[Public-List] cheap EPIRB?

[Gordon White]

   There was a GPS device described in the Jan. 30 Wall Street Journal, 
p. D5, that will send its lat/lon to an emergency response center if its 
HELP button is pressed, plus other tracking data of less than emergency 
sorts.  This looks like a poor man's EPIRB. While designed for hikers 
(it is the size of a cell phone) it ought to work as well at sea. Has 
anyone any experience with one of these? Costs $170 and is called the 
SPOT Satellite Messenger. A lot cheaper than an EPIRB for either a boat 
or an aircraft.

- Gordon White