ELT recommendations

[PapuaPilot]

The cable looks like a phone cable. I was not sure so didn't want to cut or replace it. Mine is about 20 feet too long so I made a big coil under the seat. An A & P mechanic told me to try a phone cable end and if it fit it would work. I'm chicken to try that. Does anyone known fore sure?

Yes, they use phone cables and it is OK to change it with one word of caution. Make sure the replacement cable has all 4 wires showing in the connectors. Often phone cables will only have the center two cables installed.

[Paul Z]

Phone cable is for the ELT Remote that can be mounted on the dash, so it is easy to reset one those less than soft landings. If it is not hard and brittle I would worry about changing it.

[t j]

Okay thanks for the ELT phone cable info. I am going to change it for a short one. My kitfox is low powered. I am always looking for ways to reduce weight. Besides that, coiling extra electronic cable or wire can sometimes cause some mysterious electronic problems.

[beeryboats]

Those of you that looked at my photo of the elt, can you identify it? It looks like the battery is a lot longer than Toms.
Jay

Never mind. It turns out it's a ACK-01. I don't see any for sale anywhere.

[tomec]

phone cable don't work. wired wrong

[Av8r3400]

I took my ELT control cable to a local shop that does commercial radio and electronic type stuff. I asked if they could shorten it by 5 feet. They did it while I waited and the tech had me buy him a soda from the vending machine as payment.

[rv9ralph]

A phone cable will not work... they both use RJ11 jacks, however, for phones the wires cross from end to end (the sequence in the jack is different). For the ELT cable they are the same sequence ... pin 1 on one end is the same wire in pin 1 on the other, and so on for all four. For details check the ELT manual, I found mine online, it showed the pinout for the jacks.
Ralph

[jrevens]

You can shorten your cable very easily by yourself if you can borrow a simple modular plug installation tool - or purchase an inexpensive one from Radio Shack. Buy a small package of the plugs from RS also. Cut the cable to length, strip the outer jacket & install the new plug with the tool. Just pay attention & install it the same way as the original one in relation to the wire colors - it's simple. If you lived in Denver you could borrow mine, & I'd even throw in a plug!

[t j]

I think I have the cable plug tool. Thanks for clarification on the wire locations in the plug.

[KFfan]

From EAA website:

March 18, 2015 – The FAA has published a notice in the Federal Register recommending voluntary changes for mounting Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) for aircraft owners who have used hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro, to mount the units in their aircraft.
In some recent accidents, ELTs secured with such fasteners have come loose on impact, severing the antenna connection and making the units ineffective. The FAA is not issuing an Airworthiness Directive or withdrawing TSO authorizations, as manufacturers have made adequate design changes for these ELT units.
The FAA recommends that aircraft owners who have ELTs secured by hook-and-loop fasteners voluntarily switch to a metal strap restraint instead.


fwiw