ELT Remote Switch LED Remains Illuminated!

[Skywarrior]

Hello -

 

My plane's ELT's battery was switched out during annual last week. Now that little red light at the top of the cockpit ELT Remote Switch (above the CB panel) remains lit all the time.

 

My mech says that all he did was swap out the ELT battery. I'm wondering if maybe he should have turned the ELT unit (in the tailcone) switch to 'OFF' before he did the swap, then turned that switch back to 'ARM' when he was done.

 

Anybody else ever experience this?

 

 

Thanx,

Chuck M.

[Nathan Peterson]

Morning Chuck,

 

I was just going to do my ELT check this morning... pull the panel and check it out.  I'll get back with you.

 

Nate

[thinwing]

You need a new mechanic cause he placed switch from arm position to on position when he replaced unit after battery change.!Tune com radio to 122.5 and listen to the pretty music

[orionflt]

He messages me today, mechanic bent a pin reinstalling it.

Brian

[Piloto]

The VHF frequency is 121.5MHz for old ELTs and 406MHz for new ELTs. You may need a new battery since the red LED may had partially drained the battery.

 

José

[orionflt]

Thur remote has its own battery for powering the led.

Brian

[Steve W]

The VHF frequency is 121.5MHz for old ELTs and 406MHz for new ELTs.

You will still be able to tell a 406MHz is transmitting by listening on 121.5MHz with your aircraft radio, it has a much shorter range but produces the same sweep tone for identification and close-in location(most hand-held equipment for SAR still can only receive the 121.5 Signal).

[tony]

I think that is only true if your ELT is a combined TSO-C91A and C126.  That device would operate on all three frequencies.  If your ELT just transmits on 406 MHz, I don't think you'll be able to hear is on 121.5 with a good receiver.

[Steve W]

If you have a 406 then it has to have both frequencies in the US. 47CFR87.199 for ELT, 47CFR95.1402 for PLB and 47CFR80.1061 for EPIRB these are actually FCC requirements. I'm not presently aware of any good on-foot equipment for homing on 406. And honestly, even homing the 406 from the air is a bit of a pain in the neck since you always need specialized gear, whereas the 121.5 signal can be tracked by anyone with an airplane com receiver.

[tony]

I have never read title 47.  That was good information, thank you.

[JaredDavis]

There are some ELT's that are 406 only.

 

http://www.elt406.net/