colopilot wrote:Any ELT replacement at this point should be 406MHz. They are economical enough now that you may even consider it if your 121.5MHz unit is working fine, just because the benefits are very real (i.e. life saving). 121.5 at best will just tell people an airplane is alerting, and if you are late on a flight plan, they'll start looking around for you after you've expired. The satellites no longer listen, so it will take an overhead plane hearing it, or an intentional search. Even then it can take hours *at best* to locate your approximate area, once they start. 406MHz w/ GPS coordinates sends the distress signal immediately and with your exact position.

Yes, 100% in agreement. I had a CFI that taught me to dial up 121.5 on my "other" radio when flying. As a result I have years of flying listening to that and the occasional distress signal as well as responses from ATC. That will convince you *very* quickly the 121.5 for SAR is no solution (ever, but particularly now). You'll here jets call in a report, but they are at FL300-450 so it could be anywhere in thousands of square miles of terrain. There is a total lack of concern when these reports come in (the vast majority are false alarms after all) and ATC will sometimes call other planes to try and narrow things down a bit. I've heard exchanges that took 30-60 minutes trying to get a fix that was in any way helpful.

This thread has pointed out the shortcomings of PLBs and sat communicators, so I won't go through them again, but anyone who is relying on just 121.5 in 2017 is, IMO, taking a risk that isn't necessary from either a technological nor cost standpoint. Get *something* that's going to send out GPS coordinates.