Re: Unofficial Search Discussion Thread
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:10 am
Backpacking solo is inherently selfish; actually, for us married folks, it's a wonder our spouses are seemingly (or appear to be) unperturbed. I mean, if you reverse the situation, imagine for a moment your SO off doing something (latently dangerous) by themselves for a number of days: how well would that sit with you?
So, in that context, the breadcrumb tracking feature allows them to "follow along". Since I plan my trips far in advance (scheming all winter long), by the time I leave, my wife is probably sick of hearing about it. But, once I'm on trail and she can follow my progress plotted on a topo map, it allows her to see the entire hike in a different perspective. (I always keep it on while I drive home as well, so she knows exactly when I'll walk through the door.)
Besides standard, canned pre-set messages (eg I'm heading out now for the day - I'll send you an update later. Make sure to follow my tracks @ https://share.delorme.com/Hobbes ), with the mini-keyboard of the DeLorme, I can (slowly) type up custom messages describing how nice it is so that she can semi-experience it through my eyes. Plus, since the DL is 2-way, she can send me messages; for instance, something small & personal like she went to lunch with our son, etc.
One of the features of the DL is that you can turn off certain automatic processes, such as logging and open listening (for inbound messages), to extend battery life/utilization. I must say, from firsthand experience, it's quite a kick to manually ping the satellite and get a little inbound message icon. It really is like the old "you've got mail" sensation. I usually send a request in the afternoon to get an updated weather report as well, so typically I have a few messages to read through while sitting on a rock.
PS I didn't know about the Spot fixed pricing. The DL has a "Freedom" package that is $35/mo that can be renewed/unsubscribed at will. I renew each spring and (re)cancel by Sept.
So, in that context, the breadcrumb tracking feature allows them to "follow along". Since I plan my trips far in advance (scheming all winter long), by the time I leave, my wife is probably sick of hearing about it. But, once I'm on trail and she can follow my progress plotted on a topo map, it allows her to see the entire hike in a different perspective. (I always keep it on while I drive home as well, so she knows exactly when I'll walk through the door.)
Besides standard, canned pre-set messages (eg I'm heading out now for the day - I'll send you an update later. Make sure to follow my tracks @ https://share.delorme.com/Hobbes ), with the mini-keyboard of the DeLorme, I can (slowly) type up custom messages describing how nice it is so that she can semi-experience it through my eyes. Plus, since the DL is 2-way, she can send me messages; for instance, something small & personal like she went to lunch with our son, etc.
One of the features of the DL is that you can turn off certain automatic processes, such as logging and open listening (for inbound messages), to extend battery life/utilization. I must say, from firsthand experience, it's quite a kick to manually ping the satellite and get a little inbound message icon. It really is like the old "you've got mail" sensation. I usually send a request in the afternoon to get an updated weather report as well, so typically I have a few messages to read through while sitting on a rock.
PS I didn't know about the Spot fixed pricing. The DL has a "Freedom" package that is $35/mo that can be renewed/unsubscribed at will. I renew each spring and (re)cancel by Sept.