It takes Spot about 1′ or less to pin down your location. (Tests show about 46 seconds, actually.) That’s assuming you have clear sky though. Inside, I found it to be rather unreliable. In a car, just velcro it to the dashboard in view of the windshield and you’ll be good to go. In one setting, you can configure Spot to send an update on your location once every 10′. Talk about phoning home. The kids will think they’re watching Bond. James Bond.