Duke of Edinburgh GPS Tracker Technology Comparison: Iridium vs. SPOT and GSM Trackers
Additional demands for risk assessment and protection concerns, as well as improving expedition efficiency, have resulted in schools, universities and Scouts using GPS Trackers for Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions (D of E). There are three main types of GPS trackers; Iridium, SPOT and GSM. Each has different capabilities and ownership costs vary considerably.
Iridium Trackers have become more affordable in recent years, with manufacturers like Yellow Brick and Delorme leading the way. Delorme was sold to GPS leader Garmin, which has improved and expanded the Delorme models to offer more affordable and technically sophisticated tracking devices than any of the other manufacturers.
Trackers using the Iridium satellite network benefit from a key feature that no other GPS tracking network can boast; 100% worldwide coverage. Iridium works at the poles, the equator, and even at sea, all over the world in places where SPOT and other trackers simply can’t reach. Iridium trackers transmit directly to Iridium satellites, so they require a clear view of the sky to transmit.
Garmin InReach Explorer+ Iridium trackers combine the power of a global GPS tracker with other features. They have the ability to provide weather reports and two-way communication via SMS, as well as optional navigation and map functions. Iridium trackers are the most expensive type of tracker to buy initially, but if your life depends on it then there really is no other option.
Garmin Iridium trackers are powered by built-in lithium batteries. Battery life is completely dependent on how often the device is used and in what capacity. If the tracker is used only for infrequent location updates with the screen off, the units can last for much longer than a week. However, if the screen is used for constant browsing, you can expect to only use it for a couple of days. More typically, by setting the device to update once every 10 minutes with occasional screen use, a 4-5 day lifespan can be expected between charges. The device can be charged from a supplied USB cable, connected to mains, car port cigarette lighter, power bank or solar charger.
In addition to global coverage, the two-way communication capability is what makes Garmin InReach devices stand out from the competition. While SPOT Gen 3 has the ability to send only preset OK or Help messages to the website or fixed contact list, with Inreach there is no limitation on messaging ability or who messages can be sent to. Like the SPOT, the SOS capability can request help from the international rescue service GEOS.
Iridium offers two subscription models; annual and monthly on demand, so you can cancel the subscription and reactivate it whenever you want. SPOT is an annual contract only, and cannot be turned on and off monthly, on demand. Garmin’s paid monthly subscriptions are more expensive than annual paid ones, but generally lower ownership costs than a SPOT, in a common scenario where you might be using a tracker for several months of the year , during the shipping season.
The standard InReach subscription will allow the device to transmit a location message every 10 minutes. This can be set lower, ultimately being changed to once every 2 minutes for an additional annual premium fee.
Iridium trackers natively display their location on topographic maps, which is far from ideal for D of E expeditions. D of E expeditions are almost always planned on Ordnance Survey maps, and students will also carry and navigate from they. As a result, it makes sense to want to see the tracker’s location on an Ordnance Survey (OS) map. To display the Iridium tracker location on OS maps, Iridium subscribers should look to use a third-party shipment tracking platform that takes data from the manufacturer’s website and presents it to an Iridium tracking portal. Different GPS showing all Ordnance Survey maps. in all proportions. This service will incur an additional monthly fee.
InReach trackers are highly reliable, there is none better for coverage. They should be carefully placed on top of a bag. They are the most expensive trackers to buy, but cheaper than SPOT to operate for the Duke of Edinburgh’s use, because the contract can hibernate when not in use. However, due to the high cost of Iridium Trackers, they are rarely used for UK D of E expeditions and are usually only reserved for overseas Gold expeditions. GSM trackers are the preferred option for UK expeditions. The use of the GSM tracker will be discussed in a later article. We hope this article has helped you in your decision-making process when hiring or purchasing a tracker to use on a D of E Expedition.