Have you bought or used a personal locator beacon? What are you impressions of cost, coverage and ease of use? ( links to articles welcome)

TRO

I chose the ACR ResQLink for my aviation survival vest. ACR has been in the PLB, ELT & EPIRB business for a long time and from what I see they make solid gear, well tested and reliable. But that's just opinion based on their rep. I have a Firefly Pro SOLAS in the same kit.

I have purchased the ACR ResQLink for work, and I think it is a very reasonable cost for the benefits it provides. I (thankfully) have never had the need to employ it however.

It is easy to use, being able to be employed with a single hand if needed. As for coverage, I don't really know anything beyond their marketing claims.

Is the ResQLink + version worth the extra money? It appears to be a little thicker (more space = more buoyancy) and has 2 lashing points vs. the smaller version which only has a lanyard hole.

I think the ability to float and having an additional attachment point is good. It is kind of small and hard to hang on to when wet and cold, especially one handed.

I won't make a judgement on the additional cost and an ability to float is nice but not necessary for me. The single tether point was enough for me because it acts as a back-up to the dedicated pocket on my flotation vest. The tether goes through the pocket to the vest. That said, with the new attachment system the pocket is unnecessary as the PLB would lash firmly to the vest and appears to be totally operative while attached. With mine it needs to be removed from the pocket to release the antenna and activate. I kinda like the newer version, but I wouldn't look at price. How do you intend to attach it? Will it ride in a pocket or be attached to the outside of a vest? That's your call.

I know the SPOT system is subscription based and has a few "holes" in their coverage...have not looked into ResQLink yet.

I just bought a RescueMe PLB1 from Amazon. One of the factors in choosing it (yeah besides being 30% smaller, lighter) was the fact that it is a from a British Company which just happens to have a lot of dealers in Canada. Actually both ACR and Ocean Signal have dealers in Calgary so upgrading the battery will be easy when time comes. Provided our Postal service doesn't go on strike, I should get it in a few days so I can register it.

After that I will be on vacation - 11,000 km round trip to the east coast so I will bring it with me. Not very likely that I will need it but it will give me something new to tinker with. I won't be roughing it much -- car camping and B&Bs.

Size: 77 X 51 X 33mm and 116 gr. or roughly 3"x2"x1.3" and 4.1 oz. which is smaller than a stack of business cards. It comes with a neoprene case to make it buoyant. The small size and weight will make it much likelier to be carried with me at all times. I will play around with it to figure out whether to put it on my belt, put in a cargo pocket, strap it to my daypack shoulder strap, external pocket, pack lid or to my PFD.
PLB1 - Ocean Signal

I have had good luck with the InReach as well. It is a 2 way communicator that includes the PLB functions. It does not have the strobe light or the homing signal, but it does have the additional function of notifying the people you choose. It can also be operated with one hand for the emergency signal, but sending messages one handed is a little more difficult. The new ones are smaller and do not need to be paired with another device. One version also includes a GPS to navigate with. The service is variable in price and adjustable to the amount of use you anticipate.

I would still recommend a PLB for certain activities (anything on the water, flying), but as we have discussed here before, the 2 way communications give a much more functional and flexible way to communicate in an emergency.

For work I carry both systems.