SpotWalla Help
Choose from the help topics below or review our Frequently Asked Questions.
Getting Started
How to register, quick start, recovering your password, contact support...
Devices
Setting up and configuring devices, secure zones, email notifications and more.
Trips
Need to setup and configure a trip? Want to know how to keep your location secure?
Retrospectives
A retro what?
Tracks & Overlays
What's a track? Where do I use them? How can I create one?
Location Pages
What's a location page? How do I find them? How do I join one?
Friends
What in tarnation is this about?
Funding Your Account
Pricing, viewing your statements and how to fund your account.
Donations
For organizations and individuals who are compelled to make a donation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your question may be asked frequently. Click the question to display the answer.
Since SPOT/Garmin don't send messages to SpotWalla, SpotWalla has to periodically ask them for messages. This is called polling. Polling occurs 24/7/365 for devices that are configured properly and where the message interface is enabled.
You can prevent polling and the device activity fee by disabling your device's message interface in SpotWalla. Go to the device update page. Below the Serial Number and Feed information there's a checkbox that allows you to enable/disable the device's message interface. This is for SPOT device, but the checkbox is the same for an InReach:
Uncheck the highlighted option and click the Update button. SpotWalla will not poll your device until you enable it again. If you do that today, you'll still see a 3 cent charge for today since it's been polled already, but you won't see it tomorrow and thereafter until you enable it again.
Remember...
If you choose to disable your device's message interface when it's not in use for long periods of time, please remember to activate it again when it is in use.
If you want to get up and running as soon as possible, check out the Quick Start section:
If you're using a phone app like Bubbler GPS or SWTracker, polling does not apply to you. These apps send SpotWalla location information regularly and automatically.
The satellite-based tracking devices do not automatically report their positions to SpotWalla. Instead, SpotWalla periodically asks SPOT or Garmin if new messages exist for a device. This is known as polling.
Generally, SPOT and Garmin devices are polled once every 10-12 minutes. If the device does not produce a new message for more than 24 hours, the device is polled once every 30 minutes. When a new message arrives, SpotWalla will poll the device every 10 minutes again.
If the device's configuration changes, it will be polled immediately.
First question to answer is, where will your travels take you? If you plan on visiting remote areas of the globe, then you'll need a satellite-based tracking device. If your travels will be local or wherever cellular service is available, then one of the phone-based apps will turn your smart phone into an adequate and capable tracking device.
SpotWalla supports these devices...
| Satellite Tracking Devices | Smart Phone Applications |
|---|---|
| Garmin Satellite Trackers | Bubbler GPS (Android) |
| SPOT Trackers | SWTracker (iOS) |
| Zoleo Trackers |