wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Last fall, at annual, I elected to have a 406 ELT installed to replace my old 121.5 unit (the 121.5 ELT had given up the ghost and since I needed a new one anyway, I went 406.) Went with a cost-effective model from AmeriKing.
Mistake.
Plane is currently in the avionics shop for some upgrades & repairs. Got a call from the shop - they were hearing a "buzzing" that appeared to be coming from the ELT. ELT was NOT transmitting, just buzzing. Disconnecting the remote control resulted in no change. Tested the ELT and it still transmitted fine, and shut off fine, but the audible buzzing persisted (presumably draining the batteries).
Shop tried to call AmeriKing - bad phone number (disconnected message). Reported to me that they'd had previous problems with AmeriKing & only got success dealing with the distributor (who usually replaced the unit).
So, apparently the 6-month-old unit needs replacement (or repair). Replacing it will require a trip to the government registration site to delete the old, and add the new. And if a loaner is used, there will be an additional trip through registration. What a pain in the neck that's become.
At this point, my recommendation would be to avoid AmeriKing. It may end up costing you more than the difference in price with a better brand in aggravation & repairs down the road. Worse, if this kind of defect is rampant, you may end up with a dead battery when you need the device the most.
Mistake.
Plane is currently in the avionics shop for some upgrades & repairs. Got a call from the shop - they were hearing a "buzzing" that appeared to be coming from the ELT. ELT was NOT transmitting, just buzzing. Disconnecting the remote control resulted in no change. Tested the ELT and it still transmitted fine, and shut off fine, but the audible buzzing persisted (presumably draining the batteries).
Shop tried to call AmeriKing - bad phone number (disconnected message). Reported to me that they'd had previous problems with AmeriKing & only got success dealing with the distributor (who usually replaced the unit).
So, apparently the 6-month-old unit needs replacement (or repair). Replacing it will require a trip to the government registration site to delete the old, and add the new. And if a loaner is used, there will be an additional trip through registration. What a pain in the neck that's become.
At this point, my recommendation would be to avoid AmeriKing. It may end up costing you more than the difference in price with a better brand in aggravation & repairs down the road. Worse, if this kind of defect is rampant, you may end up with a dead battery when you need the device the most.