AvSafety: 406MHZ ELT for $600

We were talking about this in another thread. Did you see the asterisk? It is not available and is still under going certification testing.
 
smigaldi said:
We were talking about this in another thread. Did you see the asterisk? It is not available and is still under going certification testing.
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I have faith in these guys - they stand to sell tens of thousands of the units as replacements, and they certainly know the products well enough to be confident of certification and to set a price.
 
Tim -

My plane is in annual (at Warrenton). I asked about the 406 as my battery is due in Feb, and I thought it would make more sense to replace the ELT now rather than wait until later and maybe having to do a battery in the meantime. I was prepared to spend up to about $800-$900 for the ELT + install.

They mentioned this unit. At my request, the inquired about availabilty.

The unit is NOT available yet. The only other unit(s) they could obtain were in the $1600 range.

I said no.

We'll do it later - either in the spring (Assuming I make some money soon, I'll be pulling the second GPS as Jepp won't support it after January), or at next annual. If this uint is available, I'll probably have it done.
 
I agree it's not available yet. But this isn't an airframe, and it's not an "estimated" MSRP. It's a firm price once the certification is done and the unit is shipping. So I'm confident that ACK will deliver.

The important thing in my mind is that it sets a standard for competitors to match. Figure you can get one installed for 1 AMU, that's a pretty good deal.
 
TMetzinger said:
The important thing in my mind is that it sets a standard for competitors to match. Figure you can get one installed for 1 AMU, that's a pretty good deal.
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Indeed. The benefits of competition.

What's it take to replace an ELT? A&P, or something else? I noted they didn't actually say how the GPS would be connected to it, either...
 
jmaynard said:
Indeed. The benefits of competition.

What's it take to replace an ELT? A&P, or something else? I noted they didn't actually say how the GPS would be connected to it, either...
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I think an A&P can do it... hooking up the GPS would require serial output from your GPS to be cabled (probably 3 or 4 conductors). You might also put something in your panel so you could feed the unit from a portable GPS if you don't have a certified one installed.
 
TMetzinger said:
I think an A&P can do it... hooking up the GPS would require serial output from your GPS to be cabled (probably 3 or 4 conductors). You might also put something in your panel so you could feed the unit from a portable GPS if you don't have a certified one installed.
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You could do the feed from a portable. You just may not get an approved installation that way.
 
TMetzinger said:
I think an A&P can do it... hooking up the GPS would require serial output from your GPS to be cabled (probably 3 or 4 conductors). You might also put something in your panel so you could feed the unit from a portable GPS if you don't have a certified one installed.
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Not an issue for me; I've got a shiny GNS430W to feed it with. It'll need a cable run to the back from the panel, though. I suppose I could run it alongside the existing ACK control cable.
 
mikea said:
You could do the feed from a portable. You just may not get an approved installation that way.
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True - let the A&P work it. But if you're allowed to permanently install a data interface jack for a 430 to feed a 496 flight plan information (I know of several who have this), having a jack run from the ELT to the front so you can plug in a GPS data source (not permanently installed) seems logical. And YES, I know what logic and $1 buys from the FAA - a cup of bad coffee:redface:
 
TMetzinger said:
http://www.ackavionics.com/index.html

Looks like it should be a fairly easy retrofit, depending on how hard it is to get to the antenna. Mooneys can be difficult, I believe, so their installation prices may be higher.
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Shouldn't be an issue in most Mooneys. I can reach the antenna from the battery access door without straining. Since I have an existing ACK I'll proabably install next year.
 
TMetzinger said:
True - let the A&P work it. But if you're allowed to permanently install a data interface jack for a 430 to feed a 496 flight plan information (I know of several who have this), having a jack run from the ELT to the front so you can plug in a GPS data source (not permanently installed) seems logical. And YES, I know what logic and $1 buys from the FAA - a cup of bad coffee:redface:
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Your avionics shop would (should!) be OK with putting in a jack or wiring in the data cable for the portable GPS from the ELT. I have the data/power cable for my GPSMAP 295 connecting to the JPI EDM so I can get MPG and gallons to waypoint and such. It works fine.

My fear is there may be more pressure to be by-the-book for the required equipment like the ELT.

When I talked to the Avionics group rep he mentioned that in regards to ADS-B. It's not just a matter of swapping in a transponder replacement. You need the GPS data, which means you need an approved GPS and approved GPS installation.
 
I really like the Artex ME406 unit because it's available now and that a most of the PA46 airframes since since 1994 have the Artex 110-4 units installed. I don't need to run the new wires through the pressure vessel or behind the interior, also the plugs are the same. With labor at $100 per hour the cheaper units aren't as much value.

We've been trying to get the 172 annual done this week, but everyone else gets theirs first, really great flying weather this week too. I want to install an ME406 unit in it because the batteries will be in my stock and we know the install. It's an airplane, what is cost? I never sell anything, it will die with me. So I might as well fix it up like I want.

Regards, Kevin
 
kmead said:
I really like the Artex ME406 unit because it's available now and that a most of the PA46 airframes since since 1994 have the Artex 110-4 units installed. I don't need to run the new wires through the pressure vessel or behind the interior, also the plugs are the same. With labor at $100 per hour the cheaper units aren't as much value.

We've been trying to get the 172 annual done this week, but everyone else gets theirs first, really great flying weather this week too. I want to install an ME406 unit in it because the batteries will be in my stock and we know the install. It's an airplane, what is cost? I never sell anything, it will die with me. So I might as well fix it up like I want.

Regards, Kevin
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The ME406 costs around $1000 plus installation but there's no provision whatsoever for a GPS interface which I believe is a huge advantage WRT S&R rescue time. Airtex does offer a GPS 406 option but that goes for about $3000 plus installation and the installation will take more time since there's two boxes (one is the ELT and the other is a GPS interface).

I'm sticking with a GPS enhanced 406 MHz PLB plus an old 121.5/243 MHz ELT until the Ack model becomes available. Hopefully that will happen before I'm required to have a 406 ELT in Canada.
 
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