Epirb vs Spot vs inreach

[gman 82 aquasport]

Looking for some real time info on the choices for emergency beacons..hopefully no one has actually had to deploy one but looking for ease of use info and best bang for the buck..
looking at the ACR Globalfix 406, 48 hr battery life while in use, strobe light and gps, floats.
vs ACR Resqlink 406 plb, 24 hr battery life while in use, no light not floating.
vs inReach satellite messaging..can send and recieve text, uses different satellites, pairs up with your smart phone, but requires a monthly service contract and the reviews were not great, and no reviews found from boaters. Does track you.
vs Spot which does let you send a pre done message and let authorized users track you.

Thanks
Garry
I'm leaning to the ACR epirbs, just trying to determine if i need the bigger one or if the smaller plb would be as good..money difference of about $150-$200

[SaltH2OHokie]

Never used anything for a "rescue", but offshore we always had a Spot and 2 406 PLB's (one "in-date", one "expired"...figure it might still have some juice).

Didn't see ever being far enough "off-course" to not be fairly quickly locatable (fished the stream out of either OI or Rudee, came home in a straight line, so we're always within a "cone" of possibilities that's only about 30deg wide and 40-70miles "long").  That logic led me to not see the added benefit in the full on EPIRB with strobes and such vs the PLB that in theory sends the same info to the same satellite network, albeit for perhaps not as long, and without the added features such as strobes.

The Spot was typically used for wive's, mother's, etc. to let them know we'd started headed in...

Related aside: we broke down once 42miles (if you want to blame either the boat or the motor, it was a Proline with a Yamaha   ) from the Oregon Inlet sea buoy and USCG OI was talking to us like we were in the inlet...so don't discount to usefulness of a DSC VHF...seems it would reach out as far as I needed it to under our normal use.

[gman 82 aquasport]

Thanks salth20,
I have my VHF tied to my GPS and it's registered to the boat so one button press and hopefully here comes help..but always nice to have a back up plan. I like the idea of being able to send pre done message  (spot) to someone like you said to let them know we're on the way in...but also like the ease of mind of a gps epirb too and can see that your set up has benefits having both