SPOT support Frequently Asked Questions
Common Support Questions

SETUP
Q: How many contacts are allowed?
A: Up to 10 contacts. Contacts can be any combination of E-mail and SMS. You can have different contacts for Help and Check.

Q: Can I send a message to a landline phone?
A: No. Only mobile phones that accept text messages are able to receive Help and Check-in messages from the SPOT service.

Q: Is there a way to bookmark the SPOT web service directly?
A: Yes. You can directly access the SPOT web service at https:login.findmespot.com. Doing so will save you some time in getting to the SPOT web service.

Q: How do I reset my password?
A: Go to the Activation Home page and click on the "forgot your password". You will be asked for your user name and secret answer. Once both fields are answered, you can submit the page. SPOT will send you two e-mails. The second one will have your new "temporary password.” Enter this on the findmespot.com web service. Password MUST BE ENTERED EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS.

Once logged in, go to "Accounts” tab then "Login information". There customer will see 3 boxes where the 1st one Same "temporary password" will be entered under "old Password" and the next two fields will be to create a new password.
Customer then will receive an e-mail to confirm changes on account.

USING SPOT
Q: Why am I not getting my email and/or SMS messages??
A: SPOT sends messages to your contacts when the Help or OK/Check buttons are pressed on an active unit with a clear view to the sky. There could be several reasons for this:
1) Make sure you have activated SPOT at findmespot.com
2) Make sure SPOT is powered on before activating Help or OK/Check.
3) If you hold the OK/Check button for 5 seconds, or until the indicator light goes off, you have put SPOT into tracking mode, which does not send messages to cell phones or email. Rather, it displays and stores your locations at https://login.findmespot.com
4) Tracking and 911 do not send email or text messages, you can only view these messages online at findmespot.com
5) Check to make sure the email addresses and cell phone numbers and providers are correct, and your contacts are properly operating them.

Q: How do I know if my SPOT OK or tracking command is working?
A: You will know if SPOT is working when the lights, OK and ON/OFF are blinking together, in unison.

Q: What does it mean if the lights, OK and ON/OFF are not blinking together?
A: If the lights are not blinking in unison it mean that SPOT did not acquire its GPS location. Move SPOT to an area with a larger view of the sky, if possible. SPOT will attempt to send a 9-1-1 or Help distress signal even without GPS, and will try again to determine its location in another 5 minutes in 9-1-1 or Help mode.

Q: What do the green blinking lights mean?
A: When the lights blink in unison, the unit has a GPS fix. When they blink alternately, move a position with broader exposure to open sky.
If you have had 180 degrees of open sky for 20 minutes or longer and your lights are blinking out of sync, your GPS chip may be defective and the unit should be returned for a replacement.

Q: Will all of my messages send if I do not have a GPS fix?
A: Help and 911 messages will transmit without a GPS fix, but Check-OK and Tracking will not.

Q: What features may I use at the same time?
A: Some features take priority over others.
• Help and 911 may be activated at the same time, and will work even if you are already in Tracking or OK mode.
• Sending a Check-in message (OK/Check button) may not be used in conjunction with any other feature. (If you’re asking for Help or alerting 9-1-1, you can’t simultaneously tell people you’re OK.
• Tracking may not be used at the same time as OK. Let your SPOT finish the OK message cycle, or turn it off and back on to start tracking more.
• Note that 9-1-1 and Help will override Tracking in a good way – your location will still be viewed or saved for later at the SPOT web service, but marked as 9-1-1 or Help and in five-minute increments.

Q: What is the FCC ID number for SPOT?
A: L2V-PT1

Q: My cellular provider is not listed in the SMS drop down, how can I send my SPOT messages to my phone?
A: Call your cellular provider and find out what the email address is for your phone. Virtually all cellular phones have an email address using the phone number and cellular service provider address. For example, and Verizon phone might have an email address like 4085551212@vtext.com Once you have the email address for your phone, you can enter it as a contact. Make sure that your contacts’ cell phones are able to accept and display text messages.

Q: What type of antenna is inside SPOT? Patch or Helix?
A: SPOT has a patch antenna because it provides better wide range coverage than a helix. The antenna is located under the SPOT logo, and performs best when the SPOT logo is pointed straight up toward the sky.

Q: What satellite network does SPOT use?
A: SPOT uses a Commercial LEO (Low Earth Orbit) Satellite constellation.

Q: What type of battery does SPOT uses?
A: SPOT uses 1.5V AA Lithium Batteries, such as the Energizer Lithium batteries that are included with SPOT. Batteries can be disposable and or rechargeable as long as they meet the minimum volt requirement of 1.5 volt. Alkaline batteries can be used in an emergency, but will not provide the same battery life or performance as 1.5V Lithium batteries.

Q: Tell me more about the commercial satellites that SPOT uses?
A: SPOT uses the Globalstar simplex data network to transmit messages. This is a proven data network that is also supporting tens of thousands of commercial and industrial data modems sending millions of messages each month for asset tracking and remote management applications. The simplex data network signal path works differently than the Globalstar satellite phone signal path, providing significantly better reliability and message completion rates.