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#190848 - 12/15/09 01:45 AM Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
SPOT LLC has issued what they are calling a "Voluntary Return Program" for their recently released second generation SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger which even they are now referring to as "SPOT 2." If you own a second generation SPOT, you need to check and see if your unit is affected, in which case you'll exchange your SPOT 2 for a new unit, which isn't expected until "early next year." Get the details on Equipped To Survive:

http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=172

Please spread the word.


Edited by Doug_Ritter (12/15/09 02:20 AM)
Edit Reason: SPOT calrified that not all SPOT 2 are affected
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#190855 - 12/15/09 02:37 AM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
Yikes.

Not something good to be recalled.
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#190885 - 12/15/09 12:57 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Todd W]
Glock-A-Roo Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
And in other news, the Acme Heart Valve Company has announced a recall of all their heart valves installed over the last 10 years. Once you remove your Acme valves and return them to the company, replacement is expected within 90 days...!

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#190886 - 12/15/09 01:26 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Todd W]
KenK Offline
"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2208
Loc: NE Wisconsin
Originally Posted By: Todd W
Not something good to be recalled.


Still, its nice to know that the company is taking the hit for bad batteries to make sure things are right.

If its anything like the automotive industry, the battery supplier is most likely paying for the whole recall, though as you suggest, the company's image does take a hit.

Their excitement to get the new version of Spot out probably should have tempered by more thorough validation testing.

Ken

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#190888 - 12/15/09 02:13 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: KenK]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
There is a lesson in here somewhere.

Use and embrace technology. Don't, however, totally depend upon it and be able to use more fundamental, less high tech alternatives.

It reminds me of the early days of GPS (1992 or thereabouts) when users got a notice that the system would be down for about a five day period around the holidays. Santa had to fall back on LORAN that Xmas.
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#190889 - 12/15/09 02:19 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Nicodemus Offline
Paranoid?
Veteran

Registered: 10/30/05
Posts: 1341
Loc: Virginia, US
"...in which case you'll exchange your SPOT 2 for a new unit, which isn't expected until "early next year.""

I hope no one bought one of the affected SPOT 2 units hoping to use it right away. Yikes.
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#190900 - 12/15/09 04:00 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: KenK]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
Originally Posted By: KenK
Originally Posted By: Todd W
Not something good to be recalled.


Still, its nice to know that the company is taking the hit for bad batteries to make sure things are right.

If its anything like the automotive industry, the battery supplier is most likely paying for the whole recall, though as you suggest, the company's image does take a hit.

Their excitement to get the new version of Spot out probably should have tempered by more thorough validation testing.

Ken


This has nothing to do with the batteries themselves. It appears to have to do with the sensing circuitry that determines the level of charge remaining in the batteries, which are off the shelf Energizer AAA lithium cells you can buy anywhere.
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#190901 - 12/15/09 04:04 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Nicodemus]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
Originally Posted By: Nicodemus
"...in which case you'll exchange your SPOT 2 for a new unit, which isn't expected until "early next year.""

I hope no one bought one of the affected SPOT 2 units hoping to use it right away. Yikes.


What SPOT did not make very clear at all is that the unit works fine, it just appears to be running out of battery too quickly if you have an affected unit, but in fact will work fine for the normal period. Of course, that could get you in big trouble since that run time is variable depending on a variety of factors. You depend on that flashing red LED to tell you it's time to change the batteries or to reserve the remaining battery for a possible SOS.
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Doug Ritter
Editor
Equipped To SurviveŽ
Chairman & Executive Director
Equipped To Survive Foundation
www.KnifeRights.org
www.DougRitter.com

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#190910 - 12/15/09 04:58 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: Doug_Ritter]
celler Offline
Addict

Registered: 12/25/03
Posts: 410
Loc: Jupiter, FL
It sounds like you might be ok to keep using the unit for a while so long as you are aware that the low battery signal will come on early. Maybe carrying an extra set of batteries and a small battery tester would be prudent if you want to keep your Spot 2 until the new units are available.

Me, I'm going to stick with my ACR MicroFix. YMMV.

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#190947 - 12/15/09 09:43 PM Re: Second Generation SPOT 2 Recall Announced [Re: celler]
JohnN Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 10/10/01
Posts: 966
Loc: Seattle, WA
FWIW, my understanding is it is pretty hard to determine capacity on lithium batteries due to their discharge curve. It only drops very slightly from new until the very end and then it just totally falls off. Factor in batch to batch variances, and it seems like it would be hard to do it reasonably.

Can the batteries be user-replaced in the field on these units?

-john

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