paulmbowers

Hey, Chris! I carry both- I'm a believer in redundancy. I rarely do this anymore, but I've been known to ride alone. I always have tracking activated, and about once per year, I send an email to family and specific friends that link them all together with contact information. As our kid grew older, I provided site login information to her so she can have complete access to any details on the website. I always send an OK message before each ride (here is where I parked my truck) and both units are physically tethered to my backpack: NOT on the bike. I text to family on my safe return. I've never understood why solo riders choose to put their families through hell- days/weeks of anxiety- waiting to find their body. A couple years ago, a rider in Otay died of natural causes while riding (hey, it happens) and that poor family was terrorized until they found the body. I refuse to put mine through the same thing- it's bad enough that I ride! SPOT (if negotiated) runs $85/year. I'll pay it.

After this incident, I contacted an acquaintance who is a Sheriff's department dispatcher and is partnered with an EMS helo pilot to ask this and similar questions. The answer is yes, they can (and did, in this case) successfully triangulate on the signal while they were on the phone. And that's great, but we were less than 2 crow-flying miles out of downtown Borrego Springs, and we had plenty of signal from (obviously) at least three towers. As one gets more remote, one might not have cell signal at all, or may only have a connection to a single tower, making triangulation impossible. BE READY TO PROVIDE COORDINATES from a gps or even a cell phone- phones do not need cell coverage to obtain coordinates- they have a GPS chip built-in. Just know how to access them when the time comes- practice it. A SPOT device does not use triangulation- it transmits the specific geographic coordinates in a electronic message to a satellite, which is then relayed to GEOS headquarters. It's better, except there will be some delay and possible room for error when GEOS attempts to contact the local authorities. Also, SPOT does not allow (unless one is texting) transmission of details that might tell local authorities more about the nature of the emergency (a stable broken leg, or something far more traumatic)- and the texting takes time and hands that may be otherwise occupied helping the rider. I further inquired about the specific format of GPS coordinates they prefer in addition to the possible triangulation data. There are a few different types of coordinates- lat/long/ decimal and somethingelseidontremember. There appears a slight preference for the decimal format, but the bottom line is they can and will convert any format you can provide. The trick here is to have that information available and to know how to get it when you're very concerned about your buddy's well-being. This incident brought this out- I think the guys I was with were about as competent in all these areas as one can expect, but there were hiccups. For example, Randy removed his garmin from its cradle to provide the coordinates information to LB- but the Garmin shuts off when power is disconnected. Some seconds were lost while waiting for the Garmin to reboot. Easy to happen (and without consequence in this situation) and I'd have done the same thing. We all have a lot of resources like this, but our ability to think clearly and respond appropriately when one's buddy is gasping on the ground is yet another thing. Another thing I learned watching LB- put the cell phone on speaker. It frees one's hands, and allows others to relay information (coordinates, etc). Again: to be 100% clear- our group performed well under pressure, and Chris was well-served. But I believe there's always a lot to learn from these incidents.

Excellent. Please pass on our mutual applause!

@Goofy Footer: Any news?

I have a heated vest that saved my ass enroute to Connecticut a few years ago- you're welcome to borrow it.

Use your SPOT device. Or I'm telling Mom.

The mileage number is likely for dino oil- full synthetic will last 3x longer. Moudry will say Rotella.

My silence has a price.

Pretty well known Rigger kicks my photographic ass on a regular basis. Super talented.

Important to note: In Kug's campsite image to the far right, you'll see the very rare occurrence of a camping PMB. I can camp. I prefer not to.

My attempts to change my signature line fail. Nothing sticks correctly.

fullsizeoutput_212d.heic

We have so much in common as riders- why spend any energy on the subjects on which we might differ? That's what Facebook & Twitter do very well- foment rancor and incivility. Thanks for keeping this site free from antagonizing statements and general incivility- it's key to creating a mutually-supportive environment for riding and wrenching.

I've been using BOTH SPOT and InReach for many years. I started with SPOT alone, added InReach and kept both for redundancy. And it's expensive. This year, like each one before it, I received an auto-bill my new annual subscription fee : $249 This year, like each before it, I called SPOT, explained that $249 was far too much, and I'd like to disconnect my service. This year, like each year before, I asked and they matched the previous year's rate of $85. From $249 to $85. One phone call.

Nope. Mine had already cleared at $249 two days ago (I was out riding with some misfits, and couldn't make the call), they issued a credit back to my card.

Happened.

But don't stop now!

Great news- thanks for letting us know!

Yeah, time. IF a forum like this can return to health, it's going to require a serious change in attitude (which it appears to have done!) and consistent positive messaging over a long period of time; people need to once again feel welcome and safe from personal attack. Nobody wants to be in a group where they're not welcome. Maybe the site can move forward, away from the hostile environment for which it's become known. So- Mimi... How much money is necessary to keep this alive for a year of thoughtful community rebuilding? We can tell from this thread there's still some skeptical interest from the legacy members who were once the foundation of the SDAR community. Once (if?) the community is established and consistent, you'll have something of value to offer advertisers that can contribute to a cash-positive situation. But it needs to be rebuilt first.

How many good rides have you had because of SDAR? How many friendships, how much advice, how many good deals on parts, gear, and beer have you received because of SDAR? Let's step up and give it a year.

OK, so $66x12= $792 plus some IT- let's call it $1200 for the year. Let's see if we can raise $1200 over the next week and see if we can buy us a year of opportunity. Mimi, will you make regular reports on progress? I donated earlier (before the button change), but I'll throw in $50 today. I've met some of my best friends and riding buddies on what was SDAR, and I have an obligation to help. I know I'm not alone here- let's try.

Well...I think the website has some rebuilding to do and a deficit to overcome. I'm unconvinced FB will eclipse social sites like this completely, but it's going to take time before confidence is rebuilt and people feel welcome here again. Events like you're trying to put together are one of the many ways to help that happen. I'm scheduled out, and can't participate in this one- but that does not rule out others in the future.

Well done sir!