OK, well I guess "cheap" is a relative thing.
Still the cost of today's PLB has halved in the last few year!!
Its about the cost of a half-decent backpacking tent.
Its about the cost of a good backpacking sleeping bag and self-inflating pad.
Its about the cost of a low-end Garmin mapping GPS (not the NUVI, but the outdoor type).
Its about half the cost of the cheapest canoe REI sells.
Its about the cost of two Rittergrip knives. I don't want to say how many I have (my wife knows about most of them).
Its about the cost to replace the smartphone your teenager sat on - likely a less. Wow those things are expensive!!
... and if needed it can bring help to you ... regardless of where you might find yourself ... with the push of a button. Amazing technology!