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ELTs: 121.5-only units no longer legal for sale, no longer being certified

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Vigilant1

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This may be common knowledge, but I didn't get the memo. According to an article in Aviation Consumer, the FCC (not the FAA), as of Feb 2019 has issued a rule that prohibits the manufacture, importation, sale and certification of the old 121.5 Mhz ELTs. The old 121.5 beacons are still legal for use, but the article indicates we shouldn't expect much in the way of service, repairs, or even batteries for the old units (I'm happy that mine can use the Mfgr-specified D-cells!)

Obviously, the new 406MHZ ELT are a lot more capable (and their signals will be received by the
COSPAS-SARSAT satellites and will result in a SAR response, something the old 121.5 beacon won't do).

I'll probably stick with my old ELT for now. I might feel differently if I planned flights over vast tracts of wilderness. The new 403MHz models start at $500 and go much higher. The proprietary lithium batteries they take are sometimes surprisingly expensive (hundreds of dollars), and some units require more than one battery.

IMO, personal locator beacons (PLBs) seem like a comparatively good value, especially for anyone who doesn't upgrade their ELT right now. They are small, weigh about 4-6 oz and can go in your vest or a coat pocket. Priced starting at about $250, their 406MHz signal will be received by the satellites and will start SAR actions (just like an ELT). The battery is built in, generally good for 7-9 years, so these things amortize out to about $30 per year. The units also include a 121.5 beacon (for the final homing signal used by SAR personnel), and most include a GPS that sends your location with the 406MHZ burst to the satellite (along with your name and other info you provide when you register the unit). This GPS location is more precise than the location the satellites can determine using just the 406MHz beacon signal. In this way respect, the PLBs are superior to the sub-$1000 406 MHZ aircraft ELTs that do not have their own internal GPS unit (they can be hooked up to your aircraft nav system--if you have an onboard nav system). Many of the PLBs have an LED beacon as well. You can take the PLB with you if you need to leave the crash site, and you can have it with you in a rental plane that might still only have the old 121.5 ELT, etc. Some even allow messages to be sent. The two obvious negatives for the PLB: You need to be conscious to activate it and it doesn't take the place of an aircraft ELT as far as the FAA is concerned.
 
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