Hi Rick - let's see if we can help you through some of these questions...
Q: I have heard...must be programmed for Canada . Is that easy to do the registration in Canada on US bought unit (if i grabbed at oshkosh as an example) or must i get ACK to program at factory and buy through ACS Canada as only source?
A: When purchasing through ACS, as an example, you would place your order with them - doesn't matter if it's the Canadian or US office. They will ask you for some specific information to use in programming your ELT. Country of registration will be one of the data items. The others will be aircraft registration and they likely will also ask for your 24 bit ICAO address (also known as the Mode S address). You can find that here on Transport Canada'site:
http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/2/ccarcs-riacc/ADet.aspx?id=520490&rfr=RchSimp.aspx
For your "Ghost" the address is as follows:
24 Bit Address: Bin=110000000111011000110010, Octal=60073062, Hex=C07632
ACS will be responsible for ensuring your ELT is properly programmed. This makes it mandatory for you to initiate the purchase far enough in advance that your programmed ELT can be ready for pick up at OSH, of that's what you want to do.
Q: Must it have the GPS feed hooked up or is that just an optional enhancement?
A: GPS connectivity is optional. Position accuracy of the satellites listening on 406MHz is quite good, BUT they find the position of the ELT via triangulation using Doppler shift of the received signal. This means it takes a little while. GPS position data, on the other hand, if available at the time of ELT activation, will be sent in the first 406MHz transmission burst 50 seconds after the ELT has been activated.
Q: I have heard it must be installed at certified shop...is that true or can we do the form/registration as we are the builder?
A: First of all, ANYBODY can register a beacon. Go to this website to get started, but remember, you will need the specific data from the ELT's data plate as this is the unique "fingerprint" of your ELT.
https://www.cbr-rcb.ca/cbr/presentation/other_autre/index.php
In terms of who can install the ELT, the short answer is that, in an amateur-built aircraft, you can install it and make the appropriate entries in the aircraft logbooks. The longer answer is the connection of the ELT to panel-mounted GPS receivers is considered as "specialized work" and, technically speaking, should be carried out by an AMO. From what I've been seeing, nobody is complying with this aspect of the regulations because most of us see it as being BS. It's your call how you wish to deal with that portion of the installation.
Remember, if installing a 406MHz ELT, register the beacon at the site indicated above, and do it BEFORE you install the beacon. If you have a smart phone, ensure the email address that you use to receive email on your smart phone is included as the primary email address in the registration database. When you perform a self-test on the ELT (remember, only in the first 5 minutes of the GMT hour), if the test signal was successful in reaching the satellite and being relayed to the Canadian RCC, you will receive an email that confirms end-to-end functionality of your ELT system.
By registering the ELT before you install it, if you mess up in the installation the folks in Trenton will know who to call to verify the veracity of the 406MHz ELT signal they've received!