>>642805>+ yearly feePLB's need service/battery replacement every 5 years, and that's about $100. I consider it $20 a year, so the "yearly fee" argument is pretty much invalid between SPOT/InReach and a PLB; you're either paying for "service" and supplying your own batteries, or paying $20/yr over 5 years for battery "service".
For me, it's one less set of batteries to deal with. Between camera(s), radio(s), GPS, phone, avalanche beacon(s), and laptop(s)... not having to even think about "Did I charge my emergency beacon?" is a big plus for me.
I do the thru-satellite test at the beginning of each season (snow and dirt, so fall and spring for me), which I have battery life for 12 of those, and I do a basic self-test before big trips (Enough for one a month for the 5-year battery life, and I do about one big trip a month in the winter).
I don't need/want the "tracking" and I feel better about the 406MHz system than I do GlobalStar/Iridium, so PLB's the choice I made.
