121.5/246 ELTs vx 406 mHz
Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:02 pm
I have received at least a half-dozen calls recently from Members who inquire about “which 406 mHz ELT” I have in my airplane. The caller is often surprised to find I don’t have one. I am still nursing my 121.5/246 mHz ELTs.
When I bought the 172 two years ago (our son wanted to learn to fly and foolishly thought I’d use the 170 for his crash-and-go practice)… it had an old ACK unit whose mfr’r has been run out-of-business by the FCC/FAA …(they are prohibited from working on ANY ELT including their own) …and no parts are available…. I unfortunately discovered it had been installed incorrectly and not in conformity with it’s original instructions. It had no Cockpit Remote. Further, it’s antenna was broken.
To my rescue comes another 170 Assoc’n Member…. Wendell Wyborny…who not only had a NOS antenna…. he had a Cockpit Remote which had been removed when he “upgraded” his ELT to something more modern…. so we were able to bring the old ACK 121.5/246 unit into compliance.
Being a member of “CHAOS”….(no, not the imaginary cold-war opponent in the ‘70s TV show “Get Smart”)…. I belong to the Cheap Handy Aircraft Owners Society
Paul Bertorelli and I think along similar lines….and Aviation Consumer (to which I subscribe) had a recent article on them which pretty well convinces me that ALL ELTs are of questionable value and 406 ELTs are not much better than the original Sad Idea. Hale Boggs is still unfound and even if he had an ELT he’d have 98% chance of still being missing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1YjGLwfYSQ
When I bought the 172 two years ago (our son wanted to learn to fly and foolishly thought I’d use the 170 for his crash-and-go practice)… it had an old ACK unit whose mfr’r has been run out-of-business by the FCC/FAA …(they are prohibited from working on ANY ELT including their own) …and no parts are available…. I unfortunately discovered it had been installed incorrectly and not in conformity with it’s original instructions. It had no Cockpit Remote. Further, it’s antenna was broken.
To my rescue comes another 170 Assoc’n Member…. Wendell Wyborny…who not only had a NOS antenna…. he had a Cockpit Remote which had been removed when he “upgraded” his ELT to something more modern…. so we were able to bring the old ACK 121.5/246 unit into compliance.
Being a member of “CHAOS”….(no, not the imaginary cold-war opponent in the ‘70s TV show “Get Smart”)…. I belong to the Cheap Handy Aircraft Owners Society
Paul Bertorelli and I think along similar lines….and Aviation Consumer (to which I subscribe) had a recent article on them which pretty well convinces me that ALL ELTs are of questionable value and 406 ELTs are not much better than the original Sad Idea. Hale Boggs is still unfound and even if he had an ELT he’d have 98% chance of still being missing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1YjGLwfYSQ