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-   -   Plb vs elt as an option legally ? With poll (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=169960)

Snowflake 03-31-2019 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickWoodall (Post 1335567)
I have been swamped in non flying things the last year but i was sure we had to have them replaced by year end. After your post I went to transport canada to see. Must have been my error. I do most of my flying in sw ontario and a lot in US. I had a list of must do upgrades this summer fall and ads b and 406 where "must do's" i had noted. Maybe i just am hearing voices again. Haha. Anyway doing both and should be good in US and Canada going forward after those.

Good, I have been following this whole issue very closely and was fairly certain nothing had changed. At this time there is no legislation requiring a 406MHz ELT in Canada, nor is there a schedule for any to be finalized.

I have a 121.5 ELT and a SPOT and am watching the changes in technology in the hopes that I can avoid equipping with a 406 and then having to replace it with an ADS-B-based solution that gets mandated 6 months later.

Turbo69bird 03-31-2019 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowflake (Post 1335717)
Once it's mounted to the airplane, it's no different than any other locator though... In a crash, it could be under the plane, destroyed by impact, etc. etc. and even if it activates it'll never get a signal out. The value in the PLB is that if the occupant can extricate themselves from the twisted wreckage, and the PLB is in his pocket, they can pull it out and activate it under a clear sky.

A G-switch would be very susceptible to impacts from non-life-threatening events... Hitting the canopy edge while getting in/out of the airplane could give it a 10G shock, for example. Dropping a tablet on it in flight could do the same.


A g switch that must be armed before each flight as a separate activation devise wouldn?t though. So the normal operation of a plb could be kept separate. Flip a switch and put it into g switch mode for flight use.

Radioflyer 03-31-2019 11:50 AM

Agree with turbo69bird. At any rate, my original idea as stated was for the G-switch to be part of the mounting attached to the frame, not the PLB itself. With the small size of most PLBs it could be mounted within convenient reach of the pilot giving its access almost equal to being on one's person.

Turbo69bird 03-31-2019 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radioflyer (Post 1335752)
Agree with turbo69bird. At any rate, my original idea as stated was for the G-switch to be part of the mounting attached to the frame, not the PLB itself. With the small size of most PLBs it could be mounted within convenient reach of the pilot giving its access almost equal to being on one's person.

That’s pretty interesting Idea. Don’t know that it would qualify for the current g switch rule though unless it had a 1 lb weight on the switch. Which might make it qualify. One things for sure if there’s a way to make something qualify someone from VAF will figure it out.

Although a lot of people I talk with say the PLB already qualifys including a DPE I talked with about it.

It’s all how you interpret the rule I guess. I certainly think that for non commercial use a PLB should be an option. Or maybe just for experimentals ���� based on this poll it seems a lot of others feel the same way!

13brv3 03-31-2019 04:30 PM

It would be nice if the PLB manufacturers would consider a wireless activation option. I'd like to have the PLB strapped to me, but with a wireless option to allow activation by a G-switch, BRS handle, canopy eject, etc.

I haven't looked into them that much, but I'm assuming there's a window of time you can deactivate them? Say your engine quits- it would be nice to activate it, then once you've made a safe landing, deactivate it. If the landing doesn't end up being so safe, then they're already notified to look for you.

My current project is single place, so I don't legally have to have an ELT, which makes this thread even more interesting to me.

Thanks,
Rusty

Canadian_JOY 03-31-2019 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 13brv3 (Post 1335830)
I'm assuming there's a window of time you can deactivate them?
Thanks,
Rusty

Yes, there is a time to deactivate... the first 49 seconds after activation. That's all you get - after that a valid distress signal is sent as a 406MHz transmission.

13brv3 04-11-2019 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian_JOY (Post 1335847)
Yes, there is a time to deactivate... the first 49 seconds after activation. That's all you get - after that a valid distress signal is sent as a 406MHz transmission.

I posted a followup question, but got it answered by ACK before anyone could reply. The question was- how long until the first burst goes out, and how certain is it to get to the Satellite.

Apparently the design specs for the system are that the first burst goes out in 50 sec, plus or minus 2.5 sec. If the antenna is completely intact, there is a near 100% expectation that the first burst will reach the satellite in N America. Considering all the mountains I have around here, I think I'll be installing a 406 ELT.

Thanks,
Rusty


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