Personal locators vs. elt's.

[DesertFox4]

For archival searches I'm starting a new thread for personal location devices. I'd be interested in recent experiences with the various products available now. Not too keen on the expensive replacements for the 121.5 elt's.

Iceflyer posted:
Maybe someone will notice the orange gadget on the top of the panel to the left. It´s a Spot position locator. I alway´s fly with it so friends and family can see where I am.

http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view/?trip_id=2075631239

cap01 wrote:
ive thought about getting one of those spot locators but read some bad reviews about them . being unreliable with their position reporting and using an obsolete satellite system . hows it working for you ?
__________________
chuck
kitfox IV 1050
912ul warpdrive
flying B , yelm, wa

[Slyfox]

I have one of these and take it with me in whichever airplane if I go beyond 25 mi.

[Dorsal]

Slyfox,
Do you know if that meets the FAA req for an ELT?

[Slyfox]

no it doesn't, I have the 121.5. My thoughts on that one, until the faa says no more 121.5 I use the 121.5. I'm not using it anyway, it just sits there unused. Just a bunch of bs right now. I'm sitting low and not worrying about it. No any plb is not an faa approved device. But this one can go in your pocket and if any need should arise than you rip open the top and expose the entenna and push the button. That 121.5 is usless but does cover the FAA mandate. That's all I care about. The plb I have is cheap and can go into either airplane, it's on my person. So It is a viable solution to being found, that is if your alive. If I'm not, I don't care. One last note. I fly with my cell phone, it's on all the time, I rarely ever fly over 1000agl, so it functions as a locator also. Ever wonder why a helicopter doesn't need an ELT. Bunch of crap if you ask me.

[DanB]

APRS is a good option...requires a technicians Ham license which is not hard to get. I have a friend that finished his RV-10 and he built the transmitting unit into the plane. As soon as the avionics are turned on, it begins broadcasting. It works great as a Low Jack if someone takes the plane. The site aprs.fi (among others) show google earth maps with a dot for each transmited packet. Just type in the operators call sign and if it is in operation, you see it real time.
vansairforce.com site has a ton written on the topic. The following is documentation of what one pilot did to install it http://home.hiwaay.net/~sbuc/journal/tracker.htm
Do a Google search and you will get more info.

[Iceflyer]

The SPOT works really well for me. I´m really happy with it.

For a fast aircraft like the Kitfox it transmits position with a bit long interval or about every 10-15 min. For someone at home following the progress it would be better to be able to have it transmit pos every 3-5 min.

Sometime it misses entirely one pos interval so it can go up to 20-30 min between reports.

I work as a Search & Rescue helicopter pilot and these things have saved at least two lives in my country that I know of. Both instances were hikers not pilots.

If you check my map on the attached link to Spot adventures you may notice a gap in the track. This is due to that if you want to send a everything is "OK" message to friends mobile phones, the tracking mode needs to be switched off while the unit can take up to 20 min to transmit the "OK".
When I recieved a confirmation text message to my cell phone at the point where I reached cell coverage from a single cellphone tower in the middle of the island I then could reset the tracking mode.

I´m actually thinking of installing a RAM mount to hold my mini laptop and 3G internet connection so I can follow and confirm tracking myself.

[jdmcbean]

We all know that it is really only a matter of time before 406 will be mandatory... to that end we have been working with one manufacture (ACK) and hopefully they will have theirs available shortly.. They are going to retail just under $600 which is the least expensive one to date. If there is an interest in this unit for replacements or future installations please let me know as we are on the list to get some but lead time may push out based on demand.

There was also a article written in the Rudder Flutter (Idaho Division of Aeronautics publication) regarding use of PLB's. I think they'll allow me to plublish the article.

[cap01]

john , ive got one of the old ack elts installed . are the new ones going to be a slide in replacement ?

[jdmcbean]

john , ive got one of the old ack elts installed . are the new ones going to be a slide in replacement ?

Should be the same as the E01.. However the 406 antennas are much longer.

[cap01]

i did a little research on this ack 406 elt and came up with a 10 page thread on the van site . seems ack has been working on getting this elt certified for a year and a half at least and its still not done . not to say its acks fault , seems they have gotten the runaround . maybe because its so cheap , no one else wants it on the market , sad when we think $600 is cheap ? wonder how the other manufactures were able to get theirs certified ?

[enyaw]

OK, time to display my ignorance. Does it need to be certified if it is in an Armature Built, Experimental aircraft?

[cap01]

i see no one has stepped up to the plate on the certified question , so ill show my ignorance with my take on it . seems the way the far reads that unless your test flying , you need an elt that meet the tso specs . i dont think youll find a non certified elt . besides being tsoed , they have to be certified by some international agency . i think that is the hold up with the ack 406 elt , the international thing .