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