Have you registered your 406 ELT?

[Jim_R]

Maybe I'm the only one who never came straight home from the avionics shop and registered my brand new ELT, but I'm confessing here in case it helps someone else.

I spent a lot of money to have my panel overhauled two years ago. While the plane was in pieces, I also had my 121.5 ELT swapped out for a 406.

When I got my plane back from the shop, I was not told anything about registering my new ELT. It was probably well over a year before I stumbled across something that made me realize, "Wait...what? I'm supposed to register my ELT?!?!" Once I figured out how to do that, I went looking through my paperwork, and the 15-digit beacon code I needed from my unit was not in any of my documentation.

I kept meaning to take a photo of my ELT label to get that code "the next time I get out to the plane", but of course I kept forgetting to do that. Finally, one day I remembered to snap a photo, got home, logged into the ELT registration site, and then realized the clamp that secured my ELT obscured the last few digits of the beacon code. Arrgh!!!

More weeks went by. Finally, today I found myself with no agenda, and decided to make a special trip out to the hangar just to get the beacon code. I finally just now finished registering my ELT...almost 2 years after it was first installed.

Have you registered yours?

 

[kgruber]

Every two years!

 

[MtnMarcus]

Yeah when I bought my 182 I had no idea I was supposed to register and didn't know till my mechanic asked about it at the first annual.

 

[James331]

Haven't done the ACK 121 to 406 swap YET, but I do have a GPS 406 EPIRB, same process, did it the day I got it.

That said, lots of shops just swap the bolt, cash the check and seeeeyah, sad but true.

 

[Ghery]

I'm not responsible for maintenance of the club planes, but my portable ELT certainly is registered.

 

[bkspero]

Did it first with my 406 PLB and then again when my 406 ELT was installed. No mention from the shop, but it is called out in the user guides of both. Have renewed the PLB once, so far. ELT has another 18 months or so.

 

[SkyDog58]

From NOAA's website:


If you purchase a new or used U.S. coded 406 MHz beacon you MUST register it with NOAA as required by law. If you change any information on your registration (such as phone number, address, bought a new boat, etc.) you MUST update the 406 MHz beacon registration with NOAA. Also, if you sell your 406 MHz beacon, notify NOAA that you have done so, inform the buyer that they must register the beacon for themselves. Otherwise, you may be contacted by rescue authorities if it is activated! Please provide the new owner our phone number or this web page so they can register the beacon.

 

[arnoha]

Haven't swapped for 406 yet in the plane, but purchased a 406 PLB for my trip to Idaho over Christmas. Registration was, surprisingly, really easy. The label for the device arrived exactly when they said it would. Go figure: a government website that was easy to use, bug-free, and did exactly what it advertised. Unicorns do exist!

 

[Jim_R]

Registration was, surprisingly, really easy. The label for the device arrived exactly when they said it would. Go figure: a government website that was easy to use, bug-free, and did exactly what it advertised. Unicorns do exist!

 

[Jay Honeck]

Thanks for the reminder. My 406 mhz PLB was supposed to be re-registered months ago, but (of course) their website was down the day I tried to do it.

Tossed that paperwork aside and forgot all about it...