SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-28T19:40:18-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsCustomer #807992 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCustomer #807992urn:uuid:956db525-9aba-5d10-bc83-65cb1354ca952016-05-17T14:57:32-06:00<p>Anybody have one of these boards they're not using? I'd love to try this project!</p>
M-Short on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldM-Shorturn:uuid:d3c2f085-f25c-9891-c168-10602db1a4cd2015-03-27T09:36:05-06:00<p>2 main reasons. First is that the sales were not that good. But more importantly the actual SPOT module kept changing. I'm not sure the final end user product changed, but the PCB design and test points we were using did. It wasn't worth it to try to keep up (see point number 1).</p>
Customer #101353 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCustomer #101353urn:uuid:9a1f477f-ed1f-e1af-010d-9ef1b2df9c7c2015-03-26T22:38:32-06:00<p>I was wondering if someone could tell me why this product was retired. Is it simply because of a lack of interest? Or, are there technical or legal problems with it? Basically, I'm wondering if it's worth working from the Eagle files provided for a project I'm doing.</p>
BlueTurtle on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldBlueTurtleurn:uuid:7dab3fdd-0486-7afe-3122-a316e012e4762013-07-04T13:56:26-06:00<p>Hey Nate, this thing has been great, thanks! I have posted a comment on your SPOT tutorial page ( http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/340 ) that describes how to send "predefined messages". These are FREE! Also, I recommend replacing the MIC5219 for the MSP/General supply with a 1A regulator such as the LP38692. The SPOT can pull more than 500mA during transmit, so the 5219 drops out sometimes and is generally unreliable.</p>
capt jim on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldcapt jimurn:uuid:42a7e123-6248-8b61-4a6a-a9dd115f572c2013-04-08T16:15:48-06:00<p>If you are having trouble, make sure the voltage to the satellite transmitter is good, that is critical and the reason G* spec's lithium primary cells, they maintain their cell voltage 'till near end-of-life. if you've got an alt. supply, make sure it has low source impedance, no voltage sag while radiating.</p>
Cullen Fluffy Jennings on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCullen Fluffy Jenningsurn:uuid:ab7902b6-cdce-57a4-22e7-4bad2401d79c2013-01-05T09:00:39-07:00<p>I used this in a project to meassure the wind. An arduino counts the pulses from the anemometer to compute a wind speed. It then uses a Spot Connect device to transmit this wind and temperature information to the web via the globalstar satalite system. This generates an email that drives a django based website. All the code is open source at https://github.com/fluffy/SprayWind and I look forward to hearing about what other people end up doing with this system.<p>This project was started as an little amusement to do over the holidays and provide information about the weather conditioins at Spray Lakes in Alberta Canada for the the folks that snowkite there. You can see the current data from this station at spraywind.com.</p><p>Some documentation of the design can be found at http://doc.spraywind.com/doc/design.html</p></p>
Cullen Fluffy Jennings on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCullen Fluffy Jenningsurn:uuid:1aef3dac-ff89-0b54-c1c0-4bd3646f79592012-12-27T07:46:12-07:00<p>I could not get the code at https://github.com/sparkfun/Run-SPOT-Run to reliably work for me but I have written some alternative code which has been working well. You can find it at https://github.com/fluffy/SprayWind/blob/master/Arduino/WindSat/WindSat.ino It's open source (BSD) and the part for controlling the SPOT is set up to be yanked and and used as an Arduino library. I'll set it up as a stand along library if others find that useful. I'm using it to send data from a remote weather station where there is not cellular coverage or other way to get the information back.</p>
Customer #377693 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCustomer #377693urn:uuid:284d58d3-26eb-e8ee-01c5-e44cb88a431b2012-11-09T12:50:44-07:00<p>So, a message sent from this shield goes to the SPOT server, is it ? Is there a device that would allow me to beam up a message and receive at an IP address of my choice ?</p>
BlueTurtle on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldBlueTurtleurn:uuid:76c929c3-5176-994b-68bc-6f9ca425f9312012-06-06T07:18:56-06:00<p>First, thanks so much Nate! I just put this project together, cracked open a SPOT Connect, and it worked right out of the box. Sweet. Question for you ... It's my first time using an Arduino (usually I live in PIC-land). The Arduino w/SPOT seems to work just fine when connected via USB and the serial monitor open, but as soon as I try to run it stand-alone using batteries, it doesn't. SPOT powers up, tries to send a message ... no joy. Is there any reason this shouldn't work when not tethered to a PC?</p>
Customer #118891 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCustomer #118891urn:uuid:34faf2d0-b928-2b93-c306-7fdbc825b6942012-05-22T08:46:37-06:00<p>Sort of like the ham radio APRS system except with huge limitations and a $ub$cription.<p>KC6ETE-9 (google it)</p></p>
Williwaw on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldWilliwawurn:uuid:9bf7e0f3-1000-c13b-8eac-b39e08d264722012-04-09T06:26:30-06:00<p>Do you use the 9602 in yours?<p>It would be fun to play with and hack, but the the core Iridium components and service is only provided thru vendors as I am sure you are well aware of and the prices seem to vary greatly between them.</p></p>
orangeshasta on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldorangeshastaurn:uuid:cda933e6-f210-a465-3680-a9edf05d09302012-04-08T06:53:47-06:00<p>My company makes a similar product (Part of the "Cerberus" system) which uses the Iridium network, so it can send AND RECEIVE text data over satellite, and connects to your smartphone via bluetooth. Our API is completely open so you can write your own Android/iOS apps or embedded code to send whatever type of information you like. Information is here if anyone is interested:<p><a href="http://cerberus.briartek.com/" rel="nofollow">http://cerberus.briartek.com/</a></p></p>
Allan4 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldAllan4urn:uuid:75719305-462b-bbc5-7d1b-e2e959f6f0322012-04-07T17:42:20-06:00<p>an true eletronic enginer prefer to disassemble and reverse-engginering an device than just conect it on bluetooth and send commands. =P</p>
MostThingsWeb on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldMostThingsWeburn:uuid:f17082cb-ec7e-5106-d0bc-a750fa6ef7a52012-04-07T07:06:09-06:00<p>Sweet thanks. You're right- that thing really was designed to be hacked</p>
AngusP on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldAngusPurn:uuid:b7c43895-5e9c-d448-5232-6e32675cc9c02012-04-07T03:40:02-06:00<p>Hmmm. "Run SPOT Run" seems to me as if the board is telling the module to run for its life, coz it is gonna get hacked. /me likes it.</p>
AdShea on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldAdSheaurn:uuid:9fff89e6-45a6-3678-16e8-100541baf48e2012-04-06T23:15:12-06:00<p>Does anyone know what the 41 characters are limited to? Is it ASCII-7? Any 328 bits? Anything that could pass off as UTF-16?</p>
eephillip on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldeephillipurn:uuid:641ae73b-ad80-4b06-9565-572ef55575de2012-04-06T16:55:28-06:00<p>I had to go looking for it, save others the trouble<p>This system uses globalstar</p><p><a href="http://www.marinesatellitesystems.com/index.php?page_id=801" rel="nofollow">http://www.marinesatellitesystems.com/index.php?page_id=801</a></p></p>
erebus on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shielderebusurn:uuid:8dc55db7-444e-71a6-288a-e38b8a8610a72012-04-06T16:35:48-06:00<p>Does anyone know if this will this work with the SPOT II receiver?</p>
Nate on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldNateurn:uuid:d894cfa6-100e-7571-339a-431b10cafdaa2012-04-06T13:06:19-06:00<p>Technically the SPOT Connect receives signals from the GPS network. But for what you are talking about, no, the SPOT cannot receive commands or transmissions from you at home. It only transmits.</p>
jlhonora on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldjlhonoraurn:uuid:938eaf5d-d2fd-c940-ce94-3085e5c6b7e72012-04-06T12:34:15-06:00<p>Maybe I wasn't too clear. I meant that with the SPOT Connect you can only send but not receive data, please correct me if I'm wrong.</p>
zeroid on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldzeroidurn:uuid:298b98b7-97f0-7baf-4021-0be5ab3ade6b2012-04-06T11:34:00-06:00<p>It comes back just not to the sending node. It would be pretty useless to have the terminating node in space unless it was at the ISS.</p>
jlhonora on DEV-11088 - SatUplink Shieldjlhonoraurn:uuid:57aa93c7-3e8c-6990-8f36-48af2dc5e6742012-04-06T11:27:55-06:00<p>Hold it! As far as I know, you cannot get your messages to space "and back", because the SPOT Connect
only sends data, right?</p>
Williwaw on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldWilliwawurn:uuid:64d04742-97fe-abdd-d2d5-72f89fac77f42012-04-06T11:26:40-06:00<p>As a Merchant Mariner by profession, this interest me for obvious reasons. I look forward to the communities help on making this work.<br>
-Thanks<p><strong>Edit</strong>
For what it's worth, I looked into it further and the DeLorme (inReach)/Iridium system better suits my needs with two way data, better coverage and cheaper TX rates.</p></p>
Nate on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldNateurn:uuid:cb63f7af-e2a6-eba0-59b5-27714b79ed9f2012-04-06T11:04:36-06:00<p>It's what geeks do over Christmas. In between times hanging out with the family, I was giddily pouring over serial logs! Tutorial is up over here: <a href="http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/340" rel="nofollow">http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/340</a></p>
Nate on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldNateurn:uuid:0ef64905-c121-ce44-3515-e2712ac722582012-04-06T10:31:20-06:00<p>Thanks for the correction. I've updated the product description.<p>I was able to send 7 messages before they stopped reporting the messages. Your mileage may vary. I could still see the unit's long/lat on the SPOT site but the 41 character message was not shown.</p></p>
Seth K on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldSeth Kurn:uuid:1167b6c4-424a-8ebb-ca5e-d5ab64014e922012-04-06T10:30:42-06:00<p>So let me get this straight, I can go with 10cents/message anywhere on the planet (SPOT) or I can go with 10cents/message within cell phone range (T-Mobile prepaid)?</p>
MostThingsWeb on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldMostThingsWeburn:uuid:02d1f4dc-f770-c230-4670-dd8da28e1b9f2012-04-06T09:51:54-06:00<p>Too cool! Nate, how on earth did you reverse engineer that!?</p>
Hoobert on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldHooberturn:uuid:39ae3510-8812-4633-6843-7e68c3fb565d2012-04-05T21:09:12-06:00<p>A quick note about the service:
The normal service includes the ability to send prewritten messages. If you want to send data or any other custom message from the module a trial of the custom message sending service is included however after 5 messages you will have to buy messages at 50 cents per message or you can prepay for around 10 to 30 cents per message.<p>Just thought I'd put that out there for those that have plans to use this device.</p><p><a href="http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=117" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p></p>
Customer #128983 on DEV-11088 - SatUplink ShieldCustomer #128983urn:uuid:050cb891-80d1-8297-8fd0-24bbb17722a82012-04-05T18:13:20-06:00<p>Oh god, I love you guys.</p>