Wilsons Sandbox

If I'm going to be out in the boonies more, I'm thinking I need to get some sort of electronic safety net. Cell phones obviously don't cut it. So, what GPS units do guys like? Obviously they double as an accurate speedo. Do any of them have some kind of homing beacon like some phones so that rescue teams can use them to locate MIA KLR riders?

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tumu Rock" wrote: > > I managed to hit 100 mph GPS speed on my VT-LAB2V ride...

I'm seriously considering getting one of these. I was lost in Central Oregon a couple of years ago, near the ice caves around Bend, in late October. I got myself out of it, but it gave me a scare. By the time I got back to a logging road it was dark, below freezing and I was totally trashed. Had some emergency equipment with me, but not enough for those temps and no cell coverage where I was. http://equipped.org/SPOT_ORSummer2007.htm They are low cost, can send a location and an "I'm OK" to a loved one (or someone who cares anyway), plus if you are in real trouble they will summon help, as long as you are not unconscious. Machog --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Seems to me if the bike would start OK in the same cold temps with a KLR choke but not with a KLX choke then something's different. Maybe the KLX choke doesn't pull the plunger out all the way... ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "ocpianoman" wrote:

> If I'm going to be out in the boonies more, I'm thinking I need to get > some sort of electronic safety net. Cell phones obviously don't cut > it. So, what GPS units do guys like? Obviously they double as an > accurate speedo. Do any of them have some kind of homing beacon like > some phones so that rescue teams can use them to locate MIA KLR riders?

The "homing beacon" is called a " Personal Locator Beacon", they're expensive but last for years (and are monitored by the government so you don't have to worry about the company going out of business), so may be worth it if you regularly go where nobody else goes. Phones don't really serve as beacons as such, but phone company personnel can see what cell tower your phone last chatted with and thus direct rescuers to the general area. But if you're going way in the backcountry, that last cell tower could have been a hundred miles away and nobody will ever find your crashed butt. There's a cheaper version called "SPOT" but it doesn't have a homing beacon on it, it relies on being able to send GPS coordinates to one of the Globalstar satellites, and if Globalstar goes out of business (as seems likely) it's a paperweight.

On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 20:19 +0000, E.L. Green wrote:

> --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "ocpianoman" wrote: > > If I'm going to be out in the boonies more, I'm thinking I need to get > > some sort of electronic safety net. Cell phones obviously don't cut > > it. So, what GPS units do guys like? Obviously they double as an > > accurate speedo. Do any of them have some kind of homing beacon like > > some phones so that rescue teams can use them to locate MIA KLR riders? > > There's a cheaper version called "SPOT" but it doesn't have a homing beacon on it, it relies on > being able to send GPS coordinates to one of the Globalstar satellites, and if Globalstar goes > out of business (as seems likely) it's a paperweight. >

And their coverage is nothing close to that of a PLB: http://www.globalstarusa.com/en/coverage/datacoverage/simplex_coverage.php Z

On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 15:21 -0500, Zachariah Mully wrote:

> On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 20:19 +0000, E.L. Green wrote: > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "ocpianoman" wrote: > > > If I'm going to be out in the boonies more, I'm thinking I need to get > > > some sort of electronic safety net. Cell phones obviously don't cut > > > it. So, what GPS units do guys like? Obviously they double as an > > > accurate speedo. Do any of them have some kind of homing beacon like > > > some phones so that rescue teams can use them to locate MIA KLR riders? > > > > > There's a cheaper version called "SPOT" but it doesn't have a homing beacon on it, it relies on > > being able to send GPS coordinates to one of the Globalstar satellites, and if Globalstar goes > > out of business (as seems likely) it's a paperweight. > > > > And their coverage is nothing close to that of a PLB: > > http://www.globalstarusa.com/en/coverage/datacoverage/simplex_coverage.php > > Z

Err. that was a half completed thought. The nice thing about the SPOT is that it allows you to "check in" with your family/friends whomever, so that they know you're alright, and where you are. That is unlimited usage for $150/year, and the device is $170. The "check-in" only (no location) is $100/year. I can see that being a very attractive proposition for many riders doing long tours, or cheap enough that their loved ones would buy it for them before they leave on tour. Z