IntrepidXJ's Adventure Weblog

Almost exactly a year ago, I received my first SPOT Messenger. Today during my lunch break, I headed to REI and purchased the new SPOT II Satellite GPS Messenger. Spot is offering a rebate to existing customers to upgrade to the new device and extend their service for another year, so I figured since I would be renewing my service anyway, I may as well get the new device for a discounted price

The new SPOT offers a better GPS chipset than the previous model and has some extra buttons which makes it easier to use. I also like the fact that the SOS and Help buttons are covered so that you can’t accidentally press them. The smaller size is also nice, too. With spring finally arriving here in Western Colorado, I’m sure I’ll be heading out in the Jeep and using the new SPOT pretty regularly.

If you want to know more about the new SPOT, check out their website here.

My photos are very important to me. I would be devastated if I lost them to a hard drive failure. Up until now I have been lucky that I have not lost any, as I have not done a great job of backing them up.

I finally decided it was time to get a backup solution that is easy to use and will help me keep my photos organized. I decided that an external RAID 1 (mirrored) hard drive solution would be my best bet. After looking at building my own solution, I found that Western Digital had a better option that was cheaper and easier.

I ended up picking up the MyBook Mirror Edition in 2TB (only 1TB of storage since the other drive is just a mirror). Now to get started transferring over my photos and other important files

Well, because of the price drop last week, I finally decided to pickup a Playstation 3. I was looking into getting the new ‘Slim’ but really preferred the style of the old system, so that’s what I ended up getting.

While there are a few games I am interested in, my biggest reasons for picking up the PS3 are so that I can use it as a media hub for my living room….plus I needed a blue-ray player anyways

I finally gave into temptation and went after work to get myself an iPhone 3GS. This will be my first iPhone and so far I like it I ended up getting the black 16GB model.

I picked up a JetBoil PCS today, just in time for our Moab trip this weekend. We were looking for a quick and easy way to make some meals when we were out camping (especially for a trip I am planning in August….more on that in the future). Plus, it’s an easy way for us to make some hot chocolate out in the field (neither of us drinks coffee).

I really liked the small size and the fact that everything fits nicely inside the cup. It also is supposed to boil water very fast. I guess we ill find out this weekend when we are able to test it in the field

Setup

Packed up

I ordered a new little gadget earlier this week that showed up today. I figured a ‘netbook’ would make a great little laptop to use around the house and on my trips to get internet access, without having to lug around my bigger laptop. It would also allow me to get my photos off my memory cards for my camera on longer trips so that I do not run out of space.

I ended up going with the Asus Eee PC 1000HE. Here’s a few of the main specs:

• Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz processor
• 160GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
• 12GB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz) (I upgraded from 1GB for only $20)
• 10” WSVGA LED-Backlit 1024 x 600 LCD
• SD Card Reader
• Webcam (1.3 MP)
• Battery: 7.2v 8700mAh 6-cell 63Wh battery (9.5 Hours)
• Wireless: 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0

….and all of that is in a very small package with a very usable keyboard and screen….running Windows XP Home.

The actual size of the netbook is: 10.47” x 7.3” x 1.12-1.50”S

So far I am really enjoying this netbook and think it will work great for me out in the field, as well as around the house.

I added a ‘SPOT Me’ page to my website located in the bar across the top. This page contains a link to my shared SPOT page where you can follow my track when I am out travelling. It will also contain my previous locations for the last 7 days.

Amanda and I are headed out to Moab this weekend and plan to have our SPOT tracking on, so feel free to check out the shared page this weekend to see how well it works!

My SPOT Messenger showed up today! I already activated it and tried a test message which worked great so far. I should be able to give it a thorough testing this weekend in Moab

Hopefully I will be able to get a new page on my website soon so you can see where I am at when I’m traveling, so stay tuned for that, too.

I have wanted one of these for a long time, and there is currently a great deal going on where you can get a free SPOT messenger if you purchase one year of service (which you would need anyways).

I ordered mine today and it’s supposed to be here Wednesday. I’ll post an update when it arrives. I figure that this device is a great investment considering I spent a lot of time exploring in my Jeep alone.

I finally picked up a new handheld GPS. I had a little bonus on my last paycheck and decided to upgrade my GPS mainly for a better geocaching experience. In the past I have used my Magellan CrossoverGPS and AT&T Tilt for geocaching, but I was never completely satisfied with either solution. The CrossoverGPS required that I also used an old Compaq iPaq PDA for paperless caching, which was a pain. The Tilt worked much better, but the battery life on my phone while using the GPS was really bad.

I ended up getting the new Garmin Oregon 400t and think it will work out much better for me….not only with geocaching, but also for keeping tracks of the trails I explore in my Jeep and on foot. I’ll keep you updated on how well it works out for me