406mhz ELT Installation with GPS

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askulte

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Airmet Sierra
Our club is going to have a 406mhz ELT installed in our C172K, which currently has a stand-alone 121.5 without a remote switch or remote antenna. I'm considering the ACK E-04 and the new Artex E435, which both take a GPS-in from our Garmin 430W. The manufacturers claim a 2.5 hour install time typically, but local quotes are all $900-$1200 for installation. What's reasonable?

The mounting bracket will need to be bolted to a better location, antenna drilled/mounted, remote switch cut/drilled/mounted in panel, GPS-in soldered from the Garmin wiring, and wiring run back from the panel to the ELT.

Any avionics shop suggestions in New England?

What's the difference between these $600 units and the $1200 units?

Thanks for the advice!
 
askulte said:
Our club is going to have a 406mhz ELT installed in our C172K, which currently has a stand-alone 121.5 without a remote switch or remote antenna. I'm considering the ACK E-04 and the new Artex E435, which both take a GPS-in from our Garmin 430W. The manufacturers claim a 2.5 hour install time typically, but local quotes are all $900-$1200 for installation. What's reasonable?

The mounting bracket will need to be bolted to a better location, antenna drilled/mounted, remote switch cut/drilled/mounted in panel, GPS-in soldered from the Garmin wiring, and wiring run back from the panel to the ELT.

Any avionics shop suggestions in New England?

What's the difference between these $600 units and the $1200 units?

Thanks for the advice!
Click to expand...

#1 Manufacturer's installation time sounds short. Structural engineering and FAA approval adds a lot of cost to the physical installation of the ELT and tray. Since you don't have a panel mounted remote switch or external antenna, those require additional work on top of that, that may or may not get some sort of structural approval also.

Compare battery life and replacement costs when choosing. Sometimes the switch panel die too.
 
Battery is good for 5 years and a replacement costs $129

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/elt406.php


Some significant cost differences are:

#1 Whip vs Rod vs Blade antenna (I think the rod is more likely to break IMHO)

#2 Additional frequencies they transmit on. Some are triple frequency, other are dual or single. (406 Satellite /243 Military /121.5 Civilian)
 
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Installation requirements MAY require bolstering up your mount. That's airplane specific. Installing the panel switch is simple but it will require running a cable back to the ELT and that takes time. There was to antenna with your old ELT? That's odd. Usually you pop the old one out and install the new one in it's place. The ELT interface usually requires pinning a connector and routing the wire. More time. Is $1200 high for the install? Probably but not always. The structural mount can require some doing. The maximum movement of the 406 can't exceed 1/10th of one inch in any direction using 100# of pull. That isn't always easy to do.
 
Stewartb said:
Installation requirements MAY require bolstering up your mount. That's airplane specific. Installing the panel switch is simple but it will require running a cable back to the ELT and that takes time. There was to antenna with your old ELT? That's odd. Usually you pop the old one out and install the new one in it's place. The ELT interface usually requires pinning a connector and routing the wire. More time. Is $1200 high for the install? Probably but not always. The structural mount can require some doing. The maximum movement of the 406 can't exceed 1/10th of one inch in any direction using 100# of pull. That isn't always easy to do.
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when I read the OP I imagined this, which would mean starting from scratch to install a modern ELT.

 
All of these ELT up grades come with STC paper work. FAA only needs a copy sent to them by your IA.

It takes me about 4 hours start to finish to do a 150/172/182

And I'm slower than shi-
 
bnt83 said:
when I read the OP I imagined this, which would mean starting from scratch to install a modern ELT.

Click to expand...

That's actually easier than a retro fit. (you gotta pull the stuff out)
 
Tom-D said:
No... when mounted IAW the instructions it won't.
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According to the installation instructions of all the 406s I've seen you're required to meet the same structural requirements. No attachment to skins, must be to structure, and must meet the flex requirement that I stated earlier. You can't just bolt it into your old crap mount unless the old mount was adequate for the current standard. That's possible but not typical.
 
Stewartb said:
According to the installation instructions of all the 406s I've seen you're required to meet the same structural requirements. No attachment to skins, must be to structure, and must meet the flex requirement that I stated earlier. You can't just bolt it into your old crap mount unless the old mount was adequate for the current standard. That's possible but not typical.
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:yeahthat:


The last structural substantiation report I read was about 10 pages long and considered the safety factor and ultimate load limits from the airplane's TCDS but since the ELT manual is more stringent it defaulted to those requirements for stiffness. (These reports are typically proprietary and NOT given to the customers. Instead they receive the FAA approval of them on some sort of FAA form like 8110-3, 8100-11, 8100-9)
 
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bnt83 said:
:rolleyes2: Then why the claim "all these ELTs come with STCs"
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Because every one I've installed did.

Filled it out, sent it in, no more worries.
 
Stewartb said:
According to the installation instructions of all the 406s I've seen you're required to meet the same structural requirements. No attachment to skins, must be to structure, and must meet the flex requirement that I stated earlier. You can't just bolt it into your old crap mount unless the old mount was adequate for the current standard. That's possible but not typical.
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What do you believe the baggage compartment floor is, Potato chips? How about an avionics shelf ? Structure?

Don't over think it.
 
Tom-D said:
What do you believe the baggage compartment floor is, Potato chips? How about an avionics shelf ? Structure?

Don't over think it.
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Those places are often far too flexible. I've done numerous 406's and found that nearly every installation requires beefup. And I've found 406's installed in the original spots and had to fix them. 100 pounds pull in any direction with no more than .100" deflection requires more than the typical baggage floor or shelf.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Those places are often far too flexible. I've done numerous 406's and found that nearly every installation requires beefup. And I've found 406's installed in the original spots and had to fix them. 100 pounds pull in any direction with no more than .100" deflection requires more than the typical baggage floor or shelf.
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Like I've said before, there is always some one that will try to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

I want to see you pull that test on a PA-28 ELT mount shelf.
 
Tom, read the original question. C172K. The old mount is probably not strong enough to meet the pull test. It sounds like the OP already knows it.

To the OP, I have an Artex ME401 and can't interface the GPS. They didn't think about that 7 or 8 years ago when I bought mine. If I was out to buy a new ELT tomorrow I'd buy the ACK. They all have to comply with the same standards and meet the TSO requirements. I can't see where one is better than the other.
 
For electronics, I have used Dooney in Westerly. It was a simple GPS replacement (like for like). Air Direct amd Infinity are in Nashua. I'm looking at NEXAIR in Mansfield for my ADSB upgrades on my new plane.
For an ELT install, my maintenance shop did the work, not an electronics shop. I did an ARTEX 406 a couple of years ago. As I recall, the cost was a couple of hours shop time. He was well practiced as he had been doing them all year long.
 
Thanks for the input everyone! Our ELT is similar to the one pictured - no way it'll deflect less than .1" with 100# - it's on the side wall of the luggage compartment.

Time to make some phone calls.
 
askulte said:
Thanks for the input everyone! Our ELT is similar to the one pictured - no way it'll deflect less than .1" with 100# - it's on the side wall of the luggage compartment.

Time to make some phone calls.
Click to expand...

I would enjoy a picture of the final installation. :D
 
Tom-D said:
Like I've said before, there is always some one that will try to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

I want to see you pull that test on a PA-28 ELT mount shelf.
Click to expand...

All depends. I've seen older ones simply rivnutted to the flimsy floor that extends aft of the baggage wall. Had they blinded riveted a couple L extrusions beside the tray and then platenutted the tray to the extrusions it would have been a heck of a lot stiffer and probably pass that stiffness requirement.

Each case is a little different.
 
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