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ACK 406 ELT

N941WR

Legacy Member
Some time back I posted that ACK Technologies will come out with a replacement for their E-01 121.5 ELT and sure enough they did.

In checking out their web site they have released a new 406 unit.

My only problem with this unit is that the antenna is swept back 20 degrees and will not fit where I currently have my ELT antenna (behind the roll bar in my tip-up). For me, this is a deal breaker. :mad:

I suspect this will also keep people from mounting the antenna under the empennage fairing or replacing one that might be close to the VS as it might strike the VS in flight.

Will this cause problems for the rest of you?
 
Bill,

The optimal antenna length for any radio is 1/4 of its wavelength. For 406 Mhz, any antenna 7.25" long would work fine.
 
Thanks for the update. I have their older model that had an ugly antenna with a coiled spring in it. It resides under the empennage fairing. I think this new one is good looking, and I'd install it behind the canopy on the rear fuse, where most manufacturers prefer. It might even slow me down a bit... :)

L.Adamson
 
Bill,

The optimal antenna length for any radio is 1/4 of its wavelength. For 406 Mhz, any antenna 7.25" long would work fine.
Mike,

I must be missing something. Are you suggesting I have two antennas, one for 121.5 and one for 406? (Remember, these ELT’s broadcast on both frequencies.)

Since I mounted my 121.5 antenna behind the roll bar, it comes straight up from the mounting bolt and their new antenna has a 20 degree bend in it, which simply won’t work.

I have also seen a number of planes with the antenna mounted just in front of the VS, and this bend would make it strike the VS. Not to mention those who have mounted them under the empennage fairing.

The other issue I have is that my current ACK ELT is mounted under the baggage compartment floor and the thought of a plug-and-play replacement was ideal for my situation since I can’t get to the nuts that hold the current tray in place. This was done before Van’s came out with a nice tray to mount them behind the baggage compartment. Also, if I relocate it back there, I would have drill out all the rivets on the baggage compartment floor to run the wires back there. Not a good option, IMHO.

It was my hope that the ACK 406 offering would be a true drop in replacement and that doesn’t seem to be the case.

If any of the rest of you have a problem with this antenna design, please drop ACK a note at [email protected] and ask them to build a straight antenna. Who knows, if they get enough requests, they may change the design.
 
Bill,

An antenna is optimized for one frequency only typically . I was suggesting you optimize your antenna for the 406 Mhz frequency by making a 7 1/4" antenna. I am guessing that is how long the antenna is that comes with the new ACK ELT's. The one with your current 121.5 / 243 Mhz ELT is probably 11.5" (or 23" ) long, optimized for the 121.5 or 243 Mhz band. Since the 406 Mhz band IMHO is more important to be broadcasted (since its actively monitored and the 121.5/243 isn't), you would want the antenna to be optimized for the prevalently monitored band.
 
... Since the 406 Mhz band IMHO is more important to be broadcasted (since its actively monitored and the 121.5/243 isn't), you would want the antenna to be optimized for the prevalently monitored band.
Thanks for the info. From the research I have done, this is still up for debate. While the 406 signal transmits the lat/long and the 121.5 is used once the SAR team is in the immediate area. Thus I would like to have the proper antenna for the ELT installation.
 
Bill,

The optimal antenna length for any radio is 1/4 of its wavelength. For 406 Mhz, any antenna 7.25" long would work fine.

The ELT used in an aircraft MUST meet the TSO. All the 406 ELTs require the complete system that it is sold as. You CANNOT change the antenna and meet the FAA requirements. The DAR or FAA will not issue you an airworthiness certificate if you do not use the antenna that comes with the ELT.
 
Which poses another question: upgrading the ELT requires a new certification?

I noticed the ACK thing several months ago. When they announced the upgrade kit, I sent them an email regarding the antenna. No response from them to date. I'd like to hear if anyone else has better luck; I've already got an ACK system in my RV and would prefer to upgrade in place rather than wire in a whole new system.
 
No new certification required.

Which poses another question: upgrading the ELT requires a new certification?

But, It's up to you to make sure that the new ELT is installed IAW the installation instructions.
 
Some time back I posted that ACK Technologies will come out with a replacement for their E-01 121.5 ELT and sure enough they did.

In checking out their web site they have released a new 406 unit.

Did they actually release the new unit yet? Their web site seems to say that it will be released in the first quarter still.... unless I'm reading it wrong?
 
Testing the 406

I guess I'll have to break out my old Radio Shack scanner to verify the new 406 mhz ELT is functioning at condition inspection time.

Steve
 
Usually not....

I guess I'll have to break out my old Radio Shack scanner to verify the new 406 mhz ELT is functioning at condition inspection time.

Steve

...Since the 406 units all seem to come with a built-in test feature.

The full test procedure for the units is spelled out in the unit's manual, and should be sufficient for the required yearly check.
 
Not available yet

ACK Technologies is still waiting for approval on their 406 ELTs. They are not available yet, and they won't commit to a date as to when they will be available.

Kannad, however, does have their 406 ELT available. We have done 2 installations of their 406AF-Compact kit, and they were very easy to install. Their basic antenna is straight, not swept back. By the way, the antenna allows transmission on all 3 frequencies (121.5, 243, 406). You only need the one antenna. The Kannad is currently selling for $995, but keep your eyes peeled here on VAF over the next few days....
(hint, hint).
 
ACK Technologies is still waiting for approval on their 406 ELTs. They are not available yet, and they won't commit to a date as to when they will be available.

Kannad, however, does have their 406 ELT available. We have done 2 installations of their 406AF-Compact kit, and they were very easy to install. Their basic antenna is straight, not swept back. By the way, the antenna allows transmission on all 3 frequencies (121.5, 243, 406). You only need the one antenna. The Kannad is currently selling for $995, but keep your eyes peeled here on VAF over the next few days....
(hint, hint).
Craig,

That all sounds good but does the Kannad fit the ACK tray and use the ACK control head? If not, it would require a LOT of work to fit it in my plane, including drilling out my floor, which is something I really don't want to do.
 
cheaper 406 ELT = awesome!

This is GREAT news - I held off on my ELT mounting plate untill the prices come down. Now we need 1 more competetor (Ameri-King??) to get it down to $400. Maybe by OSH.

The "plug-in audible alert" gizmo is interesting - I guess it beeps to let you know your ELT is activated? I wonder if it will be optional in the installation instructions?

I hope you can wire an RS-232 input to it (like from a handheld GPS) so that after a crash it will broadcast your last GPS position.

Exciting news, and I'm going to go figure out where to put that cool swept antenna. Thanks for posting.
 
...The "plug-in audible alert" gizmo is interesting - I guess it beeps to let you know your ELT is activated? I wonder if it will be optional in the installation instructions?

I hope you can wire an RS-232 input to it (like from a handheld GPS) so that after a crash it will broadcast your last GPS position.

...

Dave,

It is my understanding the audio alert is required in these new ELT's so you know it has been activated. I just wonder if you can turn it off to save the battery, if you are able.

As for the GPS, that is the idea. You run a wire from your NEMA capable GPS (most handhelds can output this) to the ELT and when it activates, it sends out the last lat/long it received.

My problem, and this is just my problem, is that I built my RV before Van's had an ELT tray to mount in the tail cone. I made a small compartment under my baggage compartment floor so I can get to the ELT w/o the use of tools. The tray is bolted through one of the floor ribs and seems to work great in that location. If I were to change ELT brands, I would have to replace that tray, which isn't going to happen. Also, I used ACK's straight antenna which I mounted behind the roll bar in my tip-up, pointing straight up. Their new antenna just won't work in that position.
 
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Interestingly enough...

...the ACK folks are already advertising a price on their web site, pending certification.

$599 for a kit, and $560 if you are retro-fitting an existing ACK 121.5 ELT.

http://www.ackavionics.com/

Chief shows the same price, and has this interesting tidbit

Can use ameriking remote panel indicator

...making a retrofit a little easier, even if you have their competitors 121.5 ELT already installed

This is a $$ aiming point for you Craig....:)

I'm waiting to see if AmeriKing will give ACK a run for their money and a bit of competition at the low $$ end....

ACK Technologies is still waiting for approval on their 406 ELTs. They are not available yet, and they won't commit to a date as to when they will be available.

Kannad, however, does have their 406 ELT available. We have done 2 installations of their 406AF-Compact kit, and they were very easy to install. Their basic antenna is straight, not swept back. By the way, the antenna allows transmission on all 3 frequencies (121.5, 243, 406). You only need the one antenna. The Kannad is currently selling for $995, but keep your eyes peeled here on VAF over the next few days....
(hint, hint).
 
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Without a straight whip antenna, it won't do me any good. The angled mast won't fit under the tail fairing where I have mine. I might be able to use a straight mast if it mounts similarly to the whip I currently have. Still no response from ACK.
 
Craig,

That all sounds good but does the Kannad fit the ACK tray and use the ACK control head? If not, it would require a LOT of work to fit it in my plane, including drilling out my floor, which is something I really don't want to do.

The Kannad was designed to use the same hole pattern as the ACK. It will also use the same coax as your ACK. If you have a remote switch on your panel, you should have a 4-conductor phone wire between it and the ELT. The Kannad only uses three conductors, so you can use the same wire. The Kannad does not use a telephone jack connector, so you'll have to replace the connector, which is included in the kit.
 
Without a straight whip antenna, it won't do me any good. The angled mast won't fit under the tail fairing where I have mine. I might be able to use a straight mast if it mounts similarly to the whip I currently have. Still no response from ACK.

The Kannad uses a straight-whip antenna also.
 
Craig

So I'm guessing from what you are saying is the Kannad unit uses a different dash switch?

Do you know what the length of the antenna is?

Ted
 
Mel

Are we required to replace the 121.5 units to the new 406 units or is it just that they will not be monitoring the 121.5 units any longer??

Ted
 
Are we required to replace the 121.5 units to the new 406 units or is it just that they will not be monitoring the 121.5 units any longer??

Ted
Well I'm not Mel, but there is no requirement to replace the 121.5/243.0 units in the US at this time. Satellite monitoring of those frequencies is scheduled to cease this year but monitoring will continue, notably by airliners and other airplanes, much like the earlier days of ELTs. Homing will likely by primarily on the old frequencies for some time.

A big advantage of the new beacons is that position information will be much better and with an attached GPS, if it continues to work, it will be excellent.
 
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Larry has it!

ELTs are still required but transition to the 406 units is not mandatory. Even newly installed units may be the 121.5 frequency.
 
I've installed both the Artex ME406 and the Kannad. The Kannad is by far easier to install. The ME406 requires a connection to the aircraft DC bus to run the LED on the remote control panel, unless you buy the A.C.E. version which uses a lithium cell in the cockpit switch to perform this function. Unfortunately this option costs a couple hundred dollars extra.

Be aware that both ACK and Ameri-King are not yet certified but working on it, as is Pointer Avionics. The Pointer unit will contain a built-in GPS, but there's much more to that story than can be told in this brief post.

For Canadians (who do face a mandatory 406MHz ELT installation requirement) there are currently only two low-cost ELT's approved for use in Canada - the Artex ME406 and the Kannad 406 AF Compact.

Just as an aside, for all those who are waiting for Ameri-King to drive the price down... Please keep in mind that most folks object to spending the money required to upgrade to 406MHz, especially if they feel they're still getting an unreliable device that won't improve their odds of survival. That's a pretty logical response. BUT... ELT's are one area where you really do get what you pay for. Experience in the local area shows that Ameri-King 121.5 ELT's have a dismal failure rate - about 1/3 of them don't pass annual inspection and have to be replaced. A cheap ELT ain't cheap if you have to replace it every couple of years! And it's sure no bargain if it fails when you need it most.

With respect to antennas, take a look at the Kannad site to see a pic of their whip antenna. It's a very well built unit - the first ELT antenna with which I've been at all impressed. It's length is 24" from tip to its base. The BNC connector projects inside the skin just a tad under 1", making total length about 25".
 
Interesting...

....... Experience in the local area shows that Ameri-King 121.5 ELT's have a dismal failure rate - about 1/3 of them don't pass annual inspection and have to be replaced. ......

...has anyone in the US seen this sort of failure rate?

After all, these units are around 10 years old, IIRC, and they must be tested at every annual (or conditional inspection) per the US FARs...

At lot (along with the ACK 121.5 ones) have been installed in RVs where pilots liked the EverReady D-cell battery requirements.

Some of our RV community should be able to confirm or reject the Canadian experiences - our pool of ELTs should be larger....:)
 
It's my understanding that US aircraft flying to Canada will be required to have the 406 unit (although AOPA is working to get this canceled). If the requirement holds and you expect to fly internationally, it doesn't make sense to buy a 121.5 unit. And as the prices come down, it seems to me the cost/benefits of the 406 make it an easy decision to go for the 406 unit anyway. Sooner or later it will be required.

My concern about the 406 units is will they actually activate at a more reliable rate than the 121.5's?
 
It's my understanding that US aircraft flying to Canada will be required to have the 406 unit (although AOPA is working to get this canceled). If the requirement holds and you expect to fly internationally, it doesn't make sense to buy a 121.5 unit. And as the prices come down, it seems to me the cost/benefits of the 406 make it an easy decision to go for the 406 unit anyway. Sooner or later it will be required.

My concern about the 406 units is will they actually activate at a more reliable rate than the 121.5's?

The final ruling on this issue came back last month from Canada. They will be requiring 406 ELTs for any aircraft entering their airspace.
 
Artex

Over here (Europe) there is a lot of countries that require 406 Mhz ELT, in the very near future. So, unless you want to fly around in less than a 100 mile radius, you have to have the new unit installed.
I am using the Artex and found that with the Antenna (I guess around 24" long) installed, horizontally, under the Emp. fairing (without the empenage in place!) the unit would anunciate an "antenna failure". After installing the antenna on top of the aft fuselage, everthing was fine.

It does have a buzzer that sounds when you test the unit. 60 tests maximum, before you have to replace the battery, so do not test to often!

Regards, Tonny.
 
It does have a buzzer that sounds when you test the unit. 60 tests maximum, before you have to replace the battery, so do not test to often!

I don't know about the ACK, but the Kannad allows for weekly testing through six years before battery replacement.
 
It does have a buzzer that sounds when you test the unit. 60 tests maximum, before you have to replace the battery, so do not test to often!
Regards, Tonny.

Over here we are required to test only once a year, so 60 years is not too restrictive.
 
ACK update

I finally got a reply. The gist is that they are only going to sell the angled antenna but it would work with any other 406 antenna. No word about a discount or way to not include their antenna, but I'll be asking.
 
Great News from ACK!

ACK said:
Hello Sirs

You may use any COSPAS/STARSAT approved antenna with our ELT, there are a lot on the market. I believe Dayton-Grainger makes a straight one with nearly the same dimensions as our old antenna for roughly $50.00.
That means the ACK is an option for me.

Now, if they can only get past the certification.
 
Dunno about the 406, of course, but the E-01 is dependent on the date on the battery. I'd have to check my logbook, but I believe mine are good to 2013.
 
I may be myopic , but I like the price points I'm seeing.

$1000 for an elt is a little steep in my opinion, I like the the $500-$600 range a little better. Rick 90432
 
Most of the 406MHz ELTs have some form of litium batteries (whether they be LiSO2 or LiMnO2). Most of them are good for 5 years. As of this writing, replacements cost about $150.

With respect to Canada, any aircraft flying to Canada or overflying Canadian airspace is required to have a 406MHz ELT. A PLB does not qualify - it must be an ELT meeting TSO C126.

With respect to Gil's comments on testing... Anybody who doesn't test their ELT more frequently than once per year probably isn't doing themselves any favours. It only takes a few seconds to complete the test (remember, within the first five minutes of the UTC hour) and gives a good degree of surety as to the functional status of the ELT. Sure, we have to do the annual check, but supplementing it with more frequent tests isn't a bad thing. In maintaining a fleet of about 85 ELT-equipped aircraft (mostly Narco ELT-10's) we would see about one failure every two months. Normally the failure was as a result of battery failure or corrosion.

On the topic of Ameri-King 121.5 ELT's, one local shop indicates that approximately 30% of units returned for annual inspection do not pass and need to be repaired or replaced. Keep in mind that in Canada our annual ELT inspection requirement is considerably more rigid than that of the US. We have to send the unit to an approved maintenance organisation to have all its functional parameters tested. This obviously is over-and-above the US requirement for a simple functional check. COPA, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Assocation, is pressing the federal government to make the annual test regulations closer to those of the US now that we're installing the more reliable 406MHz ELTs.

The Ameri-King 121.5 ELT antennas also seemed prone to breakage (my brother had two fail on his aircraft in quick succession - it was only when he purchased the third one, that appeared to be of different design, that this problem seemed cured).
 
....

With respect to Canada, any aircraft flying to Canada or overflying Canadian airspace is required to have a 406MHz ELT....

Solely with respect to overflying Cdn airspace, a very common thing in the Detroit area, how would they be able to enforce it?
 
Mike,

I must be missing something. Are you suggesting I have two antennas, one for 121.5 and one for 406? (Remember, these ELT?s broadcast on both frequencies.)

Since I mounted my 121.5 antenna behind the roll bar, it comes straight up from the mounting bolt and their new antenna has a 20 degree bend in it, which simply won?t work.

I have also seen a number of planes with the antenna mounted just in front of the VS, and this bend would make it strike the VS. Not to mention those who have mounted them under the empennage fairing.

The other issue I have is that my current ACK ELT is mounted under the baggage compartment floor and the thought of a plug-and-play replacement was ideal for my situation since I can?t get to the nuts that hold the current tray in place. This was done before Van?s came out with a nice tray to mount them behind the baggage compartment. Also, if I relocate it back there, I would have drill out all the rivets on the baggage compartment floor to run the wires back there. Not a good option, IMHO.

It was my hope that the ACK 406 offering would be a true drop in replacement and that doesn?t seem to be the case.

If any of the rest of you have a problem with this antenna design, please drop ACK a note at [email protected] and ask them to build a straight antenna. Who knows, if they get enough requests, they may change the design.

Bill,

If you want to keep the 121.5 ELT feature and have 406 technology and not mess around with changing anything, why not spring for the Kannad 406 PLB? Don't know if it would be legal in Canada, but from a practical point of view it may well be more reliable than a system with a hard wire antenna that could be destroyed in a forced landing.
 
Bill,

If you want to keep the 121.5 ELT feature and have 406 technology and not mess around with changing anything, why not spring for the Kannad 406 PLB? Don't know if it would be legal in Canada, but from a practical point of view it may well be more reliable than a system with a hard wire antenna that could be destroyed in a forced landing.
David,

PLB's require one thing, that you are able to locate it AND activate it.

In an accident, things tend to move around and it is very possible that if I could locate my PLB I might not be able to turn it on. Thus the thought of having an automated ELT is a better option, IMHO. It is also the reason why you are required to have an ELT switch w/in reach of the pilot. Also, no monthly fee is required. (Am I the only one who is getting tired of all these additional fees?)

ACK hopes to have their ELT certified "soon".

Here is what they said regarding the upgrade:
ACK said:
If you already have one of our ELT's it will be a 20-30 minute replacement any owner/operator can do themselves. (minus the GPS interfacing, that will take longer but is optional not mandatory.) It will use the exact same remote control head you already have, and the cable. It will fit in the same mounting tray as your old one. (That is what has taken a lot of time, designing the new one to have the same dimensions as the E-01 so it will fit in the same tray.) The antenna cable will be the same BNC cable also. So all you will really have to do to make it legal is replace the antenna and install the Audio Alert indicator, and that is just plug and play right into the remote control cable at the ELT, or up at the remote control panel indicator. (Just plugs into the RJ11 cable you already have run, through the use of the same connector already on the cable.)
 
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According to AOPA, the Canadian 406 mandate is a proposal with an effective date of 1 Feb 2009. Can anyone clarify the factual implementation date?

I do have a 406 MHz PLB which is within reach. If I have a problem where the engine quits the plan is to activate it while airborne. If I do something stupid and impact terrain then I am probably dead. I won't get a Fossett level SAR effort in any case.

PS. If I do something stupid and kill myself I don't want any heirs to sue anybody.
 
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406 elt for canada

There are more informed people out there, but the last I heard was..... this legislation is held up in the commons, but will become law in the spring session of parliament.
All the appeals by COPA, AOPA and EAA etc. are falling on deaf ears....the Defense dept. who runs SAR is demanding all the current specs, as they say it will save millions responding to false alarms and large searches.
this ignores the fact that something like 80% do not activate post-crash....but i digress.
Looks like we will ALL need the 406 automatic to fly in Canadian airspace.
the FEb. 2009 compliance date has been pushed back to something unknown....at least to me.
Yes, I wrote all my members of government about this B.S......did you?
 
I think that PLB's should be legal in Canada. Changing frequencies is not going to make them work any better. They are still using old tech "G" switches to trigger them and they don't work most of the time. Antennae get torn off, cables cut and electronics fail. If it was the perfect crash things might work. Putting the ELT on the emergency check list and train all new pilots to simulate turning the ELT on before the crash to me would make a whole lot more sense. But the !@#$ guys that make up these new rules have their heads shoved so far up the next guys A*&% where the sun doesn't shine have no sense and no idea what goes on in the real world. Sorry for the rant but this type of foolishness gets me rattled.
 
Norman - just a quick point... Not all 406MHz ELTs use old-tech g-switches. In fact, if you look at the Kannad, for instance, it uses accellerometers rather than g-switches. This allows that particular ELT to be used in helicopters without modification.

As for the expletives (deleted), I'm with ya, bud! Lots of gov't weenies spending OUR money for us. DND wants to cut SAR costs - great! But at least all taxpayers fund DND, while nobody funds we aircraft owners, so we end up paying for a new ELT AND for new airplanes for DND. Gotta love that kind of job, if you can get it...
 
I do not question the benefit of 406 MHz ELTs if they activate in a crash or if they activate inadvertently. But unless they activate when needed at a far better rate than they reportedly do today (121.5 MHz units) then I would consider it dead weight like I do my 121.5 MHz ELT.

As far as flying in Canada if a 406 MHz ELT is required...guess what? I just won't go there. Nothing personal guys. Just reality.
 
Canada phase-in period

According to AOPA, the Canadian 406 mandate is a proposal with an effective date of 1 Feb 2009. Can anyone clarify the factual implementation date?

I'm curious about this too because I'm planning a flight to Canada in April. The following was posted on Dec. 18, 2008 on the EAA website:

"At a December 11 meeting with key stakeholders Transport Canada said it anticipates at least a two-year transition period in which a blanket exemption would be in effect to allow thousands of Canadian aircraft to comply with the rule. The proposed exemption would allow flight in Southern Canada (below 50? lat. east of 80? long./below 55? lat. west of 80? long.) with an installed 121.5 MHz ELT. Vehicles exempted from the 406MHz ELT requirement are gliders, balloons, ultralights, parachute aircraft and a limited number of other operations."

Anyone know if there's been any further developments?
 
Alan, I just read that Canada is going to have two-year phase in period. If my memory of what I read is correct, an April trip should not be a problem. I would contact AOPA or the Canadian equivalent to verify this.
 
Note that the current regulations in Canada do not require a 406 MHz ELT. The proposed regulations on 406 MHz ELTs have gotten stuck in the bureaucracy, probably due to the large number of negative comments that were received on them.

The latest 406 MHz ELT info from the Canadian Owners and Pilots's Association newsletter says that there will be a two year transition period when there will be no requirement for a 406 ELT. This transition period will be applicable to Canadian and foreign aircraft.

None of this info is official until TC posts the official info.
 
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