Hummm you would think
N941WR said:
Geo,
Did ACK say if their new ELT will fit/use the old tray, antenna, wire, panel switch, etc?
I'm just wondering if I will have to move my ELT from under the baggage floor to the tail cone in a few years.
Don't know did not ask? Makes sense if they do, but recall a picture a while back and they will have TWO antennas, one for 121.5 and one for 406. Artex used one antenna.
Ron Lee said:
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/DocumentsTSeries/T1Nov05.pdf
From paragraph 2.3.2 (page 2-4) it appears that all units operate at 5 W
"2.3.2 Transmitter Power Output
The transmitter power output shall be within the limits of 5 W + 2 dB (35 to 39 dBm) measured into a 50-Ohm load."
Hummm, the ELT expert told me the PLB's have less transmitter output? PLB's do output less on the 121.5 freq, like 1/4 to 1/2 the power, 25/50 milliwatt verses 100 milliwatt. However its most likely the save will come from the 406 Mhz, and if they are that close the 25mW will be good enough.
The small antenna and lack of ground plane may also be a limiting factors for the PLB, verses a full meal deal aircraft ELT installation, but you are right, PLB's transmit 5 watts on 406 Mhz. I guess the ELT expert was alluding to less transmitting power on 121.5 and the smaller antenna? Of course if the planes ELT antenna is broke off than the PLB is likely the winner. You just have to be conscious to activate the PLB.
The military PLB's on ejection seats activate with a pin from what I read. Some PLB's (class 1, class 2) have less stringent temp requirements but must work for 24 hours. ELT's may work longer, 48 hours operation, especially on the homing freq (121.5). Also the ELT is good for 100g's and of course has the G-force switch (2-2.3 g's).
Here is an interesting article:
http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=70
The NTSB is calling for the the 2009 mandate. Still the FAA has done nothing. AOPA been successful in blocking any action? or is the FAA and government just lazy and incompetent. AOPA wanted a phased in deal. They are going to have to do something before 2009. I can see where they might enforce 406 Mhz ELT's in first qtr of 2009, mandating them for all flights over mountains terrain. It would also be nice if the FAA allowed PLB as a stop gap, but that makes sense and we can't have that.
Interesting in same web site with the article above (
http://www.equipped.org), they show one of these "personal trackers" (as well as all the new PLB's). A personal tracker is not a PLB I gather and they require a subscription. They actually can track you and up-date your position all the time, and that data is available to those interested parties, like friends, family or if you want emergency personal. You can even make simplex (one way) communication to get word out, that is less than a full blown rescue call, say to family to let them know you are OK and where you are (not voice just a OK). Here is the article:
http://www.equipped.org/SPOT_ORSummer2007.htm
Pretty soon we will have a chip in our head and big Bro can watch us all the time.
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Latest word on Steve Fossett, not found but they are getting sonar equip out to a lake tomorrow.