Ameri-King Corporation loses TSO for ELT AK-450 and AK-451

I've ordered and received my ACK-04, started the install and stopped before I got to far into it to search a couple options. First, to remove the old tray the ELT sat in requires you to get under the floor board since there are nuts on the four screws which requires a new inspection hole to be cut. The second is the antenna, when I asked the local shop that does lots of work on fabric planes they said there needs to be a larger grounding plate installed I didn't see anything of the sort in the instructions. Have anyone of you all ran into similar issues?
 
Reviving an old thread, trying to get the annual finished up on the 8KCAB I brought home last fall and it's got an Ameri-King ELT, AK-450. Going to see what the steps are to comply with the AD but what's the latest on ELT's under $1000?

Thanks!
 
It is time to do away with these things and use the better technology now available. Opinion.
 
IPhone? Spot? Not only do they pinpoint your location, but also they leave a track so they can find your ashes if the ELT burns up. I just know there are others - ADS-B?
Do airliners have ELTs?
 
As far as I remember, there are only 2 options for sub $1k ELTs. Artex and ACK. We've had more problems with ACK. I'd recommend Artex.

Airlines do have ELTs....

The one thing an ELT does better is automatic transmission upon impact. Kinda the point.

SPOT has signal holes, especially in the higher latitudes. It's spotty in AK. Garmin inreach is much better.
 
Tangogawd said:
The one thing an ELT does better is automatic transmission upon impact. Kinda the point.

SPOT has signal holes, especially in the higher latitudes. It's spotty in AK. Garmin inreach is much better.
Click to expand...

Just don’t crash on the north side of a slope up here. The 121.5/243 beacon still works but the 406mhz satellite signal hasn’t worked with the low on the horizon receiving satellites on several occasions. I still like having the automatic option in action to the Inreach.
 
it seems my AK-450 is clicking on but not transmitting anything. My IA friend wants to take a look at it himself next week but are there any shops that will still work on these?

Thanks,
Bart
 
This is from AOPA, copied here for educational purposes and as an excerpt:

In 2017, there were 8,898 406 MHz ELT activations in the AFRCC area of responsibility and about 98% of those alerts were false alarms. Just 122 of the alerts in 2017 were actual distress cases. For each false alert, AFRCC specialists put in considerable research and manhours to track down the ELT and owner. Each activation is treated as an emergency so each false alert is a distraction and negatively affects other search and rescue missions. About 90% of false alerts occur because of beacon mishandling during the testing and maintenance of these systems.

AOPA also made a point of the total inadequacy of the 121.5/243 MHz units. Sure sounds like an iPhone would be better. And the rate of activation upon crash was said to be 80-some percent (from some other source I cannot now find).

Here's the source. Seems they might be leaning toward my opinion about a better solution.
 
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