SPOT is designed to provide outstanding quality and reliability.
With a perfect view of the entire sky, the SPOT Messenger is designed to transmit
virtually every message. In everyday conditions, the view of the sky is often blocked due to hills,
buildings, or other obstructions so it is normal for some messages to be blocked.
That is why the SPOT Messenger automatically sends multiple messages in every mode, giving an 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.
How the SPOT GPS Tracking Device Works
Since this particular GPS tracking unit works differently from all others that
I have come across it seems important that we come to an understanding of how it works if we are to understand it fully.
- The process begins with GPS satellites broadcasting a signal containing information that a GPS device can use for trilateration.
- The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger receives these signals from its GPS antenna and process the information in its onboard GPS chip.
This process is again called trilateration and is the bedrock of all effective GPS tracking. It then sends this position information to commercial satellites to move along the chain.
- Once it receives the message, the communication satellite will then relay it back down to earth for one of the satellite antennas to pick up.
- These satellite antennas are connected to a global network that will route the information generated by the SPOT and send
a central processing station where it can be stored and then communicated via the methods selected.
- The final step of the process is the actual delivery of the message. This can be through email, via a text message,
or by means of telephone contact with the GEOS Rescue Coordination Center.