uh, looks like I have retract my statement (a polite way of saying eat those words).

The manual for the ResQFIX states: ACR strongly recommends performing the self test once per month.

What I saw was a recommendation to test the GPS no more than once in the life of th battery. This was also stated for any test in some older ACR beacons. But not the ResQFix... and it morphed in my head to "replace batteries after test" instead of "replace batteries after second test".

They say it sends the satellites a signal marked "self-test". If that packet also has the UID I wonder if there's a way to find out from the SARSAT Control Center that the test was heard?