406 ELT

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
So I've been shopping for a 406 ELT. I was dead set on the ACK E-04, then I talked to Chad at Avionics Source in Seattle. He said the ARTEX 345 ELT was a better choice. Same price range.

Comments please.
Thanks, Bill B
 
I had an Airtex installed a few years ago on the advice of my maintenance shop owner. He said it was a better unit for the price. No problems with ELT. I believe a 406Mhz ELT is required for ICAO flights.
 
ACK E-04 is installed in my new Cub. Easy connection to my Garmin outputs for GPS enabling. Best price. They all meet the same TSO. None meets it better than the others.
 
Stewartb said:
ACK E-04 is installed in my new Cub. Easy connection to my Garmin outputs for GPS enabling. Best price. They all meet the same TSO. None meets it better than the others.
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Talking with the sales rep for the ARTEX 345 he said it was a more modern ELT. GPS is embedded in the ELT no external connections. Smaller, lighter, better quality.

Every one I know has the ACK E-04. Shopping around, I will install a 406 before the end of the summer....
 
What did you expect a sales rep to say?

The manual is available online. RS232 GPS connection is the same with the Artex and ACK. It does not have built-in GPS. I bought and installed two Artex ME406s and still have one. I have no ill will toward Artex but I don't believe their 345 is a superior unit to the E-04. Any operating 406 is light years ahead of any 121.5 so just pick one and get on with the install.
 
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Biggest advantage to the e04 is it is more or less a drop in replacement for the e01. It uses the same harness, wiring, and switch. It does replace the antenna and would require a cable for connection to your GPS. It saves you some money on installation.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
drotto said:
Biggest advantage to the e04 is it is more or less a drop in replacement for the e01. It uses the same harness, wiring, and switch. It does replace the antenna and would require a cable for connection to your GPS. It saves you some money on installation.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
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Well I've got the old Narco ELT-10... So I'm looking for good replacement.. Anything I purchase is going to be far superior to what I currently have..:)
 
I've been flying with the ACK E-04 for a year. Like it a lot. fit in the same skid as my old original Narco it replaced. They are just up the street from my Av Shop, and that influenced my decision as my shop installs like 80% ACK's. Artex is good too.

If memory serves me.... The ACK is less expensive as it uses the panel GPS as the position source, and the Artex has an internal GPS source. Some people think this matters and others don't.
 
I think the big following for the E-04 is because ACK brought it to market at less than half what other 406s were costing. Artex ME406 was less functional and well over double the price. ACK drove prices down and that forced the other manufacturers to do something to keep up.
 
I put in a brand new E-04 last year, I'd buy another.

I know at least one avionics dealer that said "you'll never find an ACK in a jet", while true I don't need the more expensive antenna and connectors, and of course typically higher costs of replacement batteries.
 
subscribed. I need to get rid of my Narco as well.
 
Stewartb said:
What did you expect a sales rep to say?

The manual is available online. RS232 GPS connection is the same with the Artex and ACK. It does not have built-in GPS. I bought and installed two Artex ME406s and still have one. I have no ill will toward Artex but I don't believe their 345 is a superior unit to the E-04. Any operating 406 is light years ahead of any 121.5 so just pick one and get on with the install.
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I did some research a while back, it does have GPS and the signal is sent with the first emission.

from aircraft spruce:

The ARTEX ELT 345 is built to the industry’s most stringent quality management standards to ensure the ELT works the first time, every time. The ARTEX ELT 345 transmits on 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz frequencies while providing position accuracy thanks to the built-in GPS navigational interface. GPS data is embedded within the first emergency transmission and provides Search and Rescue personnel with the aircraft location, within 100 meters, in less than a minute.

it is my understanding that when you couple it with a GPS position source, it is far more accurate. we had a debate about this one about 6 months back :p
 
GPS enabling provides position with the first beacon burst. Is that important? I could be in some instances. There is no debate about that.

Read the Artex manual. It'll show where the pin locations are for connecting a separate GPS, just like ACK. If you want integrated GPS, which usually requires the addition of an external GPS antenna, look at Kannad and Emerging Lifesaving Technologies ELT units.
 
Stewartb said:
GPS enabling provides position with the first beacon burst. Is that important? I could be in some instances. There is no debate about that.

Read the Artex manual. It'll show where the pin locations are for connecting a separate GPS, just like ACK. If you want integrated GPS, which usually requires the addition of an external GPS antenna, look at Kannad and Emerging Lifesaving Technologies ELT units.
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I stand corrected. the navigation interface is build in, the navigation source isn't.

without GPS the position accuracy will be around 3 km, with GPS coupling, its close to 100 meters.

anyway, from aircraft spruce, both looks like same price, ACK from what I read needs 3 batteries to manage?
 
The RCC helicopter pilots I know say location accuracy of a straight 406 is about 10 meters assuming the beacon remained in broadcast mode for 30 minutes or more. Where enabling helps is when the plane burns, sinks, or the ELT is damaged. Most of us have GPS units that provide the data so linking it to the 406 beacon makes good sense.
 
Stewartb said:
Most of us have GPS units that provide the data so linking it to the 406 beacon makes good sense.
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Agreed. Lets talk battery replacement. Boy they sure are proud of the battery, 5 year for the ACK $170 and 6 year for the ARTEX $190.
 
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