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I've been looking at this little toy... It pairs with your smart phone (a Droid in my case) and allows 2 way text messaging via Satellite. You even get confirmation that your important message was sent. Costs about $100 more than the Spot Communicator, but with the 2-way feature (Spot's only sends) and the lack of a subscription charge it seems like a much better deal.

It also seems large, heavy and like a potential battery hog. Anyone have any working knowledge of these things?

Check again there is a subscription fee. Different plans enable different amounts of texts. For the price of a spot no track plan. You get 10 messages and emergency capability. There is of course an overage fee if you go over texts for your plan for the cheap plan $1.50 a text.