My aircraft is still new to me, purchased in December. It came with a 121.5 Elt. I purchased a PLB with in the first month and am considering a SPOT. I file FSS flight plans when I am going to a known destination or any distance. And I always file with my wife even when I'm flying at work. I still think FSS flight plans are good insurance that a search will be initiated within a short time of being over due. And they are Free.

I'm still undecided on the 406 ELT. I train my passengers on the PLB as part of my briefing and like to think if their is a survivor it will get activated.

In a search every tool will help but how much is too much and when do you just except that there is risk in aviation and go flying.

Safe travels
Ken

I am currently running an old style 121.5 in my flying Kitfox. My restoration project Kitfox has a non-GPS Ameri-King 406 installed.

My normal flying activities don't take me deep into the wild like most of you guys, but when I do longer cross countries, my normal operation is to text my route information to family and friends.

This summer one of my shopping items at Airventure is to learn and decide on a portable PLB-SPOT type system.

Best Buy just put the Spot 2 on a 48 hr sale for $65 / free shipping. I just ordered one.

Service is transferable correct?

Unknown

Looks like it is...they have an upgrade your device when you log in. For that price I'm going to upgrade my Spot 1. I keep it right on my panel and it's pretty big and bulky.

A1Skinner wrote:I run an ACK406 as well as my SPOT tracker.

This.

I installed the ACK this year during my annual . . . and moved the battery to the firewall . . . and replaced the flooring with rubber matting . . .and installed a Selkirk flap tunnel cover . . . and ran out of fun money before I could add an extended baggage mod

ELTs are well represented on YouTube.

Here is a ELT that appears to me to be aimed at us tube n fabric guys, since it has internal GPS. Additionally, it is reasonably ideal for us owners of 'non electrical system' older aircraft like my Cub (it doesn't 'need' external power or avionics bus to get location transmitted out)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jOCpNXTe398

I am intending to order one as soon as I become a pilot again (medical issues).....

lc

Comment: aimed at us tube n fabric aircraft because the GPS reciever needs no external antenna to receive location data through the "transparent" fabric.....

Littlecub, that ELT does NOT have an onboard GPS....it CAN interface to an external GPS, just like a couple other ELTs out there. To the best of my knowledge, the only 406 ELT aimed at the small airplane market that has an internal GPS is one made by Emerging Lifesaving Technologies...bring money.

None of the ELTs that I'm familiar with require ship's power. Even if they are connected to a GPS. Now, obviously, you have to have some means to power the ELT.....but....

I have an ACK 406, connected to a Garmin 396. The 396 is connected to ship's power, but it does not HAVE to be...it can work off it's own battery, for a time, obviously.

Finally, I carry a SPOT locator. It's sole purpose is to let my spouse know I'm parked for the night, and to provide a track in the event something really weird happens. That 406 ELT with GPS interface is for the real emergency that COULD happen.

I don't believe that the SPOT/Spidertracks, etc is a functional replacement for a 406 ELT. They are good adjuncts, but not replacements. As always, we know about opinions....

MTV

Littlecub, that ELT does NOT have an onboard GPS....it CAN interface to an external GPS, just like a couple other ELTs out there. To the best of my knowledge, the only 406 ELT aimed at the small airplane market that has an internal GPS is one made by Emerging Lifesaving Technologies...bring money.

Yep, MTV, bring money.....
That video that I left the net address above for takes me to the video about Emerging Lifesaving Technologies. I think we are talking the same unit.

I am under the impression that if aircraft power is lost (alternator/generator plus weak aircraft battery) the engine keeps running on the mags, but the instrument panel GPS will cease to send current location data to the emergency locator beacon, the aircraft continues on and when the plane crashes, it sends location coordinates for back when the instrument panel GPS stopped sending data to the 406 locator beacon. That can be quite a ways....
I know in my cub there is no power to loose, so this doesn't apply, (it can apply to others on here) but the ELT 406 with internal GPS, upon g-switch activation will waste about 3 min or so determining exact location coordinates before it transmits a burst of data to the appropriate satellites-since it was 'sleeping' when the g-switch woke it up.
I like the idea of internal GPS, since I don't have a data bus, and I don't want to have to drag a portable with me for every flight.

You pays your money, and you takes your chances-
lc

Plenty of good points here.
Thing is, there is NO perfect gizmo or gaggle of gizmos that's gonna work every time.
I think an ELT, a tracking device, and a sat. phone covers you the best.
ELT + tracking device will locate your body. Those + sat phone will get help quickest.
Wanna be totally safe ... stay on the couch.

I am under the impression that if aircraft power is lost (alternator/generator plus weak aircraft battery) the engine keeps running on the mags, but the instrument panel GPS will cease to send current location data to the emergency locator beacon, the aircraft continues on and when the plane crashes, it sends location coordinates for back when the instrument panel GPS stopped sending data to the 406 locator beacon. That can be quite a ways....

The Emerging Lifesaving Technolgies http://www.elt406.net/ 406ELT w/ GPS continually upgrades its internal GPS position as long the airplane power source is supplying it with power; therefore, it knows where it is at all times. Not a lot of help for non-electrically powered aircraft.

Once the intertia switch is tripped it will send the latest GPS location and then try to find the satellites and refine the location with the following bursts if the GPS birds can be found. Once power is lost the internal battery will update position and send bursts to the 406 satellites the same way other internal GPS units work.

I initially was going to purchase the Pointer SkyHunter 406, until we figured out that it does not look for the GPS satellites until the inertia or emergency switch is tripped. As long as the GPS antenna has a good look at the sky, read that as the plane comes to rest relatively upright and the antenna is undamaged, the location will be downloaded and the message to the 406 SAR birds will have your location. My concerns with this is if the plane comes down such that the GPS antenna is pointing at the side of a hill or ground the unit will not find the GPS birds.

In addition I fly a rag and tube ac w/ steel fuselage cage. I wanted to mount my antennas inside the fuselage cage in an upright position so they could see the sky and be protected by the cage. The antennae are not much use if they are stripped off the plane. I could not readily mount the Pointer antenna upright in the rear of my plane while the E.L.T. is much shorter and is easily mounted upright and the 406 antenna has a 270 degree "view" which means other than completely upside down odds are pretty good that the antenna could get the message with the last GPS position out to the world.

If I am going to pay the $$ for an internal GPS system I figured I wanted to have the best chance possible to get the message out to SAR with the best positional data possible.

Each plane has its own mounting needs and each pilot has their own requirements, but it always helps to keep in mind how the system will actually help to save your butt when the fit hits the shan.

Big thanks to Tim Boughner for pointing out the differences in the functionality of the various 406 internal GPS units.

The 406 ELT w/ internal GPS is a big investment for something you hope you will never use.

TD

There's a preliminary report out on a recent Beaver accident in Alaska. Sadly, one passenger was killed.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20130605X32343&key=1

The part that caught my attention and pertains to this topic:

About 1547, approximately 7 minutes after the accident, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Alaska received a 406 Mhz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal assigned to the accident airplane.

At approximately 1614, after being notified of an overdue airplane, and after learning about reports of an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal along the accident pilot's anticipated flight route, search and rescue personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, began a search for the missing airplane.

About 1816, the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter located the airplane's wreckage in an area of mountainous, tree-covered terrain. A rescue swimmer was lowered to the accident site and discovered that one of the airplane's occupants died at the scene, and six others survived the crash. The six survivors were hoisted aboard the HH-60 helicopter, and then transported to Petersburg.

So SAR was notified 7 minutes after the crash, and rescue personnel were on site about 2 1/2 hours after impact. Not bad!

This is probably a great idea....
If you can get past the price-and the size of it.

http://www.gizmag.com/breitling-emergency-2/27364/

The video is well worth the time to "watch" (he-he)..
High production value video/very polished.

lc

Is there anywhere you can buy a pre made cable about 14 feet long that hooks the gamin X96 GPS to the ACK406?

I'm installing a ACK E-04 at my up coming annual and had some questions regarding the GPS interface capability. The only GPS I have is a Garmin 60C that is great for snowmachining and other outdoor business use but I realize is probably not the best for aviation. One thing I was wondering, as I start to invest $$$, is if an iPad mini with gps is capable of providing the ACK with the necessary information or not? If not then what are some recommendations for a reasonably priced Garmin gps that does interface with the ACK.

Most/all of my flying is fair weather within 100 miles of my home base in terrain I am very familiar with but I would like to venture further out in Alaska and possibly the lower 48 someday. The iPad seems like a good fit for my use but I would like to have the gps feature for my elt too.

Thanks, Randy

Randy,
Word of advice on the E-04 install. I had an E-04 installed in my C170B a few years ago and the antenna base failed with cracks through the plastic and chunks falling out of the base within a year of service. ACK sent me a replacement antenna and I am seeing similar cracks in the replacement antenna base although no chunks are missing yet. I've mailed ACK for advice on how to maintain the antenna in a serviceable condition but don't have an answer yet.
Bill

BeeMan wrote:Randy,
Word of advice on the E-04 install. I had an E-04 installed in my C170B a few years ago and the antenna base failed with cracks through the plastic and chunks falling out of the base within a year of service. ACK sent me a replacement antenna and I am seeing similar cracks in the replacement antenna base although no chunks are missing yet. I've mailed ACK for advice on how to maintain the antenna in a serviceable condition but don't have an answer yet.
Bill

Bill,
Good to know, Thanks. I bought mine a year and a half ago and am just now getting around to installing. My IA wants to relocate the antenna mounting further back towards the tail to protect it in case of a flip over.

I had the same problem a year ago. They replaced it and said it was unusual. Now the second one is doing the same thing. Not very pleased with the antenna.
Ron

FWIW, I've been running an Artex ME406 for as long as they've been available, which is about 11 years I think, and the antenna looks as good as new, other than a little fading of the base--no cracking, chunking, etc. Whether an Artex antenna can be substituted for the Ack, I haven't any idea, but it might be something to look into.

On the OP question about interfacing with a GPS, you won't be able to interface with anything that is a non-aviation GPS, and not older ones of those. I think the oldest Garmin portable you'll be able to interface is a 496, although I'm not sure of that. When I had my ME406 installed, I asked about interfacing it with my Garmin 96C, but that wasn't possible. It's now interfaced with my panel mount 430W, which I had installed almost 5 years ago.

Cary