Spot Messenger emergency beacons have become popular with backcountry users as a low-priced way to summon help when outside of cell-phone coverage areas.
Today, however, the company issued a statement that it would be accepting free returns of the new, smaller version of the beacon鈥攖he Spot 2鈥攁fter the company discovered a problem involving the battery.
“During recent testing, thecompany has discovered that some of the Spot 2 units may not reach our battery andmessaging operating specifications,鈥漵aid Spot spokesman Derek Moore. “That鈥檚a big concern for us. People are having to use thisin the field and rely on it for safety. So that鈥檚 something wedefinitely wantto fix and replace.” Moore said very few of the new Spot 2 units hadactually reached consumers yet, but did not have specific numbers.
The issue affects only the Spot 2 Messenger shown at left, not the original version of the Spot
Messenger, shown at right.
听. 
SPOT 2 Messenger (send these back)聽 Original SPOT Messenger (no problems)
The company is providing free return shipping for all Spot 2 units, and will replace them as soon as the product is fixed, most likely in early 2010. Affected customers get a month of free service. Info is at
鈥擩USTIN NYBERG