What's the Go-To Personal Locator Beacon These Days?

Steve & Deb

Steve & Deb

Adventurist
I have the Garmin InReach as well as Gaia GPS on my phone and tablet, so I don't need bells and whistles. What's the bare-bones PLB that's recommended?

Thanks!
 
You can pick up a Spot Gen 3 fairly cheap since the Gen 4 is out. My Gen 3 survived rain and falls on the motorcycle.

( You can buy their service by the month too. I take the batteries out and unsubscribe when not using it )
 
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Greg said:
You can pick up a Spot Gen 3 fairly cheap since the Gen 4 is out. My Gen 3 survived rain and falls on the motorcycle.
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I have the InReach, which is pretty much the same. Both use their own SOS service, which occasionally has reports of no response or hours later. A stand-alone PLB doesn’t need a subscription, and as I understand it, uses whatever emergency signal airlines can pick up and report.

But then, I don’t know for sure, and could be talking out of my … hat.
 
Greg said:
Something like this?
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Probably. I was thinking ACR used to have one with zero extra features for about half that price back when we had the InReach group buy.

Sorta like the RescueMe PLB, but a lot less costly. Maybe I’m just misremembering. I do that a lot any more.

Thanks!
 
Steve & Deb said:
Probably. I was thinking ACR used to have one with zero extra features for about half that price back when we had the InReach group buy.

Sorta like the RescueMe PLB, but a lot less costly. Maybe I’m just misremembering. I do that a lot any more.

Thanks!
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There's the Bivy Stick but that requires a subscription or you can buy transmission credits. Credits do not expire and SOS and preset messages are unlimited so you could just get by with 20 credits for $18. Not sure if it uses the same PLB system as their more expensive units though.

"The ACR Bivy Stick offers a more flexible pricing structure than similar products, allowing users to pay for only the months they use the device, with no annual contract or activation fee required. The easiest option is an unlimited fee of $49.99 per month. There are also two different Credit plans: 20 Credits for $18 per month or 100 Credits for $40 per month. The Credits do not expire, so they can be saved for times of high outdoor activity. One Credit is the equivalent to one SMS message, one tracking interval, one location request, or one basic weather report, while SOS and preset messages are unlimited."
 
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