SPOT beacon "911" feature always available?

BTW, if SPOT or In Reach do NOT offer this service there should, IMHO, be a Federal law that they should, just like a cell phone with and expired carrier contract.

inReach –

On the PowerOn screen: “WARNING: Messaging, Tracking and SOS Require an Active Subscription”.

The message is then displayed again after you have powered up.

See? That’s good to have that In-Reach warning up front.

But I still think should be a Federal law should make the”911″ feature work ALL the time, with the caveat of paying for a year’s subscription IF used with no subscription. No pay? Then a Federal fine of double the subscription price.

If you don’t have a subscription and the SPOT does transmit an emergency SOS, it would provide location, but no emergency contacts, etc.   Call me crazy, but maybe you should contact SPOT directly for an answer.

Hard to get people to buy subscriptions for something that is primarily a 911 device if the thing is required to perform its main function without a subscription. That law would be pretty disruptive to their business model, I speculate. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen — just need some poor soul with a PLB who let his subscription run out to name the law after.