Activated the SPOT GPS locator earlier today. Spent some time sorting through the options online and I pushed updates for custom messages to the device firmware.

Once I left the office (late), I turned everything on and established tracking during most of the drive home. You can see a screen capture below. I sent two ‘OK’ messages that went direct to my email and phone SMS. There are also automatic markers that pop up every 5 minutes. I could get tracking down to the 2.5 minute increment, but it would cost over $150/year.

I need to weigh the benefit of tracking the payload through all phases of flight at 5 min increments, or dialing it back to 10-15 minutes to save battery. The MOST important thing is to get 2-5 solid GPS returns upon landing. ANYTHING else is a bonus. If the battery looks like it can take a beating in the cold for 4-5 hours, we’ll shift the tracking to shorter and shorter increments for mapping’s sake.

This is an example of the links I’ll be getting from the web interface.
http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=JmhdM/31.49210N/97.23202W