Spot Satellite GPS Tracker

I decided to have a look at the Spot GPS tracker for the use in my High Altitude Balloon. My brother has been using one successfully when hiking for some time now, so I know they are a capable device. But how well do they suit my balloon project.

Spot Device from - http://www.findmespot.net.au

The Spot devices seems to be priced around AU $140 - $200 depending on where you purchase, plus you have to pay an annual service fee for the tracking. If I had other uses for the spot device outside of HAB then the extra cost might be worth while. So currently APRS still looks like my preferred option.

The Spot GPS device has great potential for tracking the payload when its in the recovery phase. I have read that the Spot GPS Device does not function at high altitude, thus not ideal for tracking the entire mission.

Once activated the Spot Device will transmit its location every 10 mins, for a 24hr period. This data can be view on the spot website, which makes it very easy for friends to follow along too.

Pros :-

Compact and light weight. (approx 147g)
Uses Satellite, so should work almost anywhere.

Cons :-

Annual Service fee (May be worth it for some people)
Does not function at high altitude above approx 80000ft. (Read this from several people)

Found a few people that use Spot devices in their projects.

• High Altitude Balloon Project 2010 and their Spot Page
• UCSD Near-Space Balloon
• Beaufort High School have some great pictures of the Spot Device in their payload.