Spot PT3 Handheld, Satellite Based Personal Tracking Unit User Manual User Guide

Spot LLC Handheld, Satellite Based Personal Tracking Unit User Guide

User Guide

1SPOT GEN3 USER GUIDES.O.S. Tr ac k in g Check In Help/SPOT Assist
3GPS satellites provide signals.SPOT determines your GPS location and sends your location and pre-programmed message to communication satellites.Communication satellites relay your message to specific satellite antennas around the world. Satellite antennas and a global network route your location and message to the appropriate network.Your location and messages are delivered according to your instructions via email, text message, or emergency notification to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center. 1HOW SPOT WORKS23452Powered by Google Maps™When SPOT sends a text or email message to one of your contacts or to GEOS, it includes your GPS coordinates and a web link (email only) to view your location using Google Maps™. Welcome to the SPOT Family! SPOT devices provide satellite-based messaging capability so everyone who enjoys the great outdoors can communicate from remote locations around the globe, beyond the reach of cell phones. Pretty cool, huh?SECTION 1: WELCOMETo begin using SPOT, we recommend you spend a few minutes reading through this User Guide, then visit FindMeSPOT.com to select a service plan and activate your SPOT device. SPOT needs a clear view of the sky to obtain a GPS signal to provide the most accurate location information. SPOT is not as reliable indoors, at the bottom of a deep canyon, in a cave, or in very dense woods. Sunshine is more fun anyway!Orienting SPOT so that the SPOT logo is facing up toward the sky will improve performance as the antenna is located directly under the logo. The coolest adventurers place SPOT on their backpacks. In order to ensure best performance, do not use SPOT immediately adjacent to other GPS devices. HERE ARE A FEW IMPORTANT THINGSTO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR SPOT GEN3
4 5WHAT YOU NEED - 4 AAA Energizer® Ultimate Lithium 8x batteries (L92); included - 4 AAA Energizer® NiMH rechargeable batteries (NH12) - Line Power with a 5v USB connection INSTALL THE INCLUDED BATTERIES1. Loosen the screws to open the battery cover.2. Write down the ESN and Authorization Code for use during service activation.® Ultimate Lithium 8x batteries or NiMH rechargeable batteries.4. Replace cover, tighten screws with a screwdriver or coin. It is important that youfully tighten the battery cover to maintain SPOT's waterproof seal.WHAT YOU NEEDACCOUNT SETUP1. Go to FindMeSPOT.com/Activate. 2. Existing SPOT customers should login to their current SPOT account to add their new device. New Set Up New Account.4. Choose the services you wish to add (like the new upgraded Unlimited and Extreme Tracking) to your SPOT device and confirm your order to finish the activation process.simply activate your device using the instructions outlined below.SECTION 2: GETTING STARTEDWITH YOUR SPOTAT FINDMESPOT.COMESN: 0-0000000Auth: 00000000These codes are located inside the battery compartment setting up your account on FindMeSPOT.com/Activate.SERIAL NUMBER (ESN) AND AUTHORIZATION CODEELECTRONIC SERIALNUMBER (ESN)AUTHORIZATION CODE
HELP/SPOT ASSISTCUSTOM MESSAGETRACKS.O.SCHECK INHELP/SPOT ASSISTCUSTOM MESSAGELet contacts know where you are by sending a pre-programmed message with yourGPS location.S.O.S.In an emergency, send an S.O.S. with your GPS location to GEOS, who facilitates searchCHECK INLet contacts know where you are and that you’re okay with a pre-programmed message. TRACKAutomatically send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progressusing Google Maps™.POWERPress the power button to turn SPOT on; LEDs will illuminate. Press and hold the powerbutton until it blinks rapidly to turn SPOT off.GPS LIGHTMESSAGE SENDING LIGHTNotifies you whether or not your most recent message was transmitted. SECTION 3: FUNCTIONS6 7
8 9INITIAL SYSTEM TESTPerform an initial system test to evaluate your messaging system, from the operational condition of the SPOT to the readiness of those you’ve chosen to receive your messages. Once you have set-up the message contacts for SPOT Gen3 in your FindMeSPOT.com account, go outside where SPOT has a clear view of the sky in all directions. Turn SPOT on - press and hold the Power button; lights will illuminate. Press and hold the Check In button until the function light blinks green. Leave SPOT outdoors. The GPS light will blink green as SPOT acquires a GPS fix. Once SPOT acquires your GPS location, the Message Sending light and GPS light will blink green in unison for 15 seconds to notify you that your message is being transmitted with your GPS location. The Message Sending light will continue to blink green until the message cycle is complete. Verify that the message was received in the email or SMS account(s) in your Check In contact list. You can also view your sent messages in your account at FindMeSPOT.com.POWERThere are three ways you can power your SPOT: 4 AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium 8x batteries (included), 4 AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, or with line power through a 5v USB connection. Insert batteries or attach the USB cable to your SPOT and a power source. Please note: NiMH batteries cannot be charged within the SPOT unit using line power, and SPOT Gen3 is not waterproof while being line powered.TO TURN SPOT ON: Simply locate the Power button on the upper left corner of the device, press and hold the button; lights will illuminate. TO TURN SPOT OFF: Press and hold the Power button until the Power light blinks rapidly.TO CONSERVE POWER: Your SPOT unit will automatically turn off after one hour of inactivity unless the unit is being line powered.SELF TESTSPOT performs a self-test when you initially turn on your device. During self-test, all lights will blink green in a rotating manner to indicate self-test is in progress. If all visible lights flash red, the SPOT self-test has found a failure, please call customer care.If the Power, GPS light and Message Sending light blink red in unison, SPOT has a GPS failure, but may still be able to transmit an S.O.S. or Help/SPOT Assist message without your GPS location.SECTION 3: USING SPOT12345Add your email or phone number as a contact for system testing so you can hit the trail faster.
10 11S.O.S.SPOT's S.O.S. function should only be used for critical, life-threatening situations. Pressing the S.O.S. button sends an alert directly to GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). GEOS notifies the appropriate emergency responders of your S.O.S. based on GPS location and personal information. Depending on your GPS location, responders may include local police, highway patrol, the Coast Guard, your country’s embassy or consulate, other emergency response centers, or search and rescue teams. Sending false S.O.S. messages may subject you to liability for additional charges.USING THE S.O.S. FUNCTIONTo send an S.O.S. alert, open the protective flap then press and hold the S.O.S. button until the function light blinks green. The GPS light will blink green when SPOT sees the GPS satellites and while obtaining your GPS location. Once your GPS location is obtained, SPOT sends your S.O.S. message with GPS location. The GPS light and Message Sending light will both blink green. The Message Sending light continues to blink green until the next scheduled message to notify you that your most recent message was transmitted. If no GPS signal is found, the GPS light will blink red. If possible, you should move to a location with a clearer view of the sky. The first message will be sent within one minute after activation with or without your GPS location. For all subsequent messages, SPOT will keep looking for your GPS location for up to 4 minutes. The S.O.S. message is sent every 5 minutes until cancelled or the power source runs out. TO CANCEL S.O.S.Press and hold the S.O.S. button until the light blinks red. Let SPOT work until the S.O.S. button stops blinking red to finish sending the cancellation message. The Message Sending light will blink green indicating it has sent the cancel message. Turning off your SPOT while in S.O.S. mode DOES NOT send an S.O.S. cancel message.HOW SPOT PRIORITIZES S.O.S.S.O.S. messages are the top priority for SPOT. When you send an S.O.S. message, your SPOT stops sending all other messages to allow for uninterrupted transmission of the S.O.S. message.Let your emergency contacts know when you are planning a trip. When GEOS receives an S.O.S. message, they will first call your contacts asking for pertinent details like your itinerary, planned route, or other identifiers. This information helps GEOS in working with local authorities to evaluate the appropriate response team needed and send rescue personnel fast.
12 13HELP/SPOT ASSIST For non-life threatening situations, ask for help from friends and family or gain a direct line to professional assistance providers using SPOT Assist (additional service plan required). When you press Help, your contacts will receive SMS/text or email messages with your GPS coordinates. Email messages also include a link to view your location using Google Maps™. With SPOT Assist, roadside or maritime professional services will receive your Help message and current GPS location to dispatch assistance. For more information on SPOT Assist including pricing, please visit: FindMeSPOT.com/Assist.USING THE HELP FUNCTIONTo send a Help message, open the protective flap then press and hold the Help button until the light blinks green. The GPS light will blink green when SPOT sees the GPS satellites and while obtaining your GPS location. Once your GPS location is obtained, SPOT sends your Help message with GPS location every five minutes for one hour. The GPS light and Message Sending light will both blink green. The Message Sending light continues to blink green until the next scheduled message or until the mode ends.If no GPS signal is found, the GPS light will blink red. If possible, you should move to a location with a clearer view of the sky. SPOT will keep looking for your GPS location for up to 4 minutes. If no GPS location is found in 4 minutes, SPOT sends your message without GPS location; the GPS light will blink red and the Message Sending light will blink green in unison. TO CANCELPress and hold the Help button until the Help light blinks red. Leave SPOT on while the Help cancel message is sent, turning off your SPOT DOES NOT cancel the Help message. When it is finished, the Message Sending light will blink green indicating it has sent the cancel message. HOW SPOT PRIORITIZES HELPHelp/SPOT Assist messages are a high priority for SPOT. Help/SPOT Assist takes priority over Check In, Custom Message and Tracking functions. Pressing the S.O.S. button takes priority over the Help/SPOT Assist message in order to ensure the S.O.S. message is sent. There is no need to cancel any other modes to enter into Help or S.O.S. mode.Have a plan in place with your Help message contacts so they know what to do if they receive a Help message from your SPOT.
14CHECK IN AND CUSTOM MESSAGELet your contacts know where you are by sending a message with your GPS location. With the ability to pre-program your messages, the possibilities are endless.Check In and Custom Message functions work the same way. This gives you the flexibility to send different messages to different contacts, or tailor messages for a specific purpose. Let your contacts know you've made camp for the night, reached your goal, or are doing fine. With the push of a button, your contacts receive your pre-programmed message by text or email complete with your GPS location.USING THE CHECK IN OR CUSTOM MESSAGE FUNCTIONPress and hold the Check In or Custom Message button until the function light blinks green. The GPS light will blink green when SPOT sees the GPS satellites and will continue blinking while obtaining your GPS location. Once your GPS location is obtained, SPOT sends your message with GPS location. The GPS light and Message Sending light will both blink green. The message is sent three times over a 20 minute period to the SPOT network - this is to ensure maximum reliability in getting your message out. Only one message will be sent to your contacts. The Message Sending light continues to blink green until the next scheduled message or until the mode ends. If no GPS signal is found, the GPS light will blink red. If possible, you should move to a location with a clearer view of the sky. SPOT will keep looking for your GPS location for up to 4 minutes. If no GPS location is found in 4 minutes, SPOT does not send your message. To try again, simply press and hold the function button. If the message does not send, the Message Sending light will blink red.Check In or Custom messages can be sent while Tracking.TO CANCELYou can end the transmission of a Check In or Custom Message by pressing and holding the function button until the light blinks red. This action does not cancel any message already transmitted. You can pre-program your Check In and Custom Messages to send to different groups of contacts. For example, set one message to send your spouse an 'I Love You' every day and the other to brag to all your friends about how awesome your adventure is.15
17TRACKINGWith SPOT Gen3, your friends and family can track your progress in near real-time using SPOT Shared Pages with Google Maps™, giving them a virtual breadcrumb trail of your adventure. New enhanced tracking options, allow you to choose the rate of tracking that fits your adventure by upgrading to our Unlimited or Extreme Tracking Plans, additional service fees may apply, learn more at FindMeSPOT.com.USING THE TRACKING FUNCTIONPress and hold the Track button until the function light blinks green. The GPS light will blink green when SPOT sees the GPS satellites and will continue blinking while obtaining your GPS location. Once your GPS location is obtained, the GPS light and Message Sending light will both blink green indicating that SPOT is sending your track as a waypoint. The Message Sending light continues to blink green until the next scheduled message or until the mode ends.If no GPS signal is found, the GPS light will blink red. If possible, you should move to a location with a clearer view of the sky. If no GPS location is found within 4 minutes, SPOT will not send this particular waypoint. The GPS light will blink red for approximately 15 seconds, the Message Sending light will blink red until SPOT is ready to send the next waypoint. SPOT will try to obtain your GPS coordinates again at your next scheduled track interval.TO CANCELTo stop sending track messages, press and hold the Track button until the light blinks red orpower off SPOT. MOTION-ACTIVATED TRACKINGhas begun moving again.TRACKING SERVICESBASIC TRACKINGmoving, or until cancelled. To re-engage Tracking after 24 hours has passed, press and hold the Track button until the function light blinks green.NEW ONLY WITH GEN3UNLIMITED AND EXTREME TRACKINGand preference) for as long as your SPOT is powered on or until the batteries run out.To set your rate of tracking, sign in to your SPOT account at FindMeSPOT.com and choose 'view/edit' Keep track of all of your adventures by uploading your tracking messages to SPOT Adventures. Share your trips with friends and family, upload pictures, and tell the story of just how amazing the sunset is from the top of the peak.16
18 19SPOT MESSAGE SCHEDULE SPOT is designed to provide outstanding quality and reliability. For optimum reception always place your SPOT with the logo side up in clear view of the sky. Reception can be inhibited due to hills, buildings, metal roofs or other obstructions so it is normal that some messages may not go through. That is why SPOT automatically sends multiple messages in every mode, giving you excellent overall reliability. In some modes, this means multiple attempts to send the same message, while in other modes it means regularly updating GPS coordinates and sending a new message with the most up to date information. GPS The GPS light notifies you whether or not SPOT is able to see the GPS satellites and obtain a GPS location. • Green – The GPS light blinks green if SPOT sees the GPS satellites and is looking for/has found your GPS location.• Red – The GPS light blinks red if SPOT cannot see the GPS satellites and /or cannot find your GPS location. If the GPS light blinks red, you should move to a location with a clearer view of the sky.INDICATORGPSMessage SendingCheck In or Custom MessageHelpS.O.S.TrackingPowerBLINKING GREENSearching for GPS signalMessage transmissionschedule in progressin progressSPOT in Help/SPOTAssist modeS.O.S. is engagedSPOT in Track modeOnBLINKING REDGPS location fix failed,move to a new locationLast message was not senthas been cancelledHelp/SPOT Assist hasbeen cancelledS.O.S. has been cancelledhas been cancelledLow batteryGPS PERFORMANCESPOT uses an advanced GPS chipset with extremely high sensitivity to give you maximum when SPOT will have a GPS signal, but the message won’t be able to reach the satellites due to environmental blockage. Make sure that you have a clear view of the sky at all times.SECTION 4: SYSTEM FUNCTION AND INDICATORSMESSAGE INDICATORS For all functions, SPOT lets you know what it is doing. PLACEMENT OF YOUR SPOTThe placement of your SPOT can make a difference. For best reception, always keep the logo pointed towards the sky (the satellite antenna is located under the logo).
20 21OPERATING CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE Your SPOT is designed for adventure. However, like all electronic devices, it has its limits. SPOT relies on GPS and low earth orbit satellites to fix your location and send your messages. The transmitter (located underneath the SPOT logo) needs to have an unobstructed view of the sky,  (SPOT is not waterproof when being line powered) CONTACTSAdditional charges may apply in some regions. Standard text messaging charges from your mobile phone provider may also apply. CLEANING  Use a damp, soft, lint-free cloth and avoid excess moisture near buttons or openings Do not use aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol or abrasives Do not attempt to open the SPOT caseTROUBLESHOOTING SPOT performs a self-diagnostic test each time it is powered on. SPOT recommends that you send and verify a Check In message before each trip. This also allows you to evaluate your entire messaging system, from the operational condition of the SPOT to the readiness of those on your contact list. FindMeSPOT.comBATTERY LIFE AND USAGEEnergizer® Ultimate Lithium 8x batteries (L92), NiMH rechargeable batteries, or line power. Using USB line power will NOT charge rechargeable batter-ies. The power light will blink red when batteries are low. Colder conditions and extreme heat can impact battery life. Always carry an extra set of batteries with you. Non-lithium batteries will work with SPOT but are not recommended for optimal performance. Test your SPOT device before each trip by sending a Check In message to yourself.SPOT performance and battery life may be degraded in operating environments where the SPOT view of the sky. Using non-recommended battery types may degrade the performance of your SPOTs message transmission.not recommended) should not damage it, but can cause a loss of power and may damage the batteries. Power loss turns off your SPOT, stopping any current mode of operation. If dropped, SPOT recommends replacing the batteries for optimal performance. COVERAGE SPOT works around the world, including virtually all of North America, Europe, Australia and miles off-shore of these areas. It is important that you check SPOT's coverage for your destination FindMeSPOT.com/Coverage to view the latest coverage map.SECTION 5: CARE AND SUPPORT
24 25LEARN MORE FindMeSPOT.comservices. You can find more helpful tips, testimonials and videos. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.CUSTOMER CAREFindMeSPOT.com/CareLIMITED WARRANTYYour SPOT has a Limited Warranty for 12 months (24 months for European Customers) from the Limited Warranty and warranty claim procedures, visit SPOTwarranty.com or FindMeSPOT.com. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY FOR EUROPEAN CUSTOMERSof conformity may be consulted at FindMeSPOT.commay not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.residential installation.accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.SUCH WARRANTIES ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE. OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT YOU PAID 
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27FindMeSPOT.com The official language of this User Guide is English. The translations are provided for your convenience only. In the case of any contradiction between a translation and the English, the English version shall take precedence. ROHS and WEEE compliant   rd.

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