Rogerck Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 Has anyone looked at or installed the Emerging Livesaving Technologies ELT406GPS? This unit has an internal gps and appears to be well thought out and designed. Here are a two websites: http://www.gca.aero/detail/9820/Avionics/EMERGING_LIFESAVING_TECHNOLOGIES/Emergency_Locator_Transmitter/ http://www.youtube.com/user/ELT406GPS#p/u/7/bNB80mG_F1k Rogerck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 It's alot compared with the ACK-E04R kit that drops right in with the exception of needing a replacement antenna. It can be optionally wired up to your GPS but is 1/3rd the cost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 Kurt, I think the ACK E-04 ELT is the way to go. I've been following the company's attempt to get this unit certified for almost a year and it looks like ACK has been able to get the certification but there still is a few hoops to jump over to get the E-04 installed. It appears that the installer must purchase a software package from ACK in order to verify proper performance after installation and obtain TSO certification? Take a look at this link: http://www.ackavioni...406%20Page.html Also, I see this information from ACK regarding the installation of the antenna: http://www.ackavioni...0DEMENSIONS.pdf I know that the antenna will be different due to the higher freq. but I'm not sure if there must be a unique and different mounting? I was hoping that the current AmeriKing antenna could be removed and the ACK put in it's place? Maybe not? As you point out, the ACK E-04, with antenna, will cost about 1/3 as much as the other 406 satellite ELT's and this is the unit I'll go with if it isn't going to be too much of a pain to install and get certified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 The ACK has a different main unit mount and different atenna. It is not a direct swap for the Ameri King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 Hi Roger. Right, the Ameri King 406 uses the same mount. Can the new Ameri King antenna be installed in the same location as the old? I know that there are some who question the location of the antenna on he underside of the plane because the unit is communicating with overhead satellites. The expense of purchasing the new 406 ELT makes it appear that just using the SPOT PLB is the way to go until 406 ELT's become mandatory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 Hi Dick, Yes the antenna can use the same hole. I think the though process of the antenna on the bottom is that you will flip over either on your top or at least vertical and that seems to be proven out by the guys that crashed. The front wheel is the weak point and when it collapses it digs in and the energy still moving forward carries it on over. Then it's in perfect position. Hec it may have been planned just that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 I have the ACK E01 121.5 ELT in my plane. I thought it was sort of standard for FD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 I have the ACK E01 121.5 ELT in my plane. I thought it was sort of standard for FD All I've ever seen was the Ameri King. There was one exception, and it had been changed. BTW I think the ACK is a better unit. I've never seen any failures, but I have replaced 2 of the Ameri King units that have failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Well, even the full E04 kit is just $30 more and can use the Ameriking fornt panel control. Just need to also replace the tray along with antenna. I think the programming kit is only needed if you want to change country location codes and such. Don't know if this would require an LOA from FD or not. One more reason to be experimental... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Kurt, as Tom indicates, I too have not heard of any CT's having ACK 121.5 ELT until you indicated you have one. All I've seen are AmeriKing ELT's in FD aircraft. My AmeriKing 121.5 quit working last 100 hour inspection. My A&P said it isn't unusual to see AmeriKing ELT's come in NFG and need replacement. My friend had replaced his AmeriKing 121.5 with the AmeriKing 406 and made me an offer I couldn't refuse on his old 121.5 (free!). If you currently have the 121.5 ACK ELT, then the new E-04 should use the same tray and only need to replace the 121.5 antenna with the 406 antenna. It is also true that the new (and old) ACK is happy with the AmeriKing remote unit on our instrument panel. Pretty good bet that one will need to obtain a LOA if a ACK 406 ELT is installed - except maybe for Kurt. Due to the lower price of the ACK and also due to comments I have gotten from avionic repair people who say that ACK equipment is good, I'll go with the ACK ELT when it become necessary to upgrade to a new unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Damn, I do also have the crappy Ameriking. I was fooled by the fact that is has exactly the same panel interface and I had ACK on my last plane. I wonder how hard it is to mount a new tray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Most all CT's have an Ameri King. The tray is just a couple of screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Don't you think FD would be willing to do a blanket LOA for the E04? It seems like an easy one to approve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogerck Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I originally started this topic and have been very interested in the responses, most of which have been centered on unit cost and convenience of installation. My primary interest in a 406ELT is the possibility that it may someday save my life. I am interested in rescue, not recovery. We all know that a 121.5 ELT is a joke. It just fulfills a regulatory requirement, but is for the most part ineffective. While cost is important to me, it only comes into play after a unit meets my primary requirement, which is speedy rescue, if needed. Here are my key requirements for a 406 ELT: - Hardened unit that will stand up to impact and batteries that will stay intact and work. - Ability to quickly and accurately provide a location. This means minutes rather than one half hour to two hours. It also requires the accuracy of gps lat/lon data versus vectors established by passing satellites, which is the case without gps data. - While some 406 ELT's have the ability to get lat/lon coordinates from the aircraft gps, the aircraft gps is not hardened and will likely not provide the coordinates after an impact. A better solution is to have an ELT with internal gps that is power independent from the primary aircraft battery and hardened. - Ability of the ELT to radiate its signal in unusual attitudes, plane on side, flipped over, etc. This requires a horizontal and vertical polarized antenna. (It is dumb to have an ELT antenna on the bottom of an aircraft. It will radiate toward the ground and is more likely to break off.) - ELT with integrated self test ability. - By the way, a PLB does not meet the above requirements. It assumes that one can activate it, and that it will be intact and nearby. It does not reference a tail number and there are already a large number of false alarms (meaning less urgency) with these units. Here again is a link to Emerging Lifesaving Technologies 406 ELT with gps: http://www.youtube.com/user/ELT406GPS#p/u/7/bNB80mG_F1k Here are my concerns about their product: - Will it indeed perform as advertised? - Will the company stay in business? - Are there better units that will be available soon? We know that ELT costs will come down as time goes on. For me, I'd rather pay $1000 more now for a unit that provides a greater probability of doing what it's supposed to. This is cheap for me over many years, especially when compared to other required ownership costs, such 100 hour and annual inspections. Rogerck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 If you are concerned about saving your skin and not just the regs. then take a look at the Spot Tracker. It's much more versatile in what it can do and where it can go. It's kind of like a reverse GPS and it will track where you go, people can actually see and follow you on a computer and you can send messages and call for help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanik Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 My personal favorite for this thing is the Resqlink http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=284 Has GPS too. I feel that any potential accident scenario where I don't have enough time or cannot even manage to activate a PLB or blow the chute is very likely to be fatal. Flying into a mountain at night sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpiper Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I have the Spot and it is great. But, to be effective 100% of the time, it must be passive. In other words requiring no pilot action such as remembering to turn it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 My CTSW has an ACK altitude encoder which supplies the Garmin transponder with altitude data. I believe most older CT's with steam gages have ACK encoders? After taking ownership of my CTSW, ATC said that they weren't getting altitude squawk from my plane. I thought it might be the encoder so I called ACK. The tech guy I spoke to said he would be glad to check out my encoder if I sent it to him just for the cost of shipping. He told me that there were thousands of these units in the field and I recall him telling me less than 10 of these had been returned for repair. He appeard to be confident that the encoder wasn't my problem and suggested that I got my Garmin xponder inspected before sending in the ACK encoder. I took my CT to the avionics repair and they determined the two (serial?) wires that supply data to the Garmin xponder were reversed. This condition had allowed intermittent altitude transmission ever since the previous owner had the Garmin xponder serviced. The other point I will make is that ACK has provided 121.5 ELT's for many years. My avionics repair tech said that he couldn't ever recall one of these ACK units needing repair. I personally believe that the ACK 406 ELT will be a quality unit and the company will be around for a long time, should one need customer support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogerck Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 06-07-06 ELT 406mhz.pdfI started this thread with questions about the Emerging Livesaving Technologies ELT406GPS. This ELT has a built in/internal GPS. I have since purchased the unit. Attached is the MRA from Flight Design in the event that anyone else is interested in installing this unit. Roger Kuhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Kent Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 06-07-06 ELT 406mhz.pdfI started this thread with questions about the Emerging Livesaving Technologies ELT406GPS. This ELT has a built in/internal GPS. I have since purchased the unit. Attached is the MRA from Flight Design in the event that anyone else is interested in installing this unit. Roger Kuhn Roger, This ELT was provided with my new Sting S4, but I didn't get an operating manual When i took delivery. I contacted the company and they emailed it to me. If you need the manual send your email address and I'll send it. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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