Folks,
There is sod all difference in the costs of various PLB, amortized over the certified life, so why not support the Australian manufacturer, GME. There is one other Australian manufacturer, don't remember the name.
After all, GME developed the first 406 PLB (with and without GPS) that satisfied the then "new" standards that allowed a portable that would talk to the new generation COSPAS/SARSAT constellation. At very considerable capital investment, they proved it could be done.
Indeed, it was Australian action at international level that had the minimum specifications changed (principally certified battery life at -70c) to enable certified 406 PLB at all.
Not all Australian Federal Government agencies are like CASA.
And, from time to time, you do get a courageous (in the Yes! Minister sense) Minister, who is prepared to take on the likes of CASA and put legislation through against the concerted opposition of CASA, a piece of facts based performance regulation --- not only saving lives as a result, but saved the aviation sector from having to fit many tens of millions of $$$$ of fixed ELT that were not going to work, in the real world -- that was John Sharp.
All the rest followed on. It is only in the last very few years that other countries have started to do what we have done for years, used PLB far more widely than just aviation.
This is one of the few areas of aviation that NZ has got completely wrong.
Tootle pip!!