Best 406 ELT

Groundpounder

Groundpounder

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Emerson Bigguns
I'm looking to buy a 406 ELT for a 172, seems to be many choice out there. Which one has the best "bang for the buck"?

Thanks
 
Groundpounder said:
I'm looking to buy a 406 ELT for a 172, seems to be many choice out there. Which one has the best "bang for the buck"?

Thanks
Click to expand...

They're all going to be pretty much the same, if there is one that allows you to plug in a mic for broadcast on 121.5, that's a nice feature.
 
I'd like to install a 406 too and I wonder, if I keep my certificated 121.5, can I install a non-certificated 406 on a logbook entry?
 
JohnAJohnson said:
I'd like to install a 406 too and I wonder, if I keep my certificated 121.5, can I install a non-certificated 406 on a logbook entry?
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There is no such thing as a non certified 406 ELT to the best of my knowledge. You can carry a 406 PLB which has all the same functions except the automatic trigger and fixed antenna though.
 
Thread creep:

My SPOT subscription recently expired. I didn't renew because I found I hardly used it in flight for tracking, etc in the past year or so. I've been thinking of a 406 PLB instead. Anyone have some good information on comparing the two? Usefulness, costs, etc?
 
JohnAJohnson said:
I'd like to install a 406 too and I wonder, if I keep my certificated 121.5, can I install a non-certificated 406 on a logbook entry?
Click to expand...

you can carry anything you like in your aircraft. do not make a log entry unless this device complies with 91.207. TSO requirements, plus you as an owner, can not make that installation.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Thread creep:

My SPOT subscription recently expired. I didn't renew because I found I hardly used it in flight for tracking, etc in the past year or so. I've been thinking of a 406 PLB instead. Anyone have some good information on comparing the two? Usefulness, costs, etc?
Click to expand...

SPOT operates to a private satellite network, it is a personal communications device of limited scope. A 406PLB is a rescue beacon that if equipped with a GPS (most are now) will transmit those coordinates to a satellite which will then downlink them to a COPASS/SARSAT Earth Station which will trigger the only global SAR system and assign you a case worker who will see the SAR operations through to their completion. Activating the SPOT assures you of nothing, activating the 406 device assures you that SAR is rolling within about 15 minutes.
 
Last June my mechanic went down in his PA-12 in a remote area east of Talkeetna, Alaska. He and his passenger were unhurt, but the airplane was wrecked and they would not have been able to get out of that area on foot.

All he had was a 121.5 ELT. Nobody heard the signal until almost 24 hours later, when an F-22 Raptor pilot happened to hear it. They were picked up by helicopter a few hours later.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2013/07/alaska-state-troopers-name-pilot.html

When my 172 went in for annual last month I had him install an ACK E-04 406 MHz ELT, which gets GPS data from the KLN90B.
 
Henning said:
SPOT operates to a private satellite network, it is a personal communications device of limited scope. A 406PLB is a rescue beacon that if equipped with a GPS (most are now) will transmit those coordinates to a satellite which will then downlink them to a COPASS/SARSAT Earth Station which will trigger the only global SAR system and assign you a case worker who will see the SAR operations through to their completion. Activating the SPOT assures you of nothing, activating the 406 device assures you that SAR is rolling within about 15 minutes.
Click to expand...
Thanks Henning. In terms of units, once I get past the basics of GPS and waterproofing, are there other features I care about; I see a pretty broad range of pricing even within a single manufacturer.
 
On the standard 406 units for an aircraft, there are two types- one that has a gps or uses the plane's gps, and one that doesn't use GPS. The GPS units typically cost a touch more, but have the advantages of broadcasting to the COPASS/SARSAT folks your exact location, as determined by the GPS. The non-GPS units use signal triangulation from the satellites, which is not as accurate. Each pass of the satellite narrows it down. The non-GPS 406 units are still quite good and allow your position to be determined 100(?) times better than the old 121.5.

The search area for a 121.5 ELT is the size of the Washington, D.C., beltway. The search area for a 406 ELT that is not linked to GPS is that of a few city blocks, and one that is linked to GPS is akin to searching an area the size of a football field.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Thanks Henning. In terms of units, once I get past the basics of GPS and waterproofing, are there other features I care about; I see a pretty broad range of pricing even within a single manufacturer.
Click to expand...

Those are the main points, then there is battery size, type (some take 'off the shelf' batteries which are cheap and easy to refresh)and duration which also add size and weight. Find one with a built in GPS that you are comfortable hanging around your neck that you can activate with one hand on your way down and stick up on the glare shield.
 
CT4ME said:
On the standard 406 units for an aircraft, there are two types- one that has a gps or uses the plane's gps, and one that doesn't use GPS. The GPS units typically cost a touch more, but have the advantages of broadcasting to the COPASS/SARSAT folks your exact location, as determined by the GPS. The non-GPS units use signal triangulation from the satellites, which is not as accurate. Each pass of the satellite narrows it down. The non-GPS 406 units are still quite good and allow your position to be determined 100(?) times better than the old 121.5.

The search area for a 121.5 ELT is the size of the Washington, D.C., beltway. The search area for a 406 ELT that is not linked to GPS is that of a few city blocks, and one that is linked to GPS is akin to searching an area the size of a football field.
Click to expand...

Not anymore, the 121.5 search area is now non existent as the satellites no longer listen for it. If a plane that happens to be monitoring guard flies over, you might luck out.
 
Henning said:
Those are the main points, then there is battery size, type (some take 'off the shelf' batteries which are cheap and easy to refresh)and duration which also add size and weight. Find one with a built in GPS that you are comfortable hanging around your neck that you can activate with one hand on your way down and stick up on the glare shield.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm looking around and leaning a bit toward the ACR ResQLink+. Buoyant, light, 5-year battery, football-field accuracy. Price seems competitive with other similar units.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Thanks. I'm looking around and leaning a bit toward the ACR ResQLink+. Buoyant, light, 5-year battery, football-field accuracy. Price seems competitive with other similar units.
Click to expand...

Nothing at all wrong with that model.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Thanks. I'm looking around and leaning a bit toward the ACR ResQLink+. Buoyant, light, 5-year battery, football-field accuracy. Price seems competitive with other similar units.
Click to expand...
Wait couple weeks....ACR regularly runs specials with rebates and/or additional free goodies. Check the ACR website.

Another option is REI and get the REI rebate.
 
Henning said:
SPOT operates to a private satellite network, it is a personal communications device of limited scope. A 406PLB is a rescue beacon that if equipped with a GPS (most are now) will transmit those coordinates to a satellite which will then downlink them to a COPASS/SARSAT Earth Station which will trigger the only global SAR system and assign you a case worker who will see the SAR operations through to their completion. Activating the SPOT assures you of nothing, activating the 406 device assures you that SAR is rolling within about 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

While the above is accurate as far as I know, In practice it seems to be a non-issue there have been numerous cases for SPOT 911 feature working very well. The only actual issues I have heard of is the Spot being lost during the accident, one it when through the windshield and landed in some tall grass, the pilot had to search for it for about an hour to find and activate it, the other it was knocked from the pilots vest and landed on the floor, the pilot was injured badly enough that he could not retrieve it, but a passenger retrieved it and had another spot and activated the 911 feature on both spots.
Of course a PLB would have these same issues, with the tracking feature the Spot would have an advantage, It might not notify of the accident but when people start looking for you they will have a place to start with the tracking feature.

Brian
 
Jim Logajan said:
That was the top recommendation for personal 406 beacons in an Aviation Consumer review article published in August, 2012:

http://www.aviationconsumer.com/issues/42_8/safety/Personal-406-Beacons_6289-1.html

(Full article requires a subscription.)
Click to expand...
That's nice to know, Jim.

Brian, I pretty much agree with your SPOT v. PLB analysis. SPOT also has some other nice features. I was an early SPOT adopter and updated to the Connect model and would use its texting feature to update my wife when I took a long trip alone.

I just found I was using the extra features less and less and finally came to the conclusion that, on balance, it was time for me to move to a PLB.

So there will soon be a SPOT connect available on eBay ;)
 
Pilawt said:
Last June my mechanic went down in his PA-12 in a remote area east of Talkeetna, Alaska. He and his passenger were unhurt, but the airplane was wrecked and they would not have been able to get out of that area on foot.

All he had was a 121.5 ELT. Nobody heard the signal until almost 24 hours later, when an F-22 Raptor pilot happened to hear it. They were picked up by helicopter a few hours later.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2013/07/alaska-state-troopers-name-pilot.html

When my 172 went in for annual last month I had him install an ACK E-04 406 MHz ELT, which gets GPS data from the KLN90B.
Click to expand...

So question, if that unit gets its GPS info from the KLN 90b and not from and internal GPS what happens when the plane impacts the ground or trees, the plane loses power and jars lose the battery etc? Does the ELT just continue to transmit the last coordinates that the KLN 90b registered. Or does it stop transmitting coordinates altogether and then just act like a legacy ELT?
 
The ELT (at least the ACK) sends the last GPS position it received over the serial port in the event of an activiation, even if the GPS has stopped sending them.
 
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