ME406 ELT Battery Replacement

Well, time flies (so do I once in a while) and it's that time. I know about replacing the main ELT battery but my ancient memory seems to recall something about a second, smaller battery-- which I haven't been able to find in the manual. Is there a second battery and where is it. BTW, where's the best price for the main battery?

THANKS

Wayne 120241/143WM

Perhaps you're thinking about the battery in the panel tester and indicator.

It seems that the only place to buy a replacement battery for the ME406 ELT is from the manufacturer. Order Kit 455-0012.

Hmphf! Everywhere I look that battery is $160 plus a $35 to $50 HAZMAT shipping fee! (Should someone pay us for flying it around?)

Be sure to open up the existing one and detail the contents. Maybe batteries.com in combination with some wire and a soldering iron can save some money...

For the little ELT remote battery, 6 Volt Lithium camera battery at AIrcraft Components and Equipment (otherwise known as ACE Hardware). 5 year lifetime.

The batteries (CR34615) by themselves are hard to find and cost between $5 and $15 or more each. The reason that the battery pack is so expensive is that it comes with the ELT cover and circuit board, all glued together to withstand a crash.

Do not try and fabricate a new battery pack with new cells and a soldering iron. The circuit card contained in the battery pack assembly is a timer circuit that is required of all TSO C-126 ELTs. TSO C-126 requires the ELT to indicate a fault code if the unit has been activated and the battery has used for more than 1 hour.

Not all ELTs systems with remote indicators/switches have a second battery in the indicator/switch panel. The Artex and Kannad remote indicator/switch units do not contain an additional battery to operate the panel mounted self test indicator LED.

The AmeriKing units are complete garbage. I have replaced more than half of the Ameriking units that I have inspected that were installed in piston aircraft due to failure. On the other hand, we inspect and test more than 500 ELts each year in the Repair Station where I work. Most of these are Artex units with a few Kannads and others. We usually only have two or three units a year that fail the FAR check and return to service checks. We actually fail more units for cracks in cases and torn seals than we do for operational failures.

And if you have an ACK-04 ELT, there is a third battery in the audio alarm module.

I carry a PLB in my Cherokee. When the battery expired I went to Batteries Plus and they built me onefor one third the OEM price. The Op checks still pass.

In order to save on shipping I'm going to take advantage of the free shipping or pick up your order parts at OSH for free with Aircraft Spruce.

Bought the battery (correct one, new date)

from Touch and Go for the same price everybody else wants and they shipped it Priority Mail for free. In, tested, and working.

Hey Wayne - -

What date was on the new battery ?

Replace by Dec 2021

If memory serves