The ARTEX ELT 345 and why upgrade from a 121.5 MHz ELT to a 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter

Learn why upgrading your aircraft's Emergency Locator Transmitters from older 121.5 MHz only models increases your odds of survival in an aviation.
No aircraft should be flying around with legacy 121.5 ELTs onboard for a few very good reasons.
First, lets look at the economics of the issue. The FAA has new regulations out that ELT Manufactures are not allowed to make, import, or sell 121.5 MHz ELTs, and when batteries and parts are no longer available for that legacy ELT, owners will then need to upgrade to a 406 MHz ELT. Additionally, the cost for replacement batteries for older 121 ELTs which typically have a 2 year replacement cycle are expensive. Newer 406 MHz ELTs have become a lot more economical over the past few years, additionally they have a minimum of 5 years on the battery pack, so they are actually more affordable once you make the switch, not to mention older 121 ELTs do not actually notify anyone of your emergency anymore.
121.5 MHz Emergency Locator Tranmitters (ELT) are not satellite detectable anymore, only 406 MHz ELTs will notify Search and Rescue of your emergency. Cospas-Sarsat, who are the authority that monitors for ELT transmission, stopped monitoring 121.5 MHz distress signals in 2009. Hence, any 121.5 ELT that is activated in a genuine emergency is unlikely to bring the search and rescue authorities that might be needed. 406 MHz ELTs are registered directly to the aircraft owner and if a 406 MHz signal is detected, one of the first steps is to validate the activation. The rescue coordination centers (RCC) will try to contact the registered owner or their alternate contacts to verify if it is indeed an emergency. This active response provides a faster response rate, while eliminating false-alarms that could otherwise tie-up resources that could be needed in another emergency.
So, make the switch to 406 MHz ELTs. Learn more at ARTEX.com