What is the difference between the Aerofix and the Microfix, besides the size?

I have the aerofix, since I wear it in a vest pocket the small difference in size didn't matter as much as the $200 savings.

Now for the stupid question.

Why would a pilot need a personal locator beacon when the plane comes with an ELT? I beleive mine removes from the bracket for portable use...not that it would fit in my pocket or anything. Just wondering why the redundancy in locator beacons?

Well, a good reason is that cospas-sarsat satellite monitoring of 121.5 will end on Feb. 1, 2009. Not too sure if thats whats used it the US, but up here after that date everything will be switching to 406mHz.

But in the meantime the increased positional accuracy and decreased alert time of the 460 PLB's make them far superior to an old ELT.

Capt. Kirk wrote:Now for the stupid question.

Why would a pilot need a personal locator beacon when the plane comes with an ELT? I beleive mine removes from the bracket for portable use...not that it would fit in my pocket or anything. Just wondering why the redundancy in locator beacons?

It's not a dumb question. I have the older bigger aerofix. The ELT is 121.5
and it will take a long time for the sat to get a position fix. The ELT will burn or sink with the airplane. There are a lot of false 121.5 signals. The PLB is 406 mhz. and is registered to you. If it goes off it will xmit a GPS location to the rescue sat. and they will know who's PLB is going off. When you register it you give contact info. So when it goes off they know immedately where and who you are. They call your contact info and learn no you are not there, you are flying. So they now know it's for real, who you are, what type, color and call sign of your airplane and launch a rescue attempt.
If the 121.5 signal has been received by this time, the rescue center is still trying to validate it and may have a very rough idea of location by this time.

For a lot of reasons, unless you are on a flight plan your ELT will probably not get you help when you need it, or at all.

ELT signals are mostly errors...someone lands hard and their ELT activates without them knowing, then they tie down and it drones on, and on, and on. Now every commercial flight withing line of sight is picking up the signal and relaying it to ATC...creating a search area about the size of a small state.

Unless there is additional information that will narrow the search area AND lead authorities to believe that the signal is a legitimate distress rather than a mistake, no meaningful search is conducted. Typically the FAA contacts local law enforcement with the coordinates of where the receiving aircraft was when they picked up the signal. In a best-case-scenario, this information is dispatched to some poor field deputy who drives as near as possible to the area (which might well be 50 miles from the signal source), gets out of his vehicle, takes a piss, and clears it as "unable to locate without further information". END of search.

If you're on a flight plan and are giving position updates which will narrow the search area to a reasonable size, an ELT is great. Once you're overdue long enough, a search plane with a directional finding radio can home in on the ELT a whole lot easier than they can find you by looking out the windows. But if you're not on a flight plan, or your flight plan encompasses a nonstop flight across Nevada and you don't give any position updates, the ELT is almost of no value.

By contrast the PLB signal is quickly received via satellite, and it gives a very specific search area. Additionally, at least for the time being, there are very few PLB signals sent in error, so they are taken MUCH more seriously.

If you are of the impression that your ELT will summon help in the event you crash, it probably won't. A PLB will.

Berk Snows ELT did not function. Any claims that it operated is false. He lived for 12 hours. A personal locator could have easily been activated by his wife. Maybe he could have been saved, but at least his wife would not have been out out in the wilderness for three nights.
I not only have an ELT, I have a sat phone and just purchased a MicrOFix 406 GPS personal locator beacon while on my visit to Oshkosh.

Idaho Supercub

We have both the Aerofix and Resqfix with on board GPS units. The Resqfix is for all intents and purposes the same as the microfix, however, it has a neoprene floatation pouch. The unit does not float without the pouch.
The aerofix, terrafix, and aquafix are essentially the same unit with different coloured holsters and accessory cables. These units all float.
The difference in weight is small between the two types at 10.4oz (325g) for the resqfix, and 13.3oz (380g) for the aerofix.
However, while I would happily put the resqfix in my pocket for a flight, I would probably tend to put the aerofix in my headset bag, which I keep within reach of my seat. It's just a bit fatter, and as I don't carry a vest, these things just get shoved into my jacket or top.

That said, the resqfix requires only one button to push and activate and this button is protected by a lightweight cover, while the aerofix requires two buttons to activate and is protected by a sturdy Flip-top cover. The lightweight protection of the resqfix does make me a little nervous as there appears potential for inadvertent deployment from something as innocent as keys or other items in your pocket moving under the very small cover, and pressing the button.

Either way, the units are a great bit of insurance, and I would be happy to take either one out in the aircraft.

Jr.CubBuilder wrote:I just opened a box this morning that I got from www.preparedpilot.com containing a personal locator beacon. A couple years ago I had looked at some of these and had decided to go with a sat phone instead

I think I asked in an earlier post, but being old I forget these things...

Does the sat phone have a 9-1-1 function? Who do you actually call for help? Does it autolocate with triangulation or have GPS? If none of the above are affirmative, I assume you have to know where you are when you put out a Mayday. Or, if you're out of commission, then your passengers have to figure it all out.

Just from what I'm reading here, as both are completely new to me, seems that from a strictly survival standpoint that the PLB would be the hands-down way to go.

Gump

All of that makes good sense. You guys should really stop trying to find new ways of spending my money~

Good grief!!! How many times does a guy have to post this address before people find out they can actually save $50 AND have the same dang machine????

Go to http://www.life-raft.com/dept.asp?d_id=9858&l1=9858

Order one of those. It is EXACTLY the same electronic device as the other machines. It has a GPS onboard, and its' one button functionality.

It's a boating device, but guess what?? The same folks look at the signal, regardless of whether its a boater or a plane. DUH!!!

As to 911 on sat phones, YES, that works. HOWEVER, you will reach the 911 operator wherever the earth station down link to the telephone system happens to be at the moment, depending on satellite geometry.

So, you may be lying in the Idaho backcountry, trying to describe to a Sheriff's dispatcher in Arkansas, precisely where you are, what you need, and why in the hell you are calling HIM/HER.

Get the PLB, one button functionality. AND, TEACH your passengers what it is, where it is, and how to use it.

Berk's wife could have certainly shortened her junket in the woods, guarding his body, and maybe, just maybe, his life could have been saved, with a PLB with on board GPS.

The cheaper, larger PLBs often do not have on board GPS, by the way.

MTV

Dean wrote:Well, a good reason is that cospas-sarsat satellite monitoring of 121.5 will end on Feb. 1, 2009. Not too sure if thats whats used it the US, but up here after that date everything will be switching to 406mHz.

But in the meantime the increased positional accuracy and decreased alert time of the 460 PLB's make them far superior to an old ELT.

I wonder what the FAA will require for light planes after that time? I like the idea of getting a personal beacon, but I don't want two of them; one now and another, "certified" one when FAA mandates it. Anyone know what will be required?

tom

There are dual freq. ELT's now, 121.5 and 406. You can replace your ELT with one of the new ones if you like.
The boat EPIRB's came first EPIRB = emergency position indicating radio beacon, I am sure as far as the rescue center is concerned there is no difference between the two. The first boat EPIRB's were mounted on the outside of the boat and would float free if the boat sank and activate automatically. This stuff has been around for quite some time, just getting small is all.

Actually, the aviation ELT came well before the EPIRB. The first EPIRBs were also 121.5 beacons, as were our aviation ELTs.

The marine folks noted the additional functionality of the 406 system and started switching over to those a few years ago, actually before they were technically supposed to be available.

Aviation, on the other hand, has to have blessings from the FAA to install something like this. THere are now a couple of new generation ELT's available with BOTH 121.5 and 406 capability, at least one at less than $1000.

The FAA says they will not require that we upgrade to the 406 beacons in 2009, but SATELLITE reflectivity for them will go away then. So, youre only hope of getting found then with a 121.5 beacon will be from an overflying aircraft.

The dual frequency units are definitely the hot ticket, but still expensive. Hopefully, prices will come down.

MTV

MTV

Does this mean buying a new ELT battery every 24 months to transmit to a satellite that is no longer there?

Gotta love the FAA.

Then again, if the FAA legislates 406 it will be about the same price as a Garmin 406

In reference to to plb vs elt discussion. Idaho super cub wrote that berk snow lived for 12 hours after crashing his c-172 just north of johnson creek. the autopsy, required after all plane accidents involving pilots, showed he died immediately of a cerebral brain hemmorage and a fractured skull. the left side of his head was caved in. He did, however, 'cause of his autotomous(?) nervous system continue to breathe for some hours later, leading suzanne to think he was still alive. that is why she stayed with him for 2 of the 3 nights she was stranded. it wasn't till the 3rd day she realized he was dead and she had to do something to save herself. leaving berk she hiked 3 miles to a clearing and there she was rescued.. interesting enough, the next day, rescuers finally heard a elt signal and that's when they found her. whether no-one was tuned to 121.5 previously, or only when they were reported missing did anyone pay attention to 121l5, who knows? and i know, i'm buying a PLB, hell with the elt. john pfaff

Jr.

I wouldn't write off the satphone as an important piece of equipment. My current thinking is that I need them BOTH, especially if flying long legs in truly remote regions. First,though, you're gonna have to switch to Iridium if you are flying in the far north You've got the right philosophy on the PLB; it should be on your person and everybody in the plane should know where it is and how to use it in case it all turns to chocolate. However, those long legs over empty country can lead to a precautionary landing in the middle of nowhere that might last for days. You don't want to trigger the PLB because you are actually OK, but folks will start assuming the worst if you are three days late. The satphone can save a lot of grief in those situations.

The redundancy of having a satphone would have helped the situation of the two guys from Gustavus who recently augered in north of Arctic Village in a Maule ( http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/aviation/story/9230386p-9146162c.html ). If they had a PLB, it was probably in the plane with them. They apparently went in quite vertically, so the PLB probably burned up along with the ELT and everything else. However, they had left a 15 year old boy in camp while they went looking for Dall sheep. It was 3 days before he was picked up. He knew his dad and friend were supposed to be back after 30 minutes, so after a few hours time, he had to be convinced something was wrong. Fortunately, folks here in AK are quite tuned in to other folks having problems and a passing pilot spotted the SOS the son had stamped out on the ground. He landed to investigate. Otherwise... the poor kid might have been out there a lot longer. If there was a satphone in addition to the PLB, it could have stayed in camp with the son and helped to short circuit the incident. Wouldn't have changed the outcome, but a phone could have provided assurance to the kid that he could contact somone if ... well, you know...
YB

Historically, I am a slow learner...married 4 times.....but a chain of events this June got my attention...Sparky, Berk and a close call of my own that left pine needles in my gear. I ordered the "Sparky special" from Rob...paid a bit more but chose to support one of our own and because he provides some good info free on his web site., Then I sat down with a cup and a cigar and did some serious thinking about "what if.".. I found a vest used by highway crews...super high visibility...that had big side pockets so survival stuff would rest on the seat rather than hang from my neck. I loaded it with some of the recommended items from Rob's site. I figured the PLB would not do my passengers any good if it was tucked in my vest and I was trapped or incapicated. I made a bracket similar to one on a tape measure and screwed it to the dash, glued velcro to the bracket of the PLB and the dash...up top and center of the dash. Velcro holds the PLB and the bracket will keep it in place with a forward force of a crash.The pre flight briefing now includes instruction about grabbing the PLB on the way out if needed and instruction on usage. I know that not every senario can be covered by preparation BUT...anything is better than nothing. There have been a few snickers when I get in or out of the plane glowing like a light bulb BUT....I NEVER fly without the vest...thanks Sparky....even doing T&Gs....just establishing a habit of behavior. I chose the day-glow vest rather than a "fishing vest" because it is not bulky and I don't feel like the Michelin tire man and the weight rests on the seat rather than on my neck...and there is no bulkiness interfering with seat restraints. It is mesh and breathes well so it is not hot....ordered two sizes bigger than needed so that it can be worn over winter clothing and to insure the weight rests on the seat. Two months ago I would have laughed at my own paranoia....not anymore...I was worried that the additional "briefing" would scare passengers but it actually seems to be comforting to them when I explain the how and why...sure do hope people continue laughing at me for years to come and I never need to say "I told you so...." someday....

PLB in a vest for me for now with a basic survival kit. More extensive survival gear in a backpack in the baggage compartment.
Sat phone soon.

Yellowbelly,

Excellent post, and point well taken. There have been a lot of times when I really needed to talk to someone, but didn't need to be rescued.

That's when the sat phone comes in handy.

Yellowbird, thanks for the clarification on Berk's accident. In any case, a PLB would have saved HER a lot of grief.

MTV