SPOT Tracker (Gen3) issues

[SFS]

This past week I purchased a SPOT tracker to use on a delivery of an Endeavor 37 from Mobile to Tampa, mostly to keep the wives of the crew from worrying. So much for good ideas. The unit simply stopped working for about 7 hours on day 2 of the crossing, thereby worrying said wives. Luckily it started again, assuaging some fears. It stopped again for a few hours when we were within 40 miles or so of the destination, but that was very early in the morning, so the wives likely didn't notice.

In analyzing the tracking data from the SPOT website, I have found that there were additional periods where there were no tracking points being sent. Now before I get a bunch of questions about reading the manual and understanding the gear and how it operates:
a) I know about the 24 hour limit to tracking and the consequent need to "reset" the unit. This was done, and cannot account for the stoppages, and the data make it obvious where I reset the unit each day.
b) I know the unit will quit sending if the vibration sensor tells the unit "we are not moving". This happened while at a fuel dock for about 45 minutes, and I understand why such functionality was built in, but it cannot account for the other (multiple) stoppages that occurred. Once we left the fuel dock, we never stopped during the crossing, and averaged 7 knots the entire way while motorsailing. So it wasn't that the unit wasn't moving.
c) This is not my first usage of the gear. We had one on an Irwin 38 last month for a delivery, and it performed flawlessly. I have contacted that owner, and he has used his once since then, and it apparently gave no trouble.
d) at every periodic check of the unit, the monitoring LED lights indicated that the unit was performing as it should.
e) the unit never failed to send a preprogrammed message when asked to do so, it just failed to track continuously.

I'm looking for feedback (good or bad) from anyone that has bought and used this unit in its latest incarnation, Gen3. The latest thread here discussing SPOT units is from December 2015, but it mostly discusses the alternative, which I am ready to move to. I have not yet contacted SPOT directly, and will do so once I have put all the data into a spreadsheet and annotated it for ease of discussion with those folks.

 

[SFS]

Update: Spoke with someone at SPOT, and got the runaround. I asked for an explanation of why various gaps in the tracking data occurred. First explanation was there might be times that satellite coverage was not available. (This is not in their marketing materials.) I was referred to their coverage maps on their website, which show that the Gulf of Mexico is an area that has "96% OR BETTER PROBABILITY OF SUCCESSFULLY SENDING A SINGLE MESSAGE WITHIN 20 MINUTES". (Sorry about the all caps, it is a cut and paste, and I'm not retyping.) I pointed out that such a coverage level wouldn't explain gaps of more than an hour, much less a 7 hour gap.

Their explanation then became "any discussion of why a unit was not working would be hypothetical". First hypothetical was that the unit was obscured from the satellite. I pointed out this was not possible in open water if the unit is above deck (and it was). Second hypothetical was that the unit was moved in such a way that it couldn't receive or send signals. Nope, hung from the same place the entire transit. I asked how to determine if the unit were defective. I would have to send it back to them for their engineers to look at, and "defective" would be their call. I asked to speak to supervisor, and after a hold of about 45 seconds was told there was none available, but that one would call me back before close of business.

Can anyone comment on their experience with SPOT trackers? I am now no longer limiting the discussion to Gen3 units. Any comments would be helpful as I decide whether to just can this and move to the Delorme product line.

 

[Maine Sail]

Two words.... Delorme inReach

P.S. your bout with Spot tech support is pretty typical if you can even get a real human....

 

[Jackdaw]

Like Maine said.
Inreach is SO much better than SPOT in so many ways that I get tired of just thinking about writing them all down. I've used and owned both, and I now don't even consider SPOT a low-cost option. It's that inferior.

 

[SFS]

OK, 'nuff said. I'll be running this up the West Marine chain of command as well when I take my unit back.

Additional update: Went back to the SPOT website page with the "coverage maps". At the bottom of the page is this, reproduced here in its entirety (boldface is theirs):

"Last Updated 2015-02-09. Estimated coverage area. Actual coverage may vary. Success rates are forecasts for a SPOT messenger to successfully deliver a single message during a 20-minute period, based on network availability. Additionally, in everyday conditions it is normal for some messages to be blocked by your environment, such as hills or buildings. That 's why the SPOT Messenger is scheduled to automatically send multiple messages in every mode – giving you excellent overall reliability."

Here are the applicable data from my trip. In an operating period of just short of 72 hours, I had a 65-minute stoppage, a 68-minute stoppage, a 39-minute stoppage, a 33-minute stoppage, a 390-minute stoppage (yes, 6.5 hours), a 47-minute stoppage, a 29 minute stoppage, and a 223-minute stoppage (yes, 3 hours and 43 minutes). I guess my "success rate" was not as "forecast". What a piece of junk.

 

[SFS]

SPOT has activated a "work ticket" which will be forwarded to their billing department for a refund on my activation fee. Will report here if and when that occurs.

 

[SFS]

Checked yesterday with SPOT, and was told that a refund of my activation fee could take up to 14 business days, which is basically 3 weeks.

Had no problem returning the unit to West Marine for a complete refund.

 

[SFS]

The folks at SPOT have issued a credit to me for the year's activation fee. I want to reiterate: if you are considering buying the Gen3 version of this unit, don't. My experience was that it only works intermittently. I will be buying the DeLorme InReach product.