If you didn't know before, you now know that Tom works with computers.

I have not (yet?) subscribed to "spotcasting" for the reason Tom is
powering off and on. Didn't find the text sent to the phone to be as
unusable as an intermittent cell phone conversation, but in my test
neither the text nor the e-mail had the name of the nearest place.
In my messages I've tried to improve on what's sent, for example an OK
from the front yard:

JS SPOT checking in OK. If you receive this multiple times from the
same location, I've landed.
Unit Number: 0-7356844
Latitude: 35.1515
Longitude: -118.5107
Nearest Town from unit Location: Unknown
Distance to the nearest town: Unknown
Time in GMT the message was sent: 12/28/2007 18:56:07
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...UTF8&z=12&om=1

Since there's no altitude info, I added the multiple message bit.
The HELP message is similar:

JS SPOT HELP message. Will try to contact by phone. If followed by an
OK then another HELP, please send help ASAP.

Did the HELP/OK/HELP for emergency (not worthy of Search and Rescue)
use, as we don't yet know if multiple outgoing messages are possible
from one press of a message button or if a button will stick.

Taking the device to Australia for some flying in a few days.
Also trying a mount to the parachute shoulder strap to see if it's
useful. My near-obsolete P-ELT's battery is more than 2 years overdue
anyway, so the location is available.
Jim