Dan writes:

I'm thinking of getting a PLB, although I haven't been able to convince
myself to spend the money yet. Right now I carry a handheld that I hope
to be able to raise someone on should I go down.

The range of the handheld on the ground might be far more limited than
its range aloft. If the aircraft has an ELT and you stay with it,
you'll be found quickly enough, handheld or not. A handheld GPS can
be handy, too, just to let you know where you are (and it will work
fine on the ground).

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