Posts Tagged ‘Emergency Locator Transmitter’
GME is offering it’s popular Accusat Personal Locator Beacon on sale for a short time. The Accusat is one of the pioneer personal locator beacons. GME introduced was the first to introduce the strobe light built into their PLB as well as a unit that floats. AT only 8 ounces, this is one of the lightest personal locator beacons available.
If you haven’t purchased an aviation ELT in the past few years, you’re definitely behind the times. At the beginning of 2009, the switch was officially made from 121.5 to 406 MHz transmissions. This means that many older ELT units are quite antiquated and may very well be worthless in the event of a crash.
Luckily, new ELT units are relatively inexpensive and most operate on both the 121.5 and 406 MHz frequencies. So even if you venture to a region where 121.5 MHz is still in use, you’ll be covered. An ELT can save your life in the event of a crash, and there is really no excuse for having one with you every time you take off.
With the economy in the tank and the Fed showing signs of doubt about the recovery, we’re all looking to save money. But when you’re searching for bargains, it’s important to know when to cut corners. Opting for the generic brand cereal probably isn’t too risky, but when it comes to your ELT, you want a trusted product from a quality manufacturer. One of the most highly touted units on the market today is the Artex ME406.
This single-output ELT transmits signals on both the 121.5 and 406 MHz frequencies, ensuring the authorities can locate you quickly and easily in the event of an emergency. In the event of a crash, the ELT automatically activates, so even if you’re injured and can’t reach the unit, you can rest assured it’s doing its job. And with a five-year battery life, you won’t have to worry about the Artex ME406 going out on you.
ACK Emergency Locator Transmitter Approval Coming Soon!
The new ACK E-04 emergency locator transmitter is at the final stage of getting approval from authorities so it can be sold. The E-04 is the cheapest emergency locator transmitter available. In some cases, it is half the cost of other makes of ELTs. The ACK E-04 is a kit that comes complete with everything needed for installation. ELT, remote switch, buzzer, mounting hardware, coax cable, remote wiring, antenna. This is sure to be a HUGE seller as soon as it is approved.
In recent years 406 MHz beacons have become the benchmark in aviation safety. During extensive testing of this technology, the Equipped To Survive Foundation found that the increased MHz technology was effective in “real-world” scenarios. Locators that utilize the equipment can locate satellites with unparalleled accuracy and consistency.
Every 406 MHz ELT is equipped with its own unique digital code, which satellites use to identify your position with an error of two kilometers or less. This is ten times more precise than previous ELT units were. As can be imagined, this has reduced the average time to find an aircraft from 10-15 hours to just four hours.
Personal locator beacons used to be a sizable investment, but thanks to recent innovations, the technology is more affordable than ever. Not only has the price of these products plummeted, but the technology has advanced as well and the devices are more compact and convenient than ever. One of the top units on the market today is the Kannad XS-4.
This premium locator transmitter has a built-in GPS, is waterproof and is the same size as a typical cell phone. Whether you are stranded on a deserted island or in the middle of a buzzing metropolis, this device has the capability of pinpointing your location and notifying rescue services of your whereabouts. You may think that this sort of technology carries an exorbitant price tag, but you can find units for less than $300 and don’t require a subscription.
State-of-the-Art Locator Beacon Technology
It is always necessary to anticipate worst-case scenarios and plan accordingly, no matter how troubling or upsetting it may be. When it comes to flying an aircraft, crashing in a remote location is about as bad as it gets. While it may seem like an effort in futility to plan for this circumstance, there are measures that can be taken to make you and your aircraft easier to locate.
A personal locator beacon will send out a signal that alerts rescue crews to your whereabouts, but its features don’t stop there. Premium models, such as the ACR SARLink, not only send a distress signal; they also inform the authorities who you are. In addition, many are outfitted with GPS technology and the ability to send distress messages.
Since 1971, Artex has been an industry leader in equipment and supplies for aircrafts. When the company first started, it simply made batteries to power other company’s ELT units. Over the last thirty years, the company has established itself as a leader in Artex ELT and lithium battery technologies.
In the last ten years, Artex has developed a rash of new ELT technologies. The ME406 Series was the smallest and least expensive unit available when it hit the market in 2005. This allowed private pilots the ability to purchase their own units and carry it with them on solo flights.
Aviation safety has been a hot-button issue in recent weeks following the thwarted Christmas Day bombing. It seems like everyday new measures are being proposed to eliminate the impending threat of terrorism and plane takeovers. One of the most controversial of these tactics is utilizing new full-body scanners.
These devices would give security personnel a computerized image of a passenger via an x-ray. The image would be digitized to provide some confidentiality, but they still leave nothing to the imagination. Despite new measures designed to frustrate terrorists, there will likely be new innovations and tactics employed to circumvent any security upgrades.
Over the last few days there has been a concerted effort in Oregon to find a group of three hikers that has gone missing on Mount Hood. The hikers did not have an ACR personal locator beacon or other device to alert rescue teams to their whereabouts. Adverse weather conditions have severely limited the amount of rescue workers and aid that has been accessible to the area, with a whiteout completely eliminating the search efforts on Tuesday.
Searchers found the body of one of the climbers at an elevation of 9,000 feet. The preliminary autopsy showed that he had fallen and incurred minor injuries before hypothermia set in. As the weather worsens and rescue attempts become for restricted, the prospects of findings the two remaining hikers is dwindling.