A standard for Satellite Emergency Notification Devices (SENDs) has been approved. This is the first of a series of steps being taken, in significant part as a result of my urging, to ensure that devices such as SPOT are more likely to work when used for distress alerting. All the details at:

http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=331

Also included is some commentary on the current state of the COSPAS-SARSAT organization and system (including 406 MHz ELTs and PLBs) that created a fair bit of controversy at the NOAA Beacon Manufactures Workshop on Friday.