SPOT

It's a 7 oz $150 device that can summon help via the Globalstar satellite network. You need a $100/year service plan to use it, although a lower-cost monthly plan may exist. Device uses GPS to determine coordinates which are sent via satellite to the company's servers in Milpitas, CA. Users can view your location continuously or only when you press a button on the device. A 911 button summons emergency help to your location. Another button sends a preset message to up to 5 people (like "hey, I pressed this button so I'm OK"). Still another button sends a similar message that asks those people for non-emergency assistance.

Sounds neat - a cheap PLB! But there are some potential caveats. One is that it uses the balky Globalstar network. Failures have left the system with less than 100% coverage. Satellite communication also requires a relatively unblocked line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver. And GPS is notoriously unreliable under heavy tree cover or in canyons.

Another is that if you let your service plan lapse, pressing 911 will only exercise your finger. This may soon change, as the company may be forced to respond under the same laws that govern cell phones.

Then there's the $100/year charge itself. If you buy a PLB, you pay your $500 and that's it. No yearly fees. If you plan on using a device like this for more than 4 years and use it only for emergency situations, you're better off buying a true PLB.

I don't know why the company didn't put a keyboard on the thing. It would definitely be worth the $100/year cost if I could send short text messages. One example is when I turned my ankle and shacked up for 2 days until the swelling went down. If I could have sent a "Will not need pickup til Tuesday" message, I could have saved a friend a few days of worry. If this was sold as primarily a satellite texting device instead of an emergency aid device, a lot of the shortcomings could be overlooked.

The bottom line is that I might buy one for my family's peace-of-mind. If someone monitored my position daily, they could sound the alarm if I remain in the same place for more than a day. At the very least it would give search parties a place to start, even if I failed to send a 911. Hopefully the company will address some of the product's shortcomings as this product matures.