New ELT 406 mhz

[Len Petterson]

In Canada our DOT and Nav Canada are responsible for search and rescue are insisting we all install new ELT's before a feb 2009.
The cost of the approved ELT's are $3000 to $4000 + instalation cost,as they require instalation by a certified radio shop.
It also applies to aircrafts transient in Canadian airspace.
A US aircraft flying in Canadian Air space will also need one no matter privat or commersial regestration.
So a Taylorcraft owner wanting to take short cut from Buffalo to Windsor /Detroit on the way to Airventure or other destinations west, will need one.
As well as if you want to fly from the lower 48 to Alaska trough Canada.
Many of us think the rulling is rediculus but Canadain DOT will not listen to us owners of privat planes. Copa ( Canadain owners and pilot assosiation) have had talks with them do no avail. FAA and DOT are to meet abot this and other matters shortly and troughout 2008. A heads up to AOPA and EAA to FAA may carry more weight when we do so please give us a hand in this matter.
We will all be affected by these kind of desitions, being costly and / or
un-nessessary. I and many others belive what untill lower cost units are avalable we can do well with what we have or use the personal ELT's operating on 406 Mhz. It is a well known fact what the present ELT'S are not relably acctivted in a crach by the impact switch, so keep in your mind if you see truble coming turn it on manualy!
Just to let you all know Personal ELT's work I will relate a story told to us by a search and rescue officer.
Last year the 406 system was not officaly in servise but it was ready.
He was stationed in Gander New Foundland when a call came in. From not too far from Gander, they hade no known aircraft in the area and no ships in distres on the coast.
A helicopter was dispatched to area and they found a man running for his life along a river bed being chased by a polar bear. Needless to say he was happy to see them. He carried a personal ELT with GPS reciver.

Being Canadians and Americans means we live in peace with each other, and we travel freely across our border, so lets work togther too keep it what way in future as well. May it by ground transportation or by privat or commersial aircraft.
Len Petterson

[flykenken]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

The only agency in Canada requiring the use of the 406mhz elt when 121.5 is decommissioned is the Department of Defense. Transport Canada has yet to make a ruling. Navacanada has no regulatory say in the matter.

[astjp2]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

You can get one from spruce for around 1200.00. Tim

[robbie]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

are we going to need these new elt here
in the states next year??

[Guest]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Last year at the IA annual meeting they told us that 121.5 would be replaced by the encoded 406 mhz devices at about $1000 each and I think it was in 2009

[astjp2]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Short answer....YUP!

To be honest, if an owner doesnt want to fly with one, I do not want my tax dollars spent searching for the bodies....

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Any input from the tribe on which 406 MHz is the best deal? I know I'm REALLY tired of the expensive batteries in my old 121.5 one, especially after I cut one of the packs open and it was nothing but $4.00 worth of flashlight batteries in a block of epoxy.
Maybe we can get a group buy going. Anybody notice I like the idea of buying in blocks?
Hank

[Guest]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

try this

http://www.chiefaircraft.com/airsec/Aircraft/ELT/Artex.html

$949

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

What about the AmeriKing - AK-450 - ELT? Under $200 and uses regular flash light batteries. Anybody have one? How good are they? Pros? Cons?
Hank

[astjp2]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

What about the AmeriKing - AK-450 - ELT? Under $200 and uses regular flash light batteries. Anybody have one? How good are they? Pros? Cons?
Hank

The AmeriKing is JUNK, when I was selling aircraft parts in Anchorage, each one that was in stock had cracks in the plastic housing and they all were sent back and the owner of the store did not bring them back in. That was 10 years ago, things may have changed since then but I am not confident. Besides its 121.5, not 406 Mhz I would go more towards the Artex or the EBC, they are both over a grand. Tim

[flyguy]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Thousand here, 1800 there, pretty soon we'll be talking about real money. Next thing you know we will be required to put in Mode S collision avoidance and weather radar. Pretty stupid for a $12,000 airplane.
DC

[astjp2]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Well I just paid 1600.00 for a MA3-SPA carb because the data plate on the one I had fell off and I needed to get a legal one. Paid 400 for a core, 1100.00 for overhaul and 100.00 for shipping back and forth. Tim

[Pearson]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

Attached is a letter describing the phase out of satellite monitoring of ELTs. I spoke with the tech rep for Artex ELTs in Aurora, Oregon, which is not far from me. I had hoped to be able to announce a discount if a bunch of us went together for a mass purchase. It is not to be. I did however gain some valuable information that I would like to share.

I was not aware of the requirement for there to be a switch with a monitor light installed. If you have a plane with no electrical system, you can get an ELT with the light & switch powered from the ELT. If your plane has it's own electrical system, you can get an ELT that uses a light & switch that use ship's power. For a plane like mine with no electrical system, he said to use an Artex ELT model ME405 Ace. If you have an electrical system, you should use model ME406P.

According to him the ME 406 Ace costs approximately $1500. However, I checked AC Spruce and they have an Artex ELT (not either of these specific models) for right at a grand.

The tech guy ALSO told me that these ELTs use a two foot long whip antennae that needs at least a 12" diameter ground plane. The antennae has to be mounted so that it points UP. I asked him if one could just put some adell clamps around some internal tubes and mount a piece of aluminum. He said that would work.


While on the Spruce site, I also found ELTs by EBC (Emergency Beacon Company) that were slightly less expensive than the Artex units. The battery for the EBC unit costs $155, so that is something to consider.

One thing I noticed while doing this research is that you need to make sure that the price includes the mount, the actual ELT, the antennae, and the monitor light and switch unit. If you see a cheap price, it probably is missing one of these parts and they are VERY expensive to buy individually.

If you don't feel like opening the attachment, the date that our old ELTs will no longer be monitored by the satellites is Feb 2009.

[Len Petterson]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

I understand we need this ELT's feb 2009.
but have anyone taken in consideration what many of us are not made of money!
I am not.
Yes I have a ACK 450 and it works well no craked housings etc, It works, as it went of accidently during instalaion last winter. I droped it into the baggege compartment. My bagege compartment is metal.
I have been told what in accidents only 50% of the exciting
elt's are acctivated by the impacts some models never work unless turned on manualy. My friend has one of them in his Thorp and it is mounted in the tail well out reach and you need tools to get to it. NO remote switch.
When I run out of gas or the A 65 quit for any other reason I will reach over and turn mine on.
I hope the new once will have better impact switches.
The expected price of the once canadain DOT and DND ( yes you are right Nav Canada have nothing to do with ELT's) are appoving cost 3000 plus. What is difference? Does anyone know?I think some have internal GPS some not.
Yes, searches are very expencive, most are false alarms.One good thing, we have well trained Herc pilots and navigator. Internal GPS and identification from the ELT is a good thing, it will save tax dollars no question there. .
Search and Recue can call the registred owner and check if the person is in truble or if it is a false alarm.
They want us to pay a regestration fee to have an ELT, what about the PLD's and pleasure boats are they going be registred as well and pay their dues? I don't mind paying my share but let every body pay there share not just aircraft owners!
I have a Lowrance 600 GPS and if output cable to exteranal devises is as good as the power "treads" it will last 10 sec in a fire, if what long.
(The power "treads" is not wordy of the word cord)
Unless there is a memory chip in the ELT, what is constantly updated how will it know where it is? With a chip it will remember the last known possition.
ELT manefactures take note! (;f
We need you to make a good lowcost unit max $600 CDN ( including tax, please. Ops I hade a bad dream)
At $3 k+, I sell the plane or go UL ( LSA ) No ELT requierment and I by a PLD to protect my self and my famely. (;f
GARMIN and Lowrance, you both make good stuff get onboard here!(;f
(Good yes, except for the power treads)
Len

[flyguy]

Re: New ELT 406 mhz

I didn't mentiion it in my mini rant because I thought everyone had the same information as me.

What I understand is that 121.5 will continue to be monitored by ground stations, aircraft enroute, what others I don't know. It will just no longer be monitered by satellite. They will still be able to look for your signal if you come up missing.

I suspect later they will discard that frequency completely, but they aren't doing that now.

Question, is there a bill/law/regulation in process that mandates a change for aircraft in the US? Anyone know?
DC