07-15-2015, 02:09 PM
When I tested it this weekend (larger antenna on top of the pickup roof) I did not hit a lot of beacons on I-17. A buddy (ham expert) tried it on his bike using a Yaesu handi-talky and could not hit many beacons while in the White Mountains so he added (and advised us to add them too). I think he went as high as 50 watts. Then he was able to hit the beacons. Mr. Scotty was right; demand more power! 
The Spot is very single task and harder to communicate with (cheaper plans and devices leave you with a couple pre-canned messages) but you don't have to worry about different antenna's, adding amps or crashing where there are no beacons. The handheld ham radios are much more flexiable (but there has to be a desire or need to use them for other than tracking devices otherwise you have bought too much capability).
Tracking is what everyone gloms onto when they see it, but it is much more than that. Don't ask me as I'm too focused the tracking part.
Naturally; there are repeaters for the 2 meter and 73cm bands (our radios are dual band) so if we so choose, we can program in the repeaters along a route and have the capability to talk on the air. Either to request aid, render aid, have Mom tell you to hurry home and ride safe (assuming she has a license too; everyone that uses the ham bands needs to be licensed).
Because my radio is not fully water proof, needs an amp to up the transmitting power and a larger antenna to receive or transmit better (think bigger ears) I need to protect it in a top case. Needs to be plastic so the GPS antenna on the HT can see the sky. I bought leads to bring power to the case, I have an adaptor to power the HT off the bike battery so I don't wear out the HT's battery (being an hand held I can remove it, install the regular whip and use it alone, like on a hike - with the built in GPS it has the features to log my hike and help me get back to the starting point - which I've never needed but some folks do), power for the amp and leads for the antenna. Which is about 3' foot long.
Should be fun.
The Spot is very single task and harder to communicate with (cheaper plans and devices leave you with a couple pre-canned messages) but you don't have to worry about different antenna's, adding amps or crashing where there are no beacons. The handheld ham radios are much more flexiable (but there has to be a desire or need to use them for other than tracking devices otherwise you have bought too much capability).
Tracking is what everyone gloms onto when they see it, but it is much more than that. Don't ask me as I'm too focused the tracking part.
Naturally; there are repeaters for the 2 meter and 73cm bands (our radios are dual band) so if we so choose, we can program in the repeaters along a route and have the capability to talk on the air. Either to request aid, render aid, have Mom tell you to hurry home and ride safe (assuming she has a license too; everyone that uses the ham bands needs to be licensed).
Because my radio is not fully water proof, needs an amp to up the transmitting power and a larger antenna to receive or transmit better (think bigger ears) I need to protect it in a top case. Needs to be plastic so the GPS antenna on the HT can see the sky. I bought leads to bring power to the case, I have an adaptor to power the HT off the bike battery so I don't wear out the HT's battery (being an hand held I can remove it, install the regular whip and use it alone, like on a hike - with the built in GPS it has the features to log my hike and help me get back to the starting point - which I've never needed but some folks do), power for the amp and leads for the antenna. Which is about 3' foot long.
Should be fun.