Spotwalla Protocols

tj189

Premier Member
#1
It is a standing rule of IBA ride certification that it is the responsibility of the rider to “prove” completing the ride as specified by the certification protocols. As the complexity of IBA certification rides has grown, so has the need for supplemental documentation to support elements of the rider’s application. Therefore, the satellite tracking device and SpotWalla trip protocols below must be followed when “SpotWalla use is mandatory” for IBA ride certification. These protocols may be followed even if the certification requirements do not make SpotWalla trip data mandatory.

Please ensure you read the Spotwall Protocols in its entirety at this link
 
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Brian Thorn

Premier Member
#2
Device Settings: On your tracking device, before starting the ride, you must set the following options
  • Update frequency: 5 minutes if available, or to the smallest value otherwise
My Garmin inReach Recreation plan has 10 min intervals. I can get 2 min intervals but then I have to move to the Expedition plan which is double the price which defeats the purpose of moving from Spot to inReach in the first place.

Because a shorter interval is available even though it's twice the cost, am I required to have the higher priced plan for a Mandatory ride?
 

Bill53

Premier Member
#4
It appears the link to Spotwalla Protocols is broken. The point is to prove that you did the ride with as much detail as you reasonably can and make the scrutineers task as easy as possible. More likely for them to forgive a blurred photo if the surrounding evidence supports it.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#5
It appears the link to Spotwalla Protocols is broken.
The version posted was slightly incomplete (at the bottom of the document), but would suspect the intent is still there.

I'd also suspect a revised version will be reposted at that link in a matter of days, if not hours.
 
#12
Spotwalla, ride logs, extra photos. Its not so much more information is best, the " best" is supply the well organised and logically laid out information requested.

After riding pretty much on rally mind set for a few years now, with rally documentation that is significantly different to cert ride docs, the other day i took a jaunt out to Longreach in the dark and much appreciated rain, back across to Rocky and home, a paltry 2100 or so km in 22 and a bit hours and documented it and did it using gps and odo shots along with reciepts and hand written notes.
I was shocked at how undisciplined my documentation effort was in retrospect sitting at home after what ended up being 36 hours with other stuff thrown in before the ride started.
Simple things, a missing odo photo, no excuse for that,( i took a photo, it showed the trip metre) missing odo handwritten reading for logs, no excuse for that, missing photos of odo and reciept, no excuse for that, mismatched addresses in final submission docs, no excuse for that.
Compared to rally admin( also done on the clock), i found this exercise a wake up call to stop being complacent and to do a proper pre ride mental shake up so that the documentation matches the requirements.

Fortunately I had enough information on everything bits and pieces wise to complete the documentation for submission but its a lesson learnt.
If i get a gap, I might do another ride next week to see if the lesson was really learnt..

signed td, the master ametuer.
 

Farkleit

Premier Member
#13
This message came form Jason at Spotwalla
Just a heads up to all the SPOT device users out there... SPOT has updated their systems with new functionality affecting Shared Pages. In a nutshell, Shared Pages are now referred to as XML Feeds.
After logging into your SPOT account you'll now see an XML Feed link instead of the Shared Pages link. Click that XML Feed link and you'll see all your old shared pages have conveniently become XML Feeds.
Creating an XML Feed is just like creating a Shared Page. All the familiar options are present.
Configuring a SPOT device in SpotWalla hasn't changed much. You'll create an XML Feed and, instead of using the Shared Page URL to configure your device, you'll use the XML Feed ID. You can find this ID by viewing the details for any of your feeds.
Do current SPOT users have to do anything in SpotWalla?
Nope. Your current Shared Page is working just fine. The only reason you need to change anything is if/when that shared page no longer works. But if you're the adventurous type, go ahead and create a new XML Feed and use the ID to configure your device in SpotWalla. The device update page will accept either a shared page URL or a new XML Feed ID.
Y'all have fun out there and be safe.

I recently dropped my SPOT subscription due to the cost, ive been using a paid version of Bubbler on my phone and still tracking via spotwalla, works great, even if i lose phone signal, it seems to track then update everything when the service reconnects, my paid version cost me a once off $12.00 which is way cheaper than Spot.

PS dont forget to donate a few dollars to Jason and Spotwalla to keep his terrific service online, if everyone dropped him $10 every few months of riding it goes a long way. https://spotwalla.com/help/index.php#donate cheers
 

Gatey

Premier Member
IBA Member
#14
Ok TJ I followed the link you posted expecting to see a list of these rides that require a mandatory use of the SPOT.

That link simply says “SpotWalla use is mandatory”

Does this now mean all rides?
 

tj189

Premier Member
#15
Ok TJ I followed the link you posted expecting to see a list of these rides that require a mandatory use of the SPOT.

That link simply says “SpotWalla use is mandatory”

Does this now mean all rides?
From the page you quoted:
It is a standing rule of IBA ride certification that it is the responsibility of the rider to “prove” completing the ride as specified by the certification protocols. As the complexity of IBA certification rides has grown, so has the need for supplemental documentation to support elements of the rider’s application. Therefore, the satellite tracking device and SpotWalla trip protocols below must be followed when “SpotWalla use is mandatory” for IBA ride certification. These protocols may be followed even if the certification requirements do not make SpotWalla trip data mandatory.​
 

Brookester

Premier Member
#16
Ok TJ I followed the link you posted expecting to see a list of these rides that require a mandatory use of the SPOT.

That link simply says “SpotWalla use is mandatory”

Does this now mean all rides?
No Gatey it does not apply to all rides. There are some new rides coming online that will require mandatory use. At this stage only 1 or 2 in the USA.
 

tj189

Premier Member
#17
No Gatey it does not apply to all rides. There are some new rides coming online that will require mandatory use. At this stage only 1 or 2 in the USA.
True for the USA, however there are rides in Australia that require Spotwalla as well. We can only ask riders to check the ride rules for the specific ride you are doing before attempting the ride.