DayTrip
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 13, 2013
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- 3,722
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I recently bought the SPOT Gen 3 device and am having issues with it. I set up today, created account, put all my messages in and all went well. Got my email confirmation. Then I took a 20-30 minute walk in my neighborhood to check how it works. I brought my phone so I'd get the texts and e-mails real time to see delays, etc. (Walk I took is pretty much in the open with excellent cell service and GPS availability).
My biggest question is what exactly does the manual mean by holding a button until the light "blinks"? I walked about 5 minutes down the road and hit the "OK" button until the light briefly blinked green. The GPS and message lights were blinking green but no text or message for nearly 5 minutes. Just blinking lights. I tried same thing. No blink. So I held button waiting for something and it blinked red. I assume that canceled message per manual. I probably did a total of 5 OK presses but never got any messages from any of them. I powered unit off and on. I hit the Help Button until I got a solid green light. Let it go and about a minute later I got a text and email. I held again for a red and about a minute later and I got a cancel message. So I then hit OK button until it was solid green and a minute later I got an OK text and email. A hundred yards down the road I hit again an only got a blink. If I held waiting for a solid light I went back to red. ??? I've been through the manual and see no distinction at all between a quick blink and a solid light. The solid light definitely seemed to be the way to get a message to work but I didn't always get the solid light.
So what is the deal? Am I trying to get a quick blink or a solid light? If I transmit a quick blink do I have to wait until everything stops before my next press? I believe manual said that can take up to 20 minutes. If anyone out there owns one of these units I'd appreciate some feedback. Thought it was going to be pretty idiot-proof when I researched but it is proving to be not the case. Have zero confidence in this thing right now.
My biggest question is what exactly does the manual mean by holding a button until the light "blinks"? I walked about 5 minutes down the road and hit the "OK" button until the light briefly blinked green. The GPS and message lights were blinking green but no text or message for nearly 5 minutes. Just blinking lights. I tried same thing. No blink. So I held button waiting for something and it blinked red. I assume that canceled message per manual. I probably did a total of 5 OK presses but never got any messages from any of them. I powered unit off and on. I hit the Help Button until I got a solid green light. Let it go and about a minute later I got a text and email. I held again for a red and about a minute later and I got a cancel message. So I then hit OK button until it was solid green and a minute later I got an OK text and email. A hundred yards down the road I hit again an only got a blink. If I held waiting for a solid light I went back to red. ??? I've been through the manual and see no distinction at all between a quick blink and a solid light. The solid light definitely seemed to be the way to get a message to work but I didn't always get the solid light.
So what is the deal? Am I trying to get a quick blink or a solid light? If I transmit a quick blink do I have to wait until everything stops before my next press? I believe manual said that can take up to 20 minutes. If anyone out there owns one of these units I'd appreciate some feedback. Thought it was going to be pretty idiot-proof when I researched but it is proving to be not the case. Have zero confidence in this thing right now.