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upgrade or not to upgrade ELT

M

moll780

Well Known Member
So i have to buy a new battery for my ELT.
Im thinking of upgrading.
1. is there a 406mhz with gps "drop in" replacement that anyone knows about? (i dont want to rip out wiring)
2. should I even bother and just get a new battery and be done with it?

its mounted behind the left seat on the floor. the antenna is inside the canopy in the baggage compartment and is bent "whip style" protruding above the fuse.

what do you think?

293umvt.jpg
 
Just get a battery

Of course, this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it, but I will not upgrade my ELT until I am forced to. There are so many other, much more effective devices on the market that I believe any money spent on a 406 ELT is money wasted.
 
I disagree with Sam. I think the money spent on a new battery is wasted. If you fly only in well populated areas the 121.5 ELT might be okay but if you fly in remote areas it is pretty worthless.

We had an L-19 Bird-dog crash at our airport about 1/2 mile from the runway. No one saw it and no 406 ELT. The only thing that saved the occupants was that they (1) were still conscious and (2) had cell service and were able, after several tries, to contact 911.

I carried a Spot for a couple of years prior to upgrading to a 406 ELT. The spot (or similar) is fine as long as you can get it activated.

My $.02
 
Pretty sure the ELT shown takes "D" cell batteries----------no need to spend big bucks for the specialized batteries many ELTs require.

Dont forget to check the battery in the remote...........
 
Mike S said:
Pretty sure the ELT shown takes "D" cell batteries----------no need to spend big bucks for the specialized batteries many ELTs require.
Click to expand...

I agree with Mike - don't feel rushed into a decision on a new ELT - buy the 8-pack of D-cells at your favorite Big Bix store and then spend time surveying the ELT market pros and cons....
 
Mike S said:
Pretty sure the ELT shown takes "D" cell batteries----------no need to spend big bucks for the specialized batteries many ELTs require.
Click to expand...

I agree with Mike - don't feel rushed into a decision on a new ELT - buy the 8-pack of D-cells at your favorite Big Bix store and then spend time surveying the ELT market pros and cons....
 
Some great recommendations!
I think I'll check to see if I can do the D size battery swap first then go for the AK451 if I have to replace it.. its "only" 600$ compared to 1200 for other combinations.
That being said... any $$ i can save helps keep me in aviation just a little bit longer.


Rick_A said:
I've looked at this Kannad ELT a couple of times.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/av/elts_zkannad_0ga/kannad_integra.php

It looks like it well could be a "drop-in" for the AK-450. It includes it own internal GPS and can transmit on it's internal antenna if the external antenna is disconnected or broken.

It's not cheap but it's in the same range as other GPS enabled 406 ELTs.
Click to expand...
 
If you want to upgrade make sure you understand the installation requirements of the 406 unit you choose. Although some say "direct replacement", they aren't necessarily if you want all the features. I elected to put an old ACK E-01 in my RV but wire it for the "direct replacement" E-04. I had to run power, GPS signal and ground wires plus provide a maintenance test connection (to set the ID). I expected the GPS and tapped into my 430W but the power was a surprise until I realized the ELT has to process the signal continuously and doesn't want to drain it's own battery. Pre-wiring for the eventual replacement was not a big deal while still building. I'll just need to add a connector to the wires, activate power and replace the ELT antenna when I do upgrade.

Even the ELTs with built in GPS have to get power for the GPS so check their battery life/requirements and other installation needs.
 
just did this.....

Gil, i can give some advice on swapping for a Pointer Skyhunter 406 ELT. ( PM me). IF you are just putting in new D cells, be sure to have the unit bench tested, as mine did not put out adequate signal strength, even tho it activated correctly. As a side note, I have had Duracells leak and ruin a bunch of flashlights. Never had Energizers do this in recent memory....and they now carry a $500 guarantee for exactly this fault.
The Skyhunter 406 is a nice unit, lots of smart design features, but NOT a simple swap.
That said, the 'easy' swaps were NOT recommended by my avionics guys.
Their 'opinion' was that the AmeriKing 406, and the ACK, were not up to par.
So for a life saving device, is it better to spend $600 on a 'legal' replacement, and use the other $500 for a PLB?
Lots of opinions on this, and nobody is right or wrong....it 'depends' on the crash.
If you are conscious, then a PLB will do the job as well, or better than an ELT, even if it's removable. If it's damaged, or at the bottom of a lake, is worth '0".
 
flyboy1963 said:
So for a life saving device, is it better to spend $600 on a 'legal' replacement, and use the other $500 for a PLB?
Lots of opinions on this, and nobody is right or wrong....it 'depends' on the crash. If you are conscious, then a PLB will do the job as well, or better than an ELT, even if it's removable. If it's damaged, or at the bottom of a lake, is worth '0".
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I fly international often so to comply with international requirements I have an AK-451. However I carry a PLB with me at all times. But to each his own.

:cool:
 
The AK450 requires 6 Duracell MN-1300 batteries. Very cheap and easy. The AK-451 requires a special battery. You have the AK450, so just spend $10 on batteries and keep going.

The AK-451, as Walt said, fits in the same mount, but it requires a 6-wire phone cord to the remote, whereas the AK-450 has a 4-wire phone cord, so it is more involved than just popping one out and the other in, especially if your ELT is mounted in the tail.
 
Jesse said:
The AK450 requires 6 Duracell MN-1300 batteries. Very cheap and easy. The AK-451 requires a special battery. You have the AK450, so just spend $10 on batteries and keep going.

The AK-451, as Walt said, fits in the same mount, but it requires a 6-wire phone cord to the remote, whereas the AK-450 has a 4-wire phone cord, so it is more involved than just popping one out and the other in, especially if your ELT is mounted in the tail.
Click to expand...

My 2c, the 406 is a waste of money... unless you need it. (I have one in my plane).

Done the swap a number of times using the old wiring with no issues, from the AK-451 manual:

APPENDIX A
RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS FROM AK-450 TO AK-451
Old Model No.: AK-450-(AF)(AP), ELT 121,5/243 MHz.
New Model No.: AK-451-(AF)(AP), ELT 406/121,5/243 MHz.
RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Swap the followings items: ELT with mounting tray; Antenna with Coaxial Cable; Remote Switch Unit with Buzzer.
Note 1: All mounting holes and cut out holes are exactly the same.
Note 2: Wiring Harness, between ELT and Remote Switch Unit, is exactly the same i.e. Do not change the wiring harness. It is OK to use the existing AK-450 wiring.
Note 3: Adding a new Buzzer to be mounted anywhere in the cockpit, i.e. Tie wrap into the aircraft Wiring Harness, or Fasten onto or behind the instrument Panel, or fasten on the Remote Switch Unit.
2. Register with NOAA (or IBRD) (or National) via on line, or mailing the Registration Form using the provided pre-stamped envelop.
 
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I got my son a PLB to hook to his parachute. Then if his Pitts ever quits, and he bales out, they will look for him instead of the airframe.
 
GPS

Walt said:
My 2c, the 406 is a waste of money... unless you need it. (I have one in my plane).

Done the swap a number of times using the old wiring with no issues, from the AK-451 manual:

APPENDIX A
RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS FROM AK-450 TO AK-451
Old Model No.: AK-450-(AF)(AP), ELT 121,5/243 MHz.
New Model No.: AK-451-(AF)(AP), ELT 406/121,5/243 MHz.
RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Swap the followings items: ELT with mounting tray; Antenna with Coaxial Cable; Remote Switch Unit with Buzzer.
Note 1: All mounting holes and cut out holes are exactly the same.
Note 2: Wiring Harness, between ELT and Remote Switch Unit, is exactly the same i.e. Do not change the wiring harness. It is OK to use the existing AK-450 wiring.
Note 3: Adding a new Buzzer to be mounted anywhere in the cockpit, i.e. Tie wrap into the aircraft Wiring Harness, or Fasten onto or behind the instrument Panel, or fasten on the Remote Switch Unit.
2. Register with NOAA (or IBRD) (or National) via on line, or mailing the Registration Form using the provided pre-stamped envelop.
Click to expand...

Yes, but if you add an extra 2 wire cable to your GPS you get GPS location transmitted...

Page 68 http://www.ameri-king.com/pdf/IM451RevNC41hPublication.pdf

It's probably worth the effort of adding two wires...
 
flyboy1963 said:
That said, the 'easy' swaps were NOT recommended by my avionics guys.
Their 'opinion' was that the AmeriKing 406, and the ACK, were not up to par.
Click to expand...

Anything said to back up their opinion? I just bought and installed the ACK-04. I thought about E.L.T.'s ELT, but I had a Garmin GPS 18 OEM I picked up several years ago to feed lat-long to the ACK.
 
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Walt said:
Yes true, BUT... that means you have to get the one with GPS position which is about double the cost of the standard 406 without GPS.
Click to expand...

Ooops, correct.

I was confusing it with the ACK one which has the GPS link in it's base model, which is about the same price as the Ameri-King one without GPS.
 
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