Product Review: Don't buy a Spot Satellite Personal Tracker

On Saturday, July 18th, 2009, Kevin and I sailed my 20 foot Nacra 6.0 NA catamaran from Evanston, Illinois 62 miles across Lake Michigan to Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Without a motor we were completely at the mercy of the elements. For safety reasons we decided to purchase a Spot Satellite Personal Tracker. Spot Satellite Personal Tracker is a compact device that is marketed to most outdoor enthusiasts including boaters, campers, fishermen, hikers, hunters, pilots, snowmobilers and most relevant; sailors. Any activity that takes you out of cell phone range seems to be the perfect opportunity to use a Spot Satellite Personal Tracker.

Spot Satellite Personal Tracker works in a couple different ways. It can send an "I'm okay" text-message or email with your latitude and longitude to friends and family whenever you press the Check In button. Or, Spot Satellite Personal Tracker can automatically send your latitude and longitude to an online map every 10 minutes where friends and family can monitor your current position.

In the event of an emergency Spot Satellite Personal Tracker has two functions. You can send a "I need help" text message and email to friends or another button sends your latitude and longitude to emergency personnel.

Spot Satellite Personal Tracker is not reliable. Not reliable at all in fact. The product marketing for Spot Satellite Personal Tracker is excellent. It seems they spared no expense promoting and packaging Spot Satellite Personal Tracker but the important part, research and development, seems to be where they dropped the ball.

Like any satellite system, Spot Satellite Personal Tracker requires a "clear view of the sky". In the middle of Lake Michigan on a clear day Spot Satellite Personal Tracker was not able to maintain a satellite signal and after approximately 90 minutes of tracking, Spot Satellite Personal Tracker stopped updating our position online.

Because Spot Satellite Personal Tracker indicates its operational status with an array of blinking lights, it's next to impossible to understand what it's doing or what it's already done. Spot Satellite Personal Tracker comes with a brief operating manual and has more operating instructions on their website, but with 4 buttons and 4 blinking lights, it's extremely complex to operate. It clearly would benefit from an LCD screen.

When Spot Satellite Personal Tracker stopped working on Saturday, family members became extremely concerned and phoned the Coast Guard. Apparently the Coast Guard was 10 minutes from launching a rescue helicopter to find us when we arrived in Benton Harbor, Michigan 5 1/2 hours after leaving Evanston, Illinois.

Because the device is so difficult to operate, we had no way of knowing that the Spot Satellite Personal Tracker had stopped reporting our position.

Spot Satellite Personal Tracker should be marketed as an interesting toy, not a life safety device. Their marketing slogan is "Live to tell about it" which is quite catchy but in reality, had there been an actual emergency on Lake Michigan that day, we may not have lived to tell about it or write this review.

The bottom line is that if you need a reliable emergency communication device, avoid the Spot Satellite Personal Tracker and purchase or rent a satellite phone.

A WEDDING FOR HOBIE

MY MOM AND DAD ARE GETTING MARRIED!!

I can't wait for the wedding :) October 17th can't come soon enough. In my world, that's 856 walks, 98 trips to the beach, and a whole bunch of bacon treats - although I've already started my wedding diet and was thinking of switching to Whole Grain Cheerios for the next few months!

Smuggling Liquor onto Cruise Ships: The Definitive Guide

This is certainly a divergence in subject matter, but it's important and Hobie certainly approves, so I'll continue.

Melissa and I went on a week long cruise to Alaska with my family last week. We left from Seattle, WA on one of Holland America's monstrosities; The Amsterdam.

In an effort to simultaneously save money and drink heavily, we planned to bring our own alcohol on board the ship. That was until I read that Holland America confiscates all alcohol other than wine upon boarding the ship at each port. If your alcohol is confiscated, it will be returned on the last day.

Clearly this rule is in place for financial reasons. At $12 a shot the ship's watered down alcoholic beverages are a major drain on the pocket book and a major money maker for Holland America.

I researched this issue online and read several forum postings from travelers with similar concerns and ambitions to my own. Unfortunately there was no definitive answer to the problem. One person even suggested that Holland America had recently invested in state of the art technology that is able to detect liquids when passengers board.

So I did a little test.

In Seattle I put 2 glass beer bottles (with metal caps) in the back pockets of my jeans and walked right past Holland America's crack team of security specialists - through the metal detector and everything. I wasn't even being careful to conceal what was obviously protruding from my back pockets.

In Sitka, Alaska I got off the ship and went straight to a liquor store. Melissa, various family members and I stocked up on rum, gin and plenty of soda. We stuffed the large bottles in our pockets and re-boarded the ship, again waltzing right through Holland America's sophisticated alcohol-sniffing detectors.

So why am I posting this for you, the reader's of Hobie's blog to enjoy? The world needs to know this important information and after my extensive internet research previous to the cruise, I see that there is a lack of information currently.

Enjoy your cruises everyone and always drink responsibly.

Hobie Dog The Movie

Hobie Dog 3.0

Evanston,IL - The Hobie corporation released Hobie Dog version 3.0 today in a move promising to position shareholders in an optimistic outlook.

"We expect this new version of Hobie Dog to show drastic behavioral and performance improvements in the year to come" said principal shareholder Gabriel Silverman.

3.0 was revealed to the public today when the new version enjoyed several walks. As of press time, Silverman said that evening plans include some vanilla ice cream and extra playtime.

Melissa Kaplan, VP Unconditional Love, said "While the previous version was wonderful, he posed many challenging issues. 3.0 promises to be an overall improvement from both a managerial and a love-ability standpoint".

Hobie's birthday was celebrated despite uncooperative weather conditions (rain) and a busy week at the office.

The Truth About Cats And Dogs

The bad news is, I had to get rid of the Hobie Cat. The good news is that I kept the Hobie Dog. Hobie Cat (circa 1984) is 20 years older than my 2004 Hobie Dog and she was starting to slow down. She went to a good home - a family came and picked her up a couple weeks ago.

Now I've got a new toy - a 2001 Nacra 6.0 NA. A 20-footer with a sweet spinnaker setup. She's on the beach but I'm still waiting for the weather to behave before sea trials.

True, I can no longer claim "I have a Hobie Dog AND a Hobie Cat" and I'll miss that. Maybe I'll say it anyway because "I have a Nacra 6.0 NA and a Hobie Dog" doesn't have the same ring to it...and it doesn't make sense. The official spiel is now "I had a Hobie Cat and a Hobie Dog but I sold the cat and bought a Nacra 6.0 NA." Please update your records accordingly.

HobieDog.com 2006 annual report

Well, 2006 has come to a close which means it's time to plan the upcoming year. I present the HobieDog.com 2006 annual report (which has more to do with 2007 than 2006).

Hobie's expectations, or resolutions as he likes to call them, are in no particular order:

More ice cream
More attention
Less remote control toys
Less visits to the vet
Less trips without Hobie
More walks
Longer walks
More time on the beach
More garbage to eat

Hobie featured on FOX News Chicago

Hobie made his first televised appearance on FOX News Chicago, Thursday night.

The ultra low-tech analog to digital video capture is complete and you can download the video now!

Look for Hobie (and Melissa) at the end!

Melissa's First Post

Well, I guess it's about time that I finally post on this website. Being that fact that I do spend most of my day thinking about Hobie, petting Hobie, walking Hobie, and feeding Hobie, I just figured the next logical task would be to write about Hobie. So, here goes nothing....

Hobie made yet another trip to visit his Friendparent's in Michigan this past weekend. As usual, he was greeted by many loving friends and family that were willing to give Hobie all the attention he wanted. After spending the day being pampered at the salon, Hobie was allowed to go to the Kaplan's during their yearly Sukkah party. Needless to say, Hobie has officially made the list and will be invited every year from here on out - the guests, young and old, adored him.

As you would expect during any visit to Michigan, Hobie was dressed in old Halloween costumes found around the house. This visit it was a wig, bandana, and butterfly wings that made the cut. Hobie was a great sport and willingly posed for pictures (bacon flavored dog treats helped).

Wildlife and wild times at Camp Nettie 06

Hobie spent the weekend at Camp Nettie in Michigan with good buddies Wrigley and Gracie. Here he is momentarily intrigued by a caged rabbit who is clearly aware of the security its cage guarantees.

Evanston's Most Wanted

WANTED: Viscous fang-toothed wolf on the loose

Stands approximately 3 1/2 feet tall, lean 70 pounds, dark complexion, very hairy. May also be dirty and smelly.

If you see this dog, do not attempt to apprehend him. Flee the area and notify the Evanston Police Department by dialing 911.

Known Aliases:
Hobart, Hobinator, Monkey, Mr. Monkey, Mr. H-Monkey, Hobinhagen, Hobistank, Oh-Hobie

Background Information:
This dangerous animal was last seen frequenting a local area park. His owners irresponsibly allowed him to run unleashed. Luckily a horrified good samaritan promptly called the police and offered a description of dog and both owners. Unfortunately all 3 perpetrators escaped before the Evanston Golden Retriever Police Task Force was able to respond.

August Fan of the Month: Miriam

Hobie's proud to announce the August Fan of the Month: Miriam from Skokie, IL. Congratulations Miriam, you can pick up your official Hobie Fan Club T-Shirt between the hours of 1:03 and 1:04AM, Monday through Tuesday this week only.

Back in Illinois...Memoirs from Montana

Jib, Hobie and Tiller squeezed in the back of the Subaru. That's 3 golden retrievers and 1 station wagon for those of you keeping count. It was a squeeze but they loved it!




Hobie and Tiller are like 2 cousins - best friends. They played more than I've ever seen 2 dogs play. They didn't seem to get tired of each other. Hobie is 2 year old now and Tiller is a year younger but weighs a good 25 pounds more than Hobie. They play like littermates.

We took Hobie backpacking up Blodgett Canyon in the Bitterroot Valley. After hiking 10 miles, we pitched a tent and snapped some photos. Hobie got himself pretty dirty.




It's funny how much dry dog food weighs when you have to pack it around. Actually, "funny" isn't the word. I should say it's "heavy". I wonder if they make camping versions of dog food - maybe freeze dried or something more portable like that.

It's hot out here for a dawg

After a 12 mile hike through Blodgett Canyon in the Bitterroot Valley, Hobie voiced his need for some ice cream Dairy Queen style.


Cousins Jib and Tiller also attended the dessert-outing but demonstrated a different approach to cone-consumption. In fact, they consumed their treats so quickly it was not possible to photograph the split-second event. Hobie on the other hand, takes time and enjoys each lick.

Hobie Heads Home

1,587 miles and 26 hours later, Hobie crossed 6 state lines to see his buddy Toby, and cousins Tiller and Jib. Hobie's trip included overnight stays in 2 hotels, sightseeing at Mt. Rushmore, a stop at Wall, South Dakota, and 12 hours of rough-housing with Toby in Bozeman, Montana. All said and done, he's here in Missoula visiting cousins and his grandparents before he makes the long trip back to Illinois.

Tiller, the once smaller-than-Hobie pup has now surpassed Hobie's weight weighing in at a awkward 97.7 pounds. Though he's now too large to hang from Hobie's ears, his size makes him a more appropriate playmate for Hobie.

Uncle Noah Visits

Tired of watching the World Cup by himself, Hobie invited Noah to visit for the week so they could cheer for their favorite teams. Between games we sailed, visited Chicago hotspots (some of which Hobie was unable to attend), and trained-for and completed a grueling 5 kilometer race.

Hobie rushes Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house

Needless to say, Indiana chapter sorority sisters identified him as a non-believer and rejected his application.

2 and Terrible

Hobie celebrated his 2nd birthday today - older today than yesterday but still the same poorly-behaved bundle of fur we know and love. Pictured here with the only toy he's had all along and hasn't destroyed; Bailey Dog.




A week prior, I celebrated my birthday with a trip to a Glider Port where I went soaring in a pretty cool glider. Hobie stayed on the ground where he served as a K9 windsock. Pictured here Hobie has measured a 7 knot breeze out of the South. Perfect conditions.




Clearly unaware of his own size, Hobie climbs into people's laps when he gets scared. Scared of anything. Like what you ask? Cell phones for example. Or more commonly among his breed, vacuum cleaners. In that same category though less common, swiffer dust mops. Here he is sharing a chair with Melissa.

So we made the best of it.

Even though I told him not to, Hobie decided that licking his privates would alleviate some of his discomfort. The result was a week in the cone - so we made the best of it.

Valentine's Day was quickly approaching and I found myself card-less. Looking at Hobie's new outfit, I decided that the best thing to do would be to use the materials at hand. So I decorated Hobie's cone.

He didn't think it was nearly as funny as Melissa, our Valentine, did.

They left the important part

Well, it finally happened - Hobie got neutered.

Let me stress, this is something I wanted to avoid and believe me, so did Hobie. I feel terrible about it, but not as bad as he does.

Alas, the big day arrived and Hobie went to the vet - enthusiastically I might add. I think he wasn't too clear on what the plan was.

At the end of the day I picked up a very depressed and groggy pup and brought him home. He didn't smile at my jokes and wasn't keen on playing much - so I put him in bed and was glad to see a little hint of a grin on his face the next morning.

The Band Back Together Again

After a somewhat lengthy hiatus, the band is back together again and life is slowly returning to normal. No more exotic destinations, no more holidays, and no more tonsils.

Hobie had a great time in Michigan and was clearly reluctant to leave camp and his good buddy Wriggles Bajiggles. Nevertheless, we road-tripped back to Chicago with noticeably more Hobie toys and treats than we had arrived with.

Hobie has declared a number of New Years' Resolutions the highlights of which are:
Significant behavioral improvements
Significant weight gain
Significantly less biting
Significantly more lovin'

Happy New Year to all the fans out there!

Love Hobie and The Band

Camp Kaplan

Hobie's away at sleep-over camp near Detroit, Michigan. As you can see from the picture, he's being treated well and has found treats the likes of which he hadn't even imagined.

Hobie's new buddy Wrigley is a veteran camper and frequent visitor to Camp Kaplan. Together the dynamic duo spend their days competing for attention, eating each other's food, and causing general mayhem. Behavior is a rare luxury, not a priority, for these 2 animals.

Regular updates from camp staff have been terrific. Hobie has adjusted to the eastern time zone and has stated that he will very reluctantly return to Chicago when camp ends at the end of December.

A Woman In Hobie's Life

It's the kind of thing I can't explain more than to just say "I found her". Meet sweet Melissa! Peas and carrots.

Rapidly Wrapping Up

Hobie and I have been in Evanston now for 2 months. It's been a good time! The sailing season is rapidly wrapping up as the cold weather starts to move in. In an effort to be closer to our 2 favorite things here in Illinois, we're moving yet again. This time, just down the street. A mere 2 blocks from the lake! How about that for some good times!

In other news, Hobie's lecture on metaphysical formations and their effect on pre-historic man was a big hit.

Hobie's Big Change Of Plans

It's true, we are headed for sunnier skies however these skies are a bit closer than the aforementioned skies I eluded to. Evanston, IL to be exact. That's right, we're beach-bound. We'll be living a mere mile from Lake Michigan - barely down the street. More importantly, a mile-and-a-half from the sailing center.

The big move takes place at the end of this month!

No Dog Left Behind

President George W. Bush announced that Hobie would take part in his new program: No Dog Left Behind. As a result, Hobie is not a stay-at-home dog. He goes everywhere with me. FYI.

4th of July Hobieworks

It's no surprise that dogs don't like fireworks. In fact, they don't like the 4th of July. Needless to say Hobie made his daily appearance at the beach today and stayed for the city fireworks show which took place awkwardly close at the adjacent beach.

He did remarkably well. He did jump into my lap and was ready to leave after the first boom, but by the end of it, he acted like a seasoned 4th of July dog. Aint no big thang.

Ultimate Hobie Crew

Hobie went sailing for the first time today - he has a bad habit of swimming after the boat when I leave without him, so I figured that I'd see how my Hobie Dog does crewing on the Hobie Cat. There was hardly any wind, so his role on the boat was largely ceremonial.

We sailed about and then returned to the beach right as the wind died from barely-any to none-at-all.

Prognosis - Fun was had by all - will take Hobart sailing again.

Hobie-Wan Kenobi

Yep, it's been awhile since Hobie has updated his website. That's because he's been busy. Let's see - we flew to Montana to celebrate Hobie's 1st birthday!

We met Tiller - the new pup in the family. What an animal! Hobie and Tiller wrestled around the clock and had a great time.

Visited Toby and friends in Bozeman and decided to drop anchor there in a few weeks.

We flew back to Illinois just in time to blow off work and hit the beaches. Now it's sailing season and the Hobie Cat is getting some attention while the Hobie Dog plays on the beach.

Now that the weather is hot and the sailing is great, it's nearly time to leave Illinois. That's right, we're heading for bigger, bluer skies in Bozeman, Montana at the end of July.

Backyard Meteor Strikes

Hobie now makes a regular habit out of lifting his leg. It's great! That's my boy! I was so proud of him that I ran out and bought him a Rainbow Trout toy which he A) enjoys playing with and B) hasn't ruined or buried yet.

Hobie is now 10 months and 1 week old. His June 4th birthday is rapidly approaching! We've decided to throw the big birthday bash in Montana!

The weather has been getting very nice again, so it's time to think about fixing the backyard Hobie destroyed. Where once there was green leafy plants and a golf-course caliber lawn, there now lies a barren wasteland complete with dead grass, zero leafy greens, and countless "meteor strikes" as I like to call them. Meteor strikes in our backyard? Pretty much. That's what it looks like anyway. Huge pits that weren't there when we moved in. Maybe the landlord won't notice?

Upgrades

It's not that I don't want to make my bed...it's physically not possible. I'm dealing with a rather large animal.

Hobie's 68 pounds now - and this wasn't working anymore. So...after much delay, I went to Costco and got Hobie his very own (and very luxurious) dog bed. Currently he's sleeping on the floor however at night, he splits his time between my bed and his own bed.

Spoiled (adjective)

Hobie, proud owner of 1 tennis ball, became the proud owner of 26 tennis balls in a blink of an eye. Joscelyn and Zach visited and during a regular walk, identified 26 tennis balls as well as 2 softballs and 1 baseball all of which we packed home.

We left several hundred (estimated) tennis balls at the pond's edge for lack of space. Perhaps we'll return with a moving truck and get the rest of 'em!

Because He Can

I'm sure that the proudest moment a father can have is recognizing the point when his son learns to pee standing up. It's a turning point. Today Hobie, my dog of 9 months, lifted his leg and let loose like a male dog for the very first time.

It's difficult to articulate feelings during a moment like this other than to just say "I'm so proud" and leave it at that. I'm glad I was there to share the moment with him.

I'm a realist, and I know that this isolated incident is probably just that. It will take time to commit the motion to muscle memory and make a habit out of peeing like a male dog but now that I've seen that balancing on 3 legs is something he can do, I have no doubt that someday soon, there will be no more embarrassing moments at the park for Hobie and I.

Missin' that Furball

I'm in Honolulu and I had to leave Hobie with friends in Michigan, bittersweet I must say. I sure do miss that bundle of fur! This is the first time we've actually been apart for more than 2 or 3 days. In Michigan I'm told the weather is hovering right around zero - out here it's technically the winter, but Hawaii doesn't experience many changes from one season to the next, so if this is a winter in Hawaii, I'll take it.

I'll be here for nearly 2 weeks before I fly home - on the agenda; boogie boarding, surfing, diving and hiking!

I sent Hobie his first care package which included a hedgehog that makes a cool grunting noise just before I left Chicago. I got word that he received it today and has been having a great time in Michigan. Hopefully he won't forget about me before I make it back to the mainland.

Hobie Monkey and Toby Bear

Hobie Monkey had a great time playing with his pal Toby Bear while in Montana.

Now we're back in Illinois where we're both adjusting to life in the flattest state ever.

Yesterday Hobart went to the vet where he weighed in at a whopping 57 pounds - quite a jump from his original 7 lbs 5 months ago. That's an 814% weight gain in just 5 months! Fairly impressive.

At the vet I saw a little dog wearing some sort of expedition-weight hooded winter parka and shook my head. That's when it occurred to me: Some dogs have sweaters, my dog has a dot com.^TM

Upward Trends

Took the dogs hiking! Scuppers, Jib, Hobie, Noah and I summitted Mt. Sentinel during an inversion. In Missoula, it was a cold, cloudy day. We hiked above the cloud cover and enjoyed a pretty spectacular view.

Hobie's Hop To The Homeland

After a 24-hour delay out of Chicago, Hobie reluctantly boarded the cargo area of flight 23 to Seattle. A nail-biting and sleepless 4 hours later, I demanded to see him in Seattle before out next flight to Missoula. He and I walked around the Seattle airport for an hour and then back in his crate he went for our final hop to the homeland. We arrived in Missoula late Wednesday night and now resident top-dogs Scuppers and Jib are acclimating to life with the Hobester.

Many challenges had to be overcome - sharing toys, sharing attention, sharing the Subaru and sharing 'nam stories. Everyone seems to be getting along - or at least tolerating each other.

Hobie's first night of Hanukkah brought a pair - 2 pairs actually, of dog booties. A necessity for dogs when hiking in the snow. Unfortunately, there isn't so much as a lick of snow on the ground. We'll see what next week brings but for now there will be no frolicking in aforementioned snow.

Graduation

Last night Hobie finished puppy school at Petsmart! Though he rarely paid attention, he was clearly the brightest dog in attendance and was able to demonstrate a prominent understanding of such principles as sit, stay, and lie down. Advanced concepts such as "stop doing that", "come" and "eat your food", still need some work.

In other news, Hobie was honored to be selected for the cover photo of this year's client holiday card. The card features Hobie doing his best to destroy a Dell computer mouse and the caption, "It's a dog-eat-business world."

The countdown until our winter trip to Montana has begun! I'm not expecting Hobie to enjoy his first class flight in cargo, but Alaska Airlines told me that they show some great movies in the baggage compartment and that Hobie will be just fine.

Hobie's First Thanksgiving

Hobie enjoyed his first Thanksgiving from his usual post underneath the dining room table. As it so happened, Thanksgiving also brought the winter's first snowfall - a new weather phenomenon previously unknown to the Hobester!

A Very Hobie Halloween

Hobie celebrated his first Halloween with his very own 52-pound monstrosity of a pumpkin. I lashed it to my bumper, dragged it home, and then used a crane to get it from the garage to the front porch where I set to work carving it.

Hobie shares his name with a catamaran called a Hobie Cat. Thus he has his very own logo which appears on aforementioned ginormous pumpkin.

Hobie helped carve his pumpkin by insisting that he eat the insides as I scooped them out.

Appropriately, Hobie dressed for the occasion by wearing devil horns and behaving, well, like he always does.

Hobie Dog Meets Hobie Cat

Though this was definitely not Hobie's first trip to the beach, it was one of the first times I brought the camera and got some pictures of my Hobie Dog and Hobie Cat. In true family tradition, Hobie was named with sailing in mind.
His namesake stems from a catamaran called a Hobie Cat, one of the fastest and most exciting sailing machines the world has ever seen.

Meet The Parents

The parents visited from Montana and met 3-month-old Hobie aka Hobe, Hobinator, Hoberator, Hobert, Hobie Monkey, Hungry Hungry Hobie, H-Bomb. Though he opted not to be on his best behavior, the visit went well and he was invited to visit the family dogs in Montana at his earliest convenience.

Warning Signs

I've come to recognize the warning signs of imminent bad behavior. It's quite simple actually. When Hobie's tongue is hanging out, something bad is going to happen. "Something bad" can really be just about anything. For example, he may ruin a pair of shoes - chew through cables, or simply decide that the carpet would be fun to tear up.

When you see the tongue, run for the hills. It's really the only thing to do.

Bad Behavior 101

Welcome to HobieDog.com, the official website of Hobie The Dog!

Hobie was born June 4th, 2004 in Meppen, IL. Today he is 5 1/2 months old, weighs 47 1/2 pounds and works full time at Gecko Designs, a design and marketing firm where he regularly destroys office furniture, computer equipment and phone lines.

I'm Gabriel, a 24 1/2 year old first-time-dog-owner and this is my story, my struggle, my life. Welcome to it.