View Single Post
  #6  
Old April 4th 17, 02:32 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Renny[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 241
Default SPOT pricing going up again...

On Monday, April 3, 2017 at 10:25:47 PM UTC-6, wrote:
So Renny, you say you switched 2 years ago, what exactly are your costs, up front and yearly? I tried to look at cost comparisons and totally get confused with how they represent it: 19.99/month plus .30/fix for tracking seems pretty high if I fly 40+ 4 hour flights per year or more. Inquiring minds want to know😀 Even with the increase it's still less than 15/month. Or am I missing something?


Cliff - I am guessing you are in the US, so here are my costs:
Delorme Plan 3 (unlimited tracking every 10 minutes) the cost including taxes and fees = $38.72/month
When service is suspended the cost = $5.51/mo

I typically suspend service for 4 months each year and pay the $38.72/month for the other 8 months. Depending on your requirements and the weather in you area, you may only need the service for 6 months each year while others may want to use it 12 months per year. If you want more frequent tracking than every 10 minutes, it will obviously cost more each month....

Finally, Garmin has introduced new inReach SE and Explorer models whcih are now available, so you can check with the various soaring suppliers on equipment pricing. The previous models are still out there, so you may be able to get a break in the price. Also, on occasion there are rebates which would also help lower the price. I have the inReach Explorer version with some very nice navigation features which I really like and use for hiking...Thx - Renny