ELTs

[Pearson]

Can someone direct me to where a list of attributes of all the popular ELTs was posted? I tried several searches and could not find anything. I know I saw a posting previously where someone attached a document that compared all the popular models.

[astjp2]

Re: ELTs

I did post it a few years ago, but I bought the EBC 406 because it has a metal case. Many of the plastic ones cracked around the screw holes that hold the 2 halves together. I cant remember where I posted it though. Tim

[woodmw]

Re: ELTs

http://vb.taylorcraft.org/showthread.php?10593-For-those-of-you-willing-to-upgrade

[astjp2]

Re: ELTs

It was 14 months ago..no wonder I didn't remember where it is. Tm

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: ELTs

Just my opinion but I am TOTALLY not impressed with the performance of any of the ELTs. Way too expensive and don't provide the performance I would want for rescue in an emergency. I have the cheapest old type ELT in my plane that is legal and am getting a SPOT to provide some measure of safety (MINIMUM FAA compliance and a non aviation system for safety). When the manufacturers get their "stuff" in one bag and come out with a reliable cost effective system, THEN I will look at buying.

Hank

[Jim Hartley]

Re: ELTs

Just my opinion but I am TOTALLY not impressed with the performance of any of the ELTs. Way too expensive and don't provide the performance I would want for rescue in an emergency. I have the cheapest old type ELT in my plane that is legal and am getting a SPOT to provide some measure of safety (MINIMUM FAA compliance and a non aviation system for safety). When the manufacturers get their "stuff" in one bag and come out with a reliable cost effective system, THEN I will look at buying.

Hank

My sentiments as well...!

Jim

[M Towsley]

Re: ELTs

As I said in the past, review some of the accidents where a good 'hit' took place. The reports that I have looked at indicated no ELT activation. Again, politicians worried about their own asses and it doesn't even work.

[PA1195]

Re: ELTs

The ELT's are one issue, their typical cabling and antenna another. Activation and the successful transmission of 406/121.5 signals presumes all three components function properly. And that's not always the case...loose the effectiveness of any one and the ELT system is compromised.

Better to also have a Delorme Inreach with the Iridium satellite com/GPS/flight following options, or a SPOT with GPS tracking available.

Gary

[Pearson]

Re: ELTs

I know very little about a Spot tracker. I know they can track your location, but do they activate a rescue on their own? If I kept my old 121.5 ELT and bought a Spot tracker, how would that help if I crashed? No one really monitors the VHF ELTs anymore, so how would the Spot tracker help? AC Spruce sells an ACK ELT for about $600 bucks. I thought that was pretty reasonable for what it does. I like that model because it is also one of the lightest ones.

[PA1195]

Re: ELTs

I know very little about a Spot tracker. I know they can track your location, but do they activate a rescue on their own? If I kept my old 121.5 ELT and bought a Spot tracker, how would that help if I crashed? No one really monitors the VHF ELTs anymore, so how would the Spot tracker help? AC Spruce sells an ACK ELT for about $600 bucks. I thought that was pretty reasonable for what it does. I like that model because it is also one of the lightest ones.

Here's the two examples I noted. They're a two party system...the pilot is one, and another is required to either track the periodic progress of the flight or interact with messages. Read their respective literature and see which best serves your needs.

Basically knowing where you are (both parties via GPS) and your condition is what they offer General Aviation. Communication via text is possible with the Delorme unit.

http://www.inreachdelorme.com

http://findmespot.com/en/

The Federal Aircraft operators or their contracted aircraft have a similar system: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/Roth.pdf

As mentioned, ELT's are only good when they are activated providing they work properly (an example of an ELT failure: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...f-Alaska-crash) and hopefully are married to GPS-derived location data to provide current location.

In the above crash the pilot (a former Alaska Airlines captain with possibly pre-existing medical issues) had turned off the ground proximity warning functions in his glass cockpit: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...-Stevens-crash

Only by tracking via local pilots over previously travelled route were they able to locate the wreckage and survivors.

Gary

[astjp2]

Re: ELTs

One of the biggest benefits are for the false alarms with the 406, when your 406 goes off, they know who it is and give you a call, with the 121.5 they have to hunt it down with a DF which is time and money. I used to sell airplane parts and just about every one of the orange ones and about half of the yellow ones got cracks where the screws held the 2 halves together. Most people bought them because they used D batteries. the 406 battery is lithium and is good for 5 years. Price winds up being about the same per year as a manufactured 121.5 battery. Tim

[Pearson]

Re: ELTs

Thanks for the info guys. I liked what I read about the Spot Tracker (thanks Gary). From the comments posted, it sounds like the cheaper ELTs might not work well when needed most.

[M Towsley]

Re: ELTs

None of them seem to work when needed most.

[PA1195]

Re: ELTs

The 406's are registered to the owner and their personal info is recorded here: https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov

That's what alerts searchers to who and what aircraft has been assigned the ELT's transmitted Hex Code that provides a unique identity. Having a coupled GPS input to the ELT signal is even better. Most modern GPS units can provide that information to the GPS via wiring or possible Bluetooth tech (?). That way, like the Delorme or Spot device, they know who is signaling and where they are. I prefer using both units as I don't trust the ELT especially in case the cabling and antenna are compromised in the upset.

Gary

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: ELTs

NASA is testing ELT location and mounting in the planes ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBSqxcXG4Y ) but seems to STILL be ignoring my recommendation from back in AGATE to change the ELT itself to a system like SPOT uses. If you track the flight location data for all aircraft to the satellites for each aircraft and delete the data when the GPS location data stops at an airport while sending an alarm if it ends anywhere else you have a REAL TIME location of any suspected crash. It was a simple system that would be low cost and when I was talking to the engineers at Garmin looked like it was a near bullet proof location system since the transmitter DID NOT have to survive the crash. Of course if you crashed on the runway a lost signal would not be processed, but I would think someone might notice if the plane crashed on the runway. Simple logic rules in the system could correct for that (like watching for low speed movement around the airport property after the speed drops). By dropping all flight data after arrival at a recognized airport you resolve a lot of privacy concern and reduce the amount of data storage required significantly. We also had a "Panic Button" in the system so a pilot could activate the system to let everyone know there was a problem prior to a crash.
We could even set it up so a family member could log into the system and track your flight progress (or record it on your home PC) for you to use later. It was a great low cost reliable concept that the FAA didn't invent and never went anywhere.

Hank