Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike York on February 16, 2022 at 7:32am

I may have one on my bench.  Text me at 563-299-0 seven seven three

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Permalink Reply by Matt Pope on February 16, 2022 at 10:30am

Will do - thanks

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Permalink Reply by Perry Delano on February 17, 2022 at 12:02am

Hi Matt,

I was thinking of the same idea a couple weeks ago, get a cheap 121.5 ELT,  to get through final inspection, but it turns out, like fuel flow and compass turning it is not an item on final inspection. It becomes one when you want to get flight restrictions removed. So I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Perry

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Permalink Reply by Matt Pope on February 17, 2022 at 1:57pm

Hi Perry - yeah, if I remember correctly, over land we only need an ELT for flying more than 25 nm from base (in Canada, at least). I read somewhere that TC is planning to require 406 MHz in the future and some 121.5 ELTs are still okay, but when I look at the regs it's all a bit confusing. There's been an airworthiness directive on the Ameri-King ELTs, which is also confusing and I'm not sure of the implications. Now I'm reconsidering a 406 ELT, even though they're expensive and have to be registered...

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Permalink Reply by Samuel McNair on March 2, 2022 at 4:03pm

If you want the transponder just to meet a legal requirement, go with the used 121.5.  If you are serious about getting found and possibly saving a life, get a 406 model. Depending on what you have laying around you can add a GPS to it for under $100. With the GPS burst they can locate you virtually anywhere on the globe within a few meters in under 20 minutes.  from my CAP experience I can tell you that - especially now - a 121.5 unit is not worth the fuel it takes to carry it around. They are effectively not monitored, have a terrible record for false trips and failures to trip. (My 121.5 failed to trip when i crashed and flipped, but in the CAP we were forever tracking false trips,

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Permalink Reply by Matt Pope on March 2, 2022 at 4:15pm

I should have mentioned that I already have a Garmin inReach tracking my location via satellite, so being found isn't really my concern. For anyone who isn't already paying for that service, I totally agree with your assessment. 

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