ELT's read.

[[email protected]]

DISCONTINUANCE OF 121.5 & 243 MHz
FOR SATELLITE DISTRESS ALERTS
The Cospas-Sarsat Program has announced plans to terminate satellite
processing of distress signals from 121.5 and 243 MHz emergency beacons
on February 1, 2009. Users of the system will have to switch to
emergency beacons operating at 406 MHz, which are more reliable and
provide search and rescue agencies complete information that they need
to do their job, in order to be detected by satellites.

Reasons for the Cospas-Sarsat program to discontinue use are driven by
guidance from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These two agencies
are responsible for regulating the safety of ships and aircraft on
international transits and handle international standards for maritime
and aeronautical search and rescue missions. In addition, 121.5 MHz
false alerts inundate search and rescue resources which impact the
effectiveness of lifesaving services.

Individuals who plan on buying a new distress beacon may wish to take
the Cospas-Sarsat decision into account. For further information please
see www.sarsat.noaa.gov.

[M B]

This is a translation for those who don't interpret
gobbledygook well:

The guys who watch 121.5 aren't going to do it any
more three years from now. If you have an aircraft
ELT, it must be the kind that give the exact point
of impact. These new 406MHz ELTs send the exact GPS
point of impact.

The folks who do search and rescue want this change.
The old ELTs took a long time to find, and needed
special radios to steer to the signal. The old ELTs
also did not tell which exact aircraft they were attached
to. Rescuers think spending a long time and doing
a lot of special radio training costs too much. Instead,
it is better if aircraft owners pay more for modern
ELTs. Also, very, very few aircraft ELT alerts are
of any use for rescue. In almost every case, the people
are either 1) dead by the time they are found,
2) able to find help some other way (cell phone, people
running up, handheld radio), or
3) are well enough to walk away on their own.

Many rescuers say that after ten years and thousands
of ELT alerts, they have found only false alarms or
dead people. This costs a lot of money.

Think before you buy a 121.5 ELT and install it. You
might want to wait until the 406MHz units are more
common. Then the price may be lower because everyone
has to buy them. GPS makers like Garmin might sell
cheap 406MHz ELTs.

Install one of these obsolete 121.5 ELTs just for 3
years of contests. Or buy and install a 406MHz ELT.
If you can't afford it, then you can't fly in a contest.
Even Sport's class over flat terrain in a 1-26 within
10 miles requires an ELT. That's the rule in USA contests.

>DISCONTINUANCE OF 121.5 & 243 MHz
>FOR SATELLITE DISTRESS ALERTS
>The Cospas-Sarsat Program has announced plans to terminate
>satellite
>processing of distress signals from 121.5 and 243 MHz
>emergency beacons
>on February 1, 2009. Users of the system will have
>to switch to
>emergency beacons operating at 406 MHz, which are more
>reliable and
>provide search and rescue agencies complete information
>that they need
>to do their job, in order to be detected by satellites.
>
>Reasons for the Cospas-Sarsat program to discontinue
>use are driven by
>guidance from the International Maritime Organization
>(IMO) and the
>International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These
>two agencies
>are responsible for regulating the safety of ships
>and aircraft on
>international transits and handle international standards
>for maritime
>and aeronautical search and rescue missions. In addition,
>121.5 MHz
>false alerts inundate search and rescue resources which
>impact the
>effectiveness of lifesaving services.
>
>Individuals who plan on buying a new distress beacon
>may wish to take
>the Cospas-Sarsat decision into account. For further
>information please
>see www.sarsat.noaa.gov.
>
>
Mark J. Boyd

[basils27]

Fly your contest in the UK (the land of the free). We don't have such silly
rules.

Basil

"M B" > wrote in message
...
> This is a translation for those who don't interpret
> gobbledygook well:
>
> The guys who watch 121.5 aren't going to do it any
> more three years from now. If you have an aircraft
> ELT, it must be the kind that give the exact point
> of impact. These new 406MHz ELTs send the exact GPS
> point of impact.
>
> The folks who do search and rescue want this change.
> The old ELTs took a long time to find, and needed
> special radios to steer to the signal. The old ELTs
> also did not tell which exact aircraft they were attached
> to. Rescuers think spending a long time and doing
> a lot of special radio training costs too much. Instead,
> it is better if aircraft owners pay more for modern
> ELTs. Also, very, very few aircraft ELT alerts are
> of any use for rescue. In almost every case, the people
> are either 1) dead by the time they are found,
> 2) able to find help some other way (cell phone, people
> running up, handheld radio), or
> 3) are well enough to walk away on their own.
>
> Many rescuers say that after ten years and thousands
> of ELT alerts, they have found only false alarms or
> dead people. This costs a lot of money.
>
> Think before you buy a 121.5 ELT and install it. You
> might want to wait until the 406MHz units are more
> common. Then the price may be lower because everyone
> has to buy them. GPS makers like Garmin might sell
> cheap 406MHz ELTs.
>
> Install one of these obsolete 121.5 ELTs just for 3
> years of contests. Or buy and install a 406MHz ELT.
> If you can't afford it, then you can't fly in a contest.
> Even Sport's class over flat terrain in a 1-26 within
> 10 miles requires an ELT. That's the rule in USA contests.
>
>>DISCONTINUANCE OF 121.5 & 243 MHz
>>FOR SATELLITE DISTRESS ALERTS
>>The Cospas-Sarsat Program has announced plans to terminate
>>satellite
>>processing of distress signals from 121.5 and 243 MHz
>>emergency beacons
>>on February 1, 2009. Users of the system will have
>>to switch to
>>emergency beacons operating at 406 MHz, which are more
>>reliable and
>>provide search and rescue agencies complete information
>>that they need
>>to do their job, in order to be detected by satellites.
>>
>>Reasons for the Cospas-Sarsat program to discontinue
>>use are driven by
>>guidance from the International Maritime Organization
>>(IMO) and the
>>International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These
>>two agencies
>>are responsible for regulating the safety of ships
>>and aircraft on
>>international transits and handle international standards
>>for maritime
>>and aeronautical search and rescue missions. In addition,
>>121.5 MHz
>>false alerts inundate search and rescue resources which
>>impact the
>>effectiveness of lifesaving services.
>>
>>Individuals who plan on buying a new distress beacon
>>may wish to take
>>the Cospas-Sarsat decision into account. For further
>>information please
>>see www.sarsat.noaa.gov.
>>
>>
> Mark J. Boyd
>
>

[Don Johnstone]

It should also be noted that this switch off only effects
the USA. The rest of the world could, if we felt the
need to use ELTs, continue with the old frequencies.
That's progress?

At 20:24 05 September 2005, Basils27 wrote:
>Fly your contest in the UK (the land of the free).
> We don't have such silly
>rules.
>
>Basil
>
>'M B' wrote in message
...
>> This is a translation for those who don't interpret
>> gobbledygook well:
>>
>> The guys who watch 121.5 aren't going to do it any
>> more three years from now. If you have an aircraft
>> ELT, it must be the kind that give the exact point
>> of impact. These new 406MHz ELTs send the exact GPS
>> point of impact.
>>
>> The folks who do search and rescue want this change.
>> The old ELTs took a long time to find, and needed
>> special radios to steer to the signal. The old ELTs
>> also did not tell which exact aircraft they were attached
>> to. Rescuers think spending a long time and doing
>> a lot of special radio training costs too much. Instead,
>> it is better if aircraft owners pay more for modern
>> ELTs. Also, very, very few aircraft ELT alerts are
>> of any use for rescue. In almost every case, the
>>people
>> are either 1) dead by the time they are found,
>> 2) able to find help some other way (cell phone,
>>people
>> running up, handheld radio), or
>> 3) are well enough to walk away on their own.
>>
>> Many rescuers say that after ten years and thousands
>> of ELT alerts, they have found only false alarms or
>> dead people. This costs a lot of money.
>>
>> Think before you buy a 121.5 ELT and install it.
>>You
>> might want to wait until the 406MHz units are more
>> common. Then the price may be lower because everyone
>> has to buy them. GPS makers like Garmin might sell
>> cheap 406MHz ELTs.
>>
>> Install one of these obsolete 121.5 ELTs just for
>>3
>> years of contests. Or buy and install a 406MHz ELT.
>> If you can't afford it, then you can't fly in a contest.
>> Even Sport's class over flat terrain in a 1-26 within
>> 10 miles requires an ELT. That's the rule in USA
>>contests.
>>
>>>DISCONTINUANCE OF 121.5 & 243 MHz
>>>FOR SATELLITE DISTRESS ALERTS
>>>The Cospas-Sarsat Program has announced plans to terminate
>>>satellite
>>>processing of distress signals from 121.5 and 243 MHz
>>>emergency beacons
>>>on February 1, 2009. Users of the system will have
>>>to switch to
>>>emergency beacons operating at 406 MHz, which are more
>>>reliable and
>>>provide search and rescue agencies complete information
>>>that they need
>>>to do their job, in order to be detected by satellites.
>>>
>>>Reasons for the Cospas-Sarsat program to discontinue
>>>use are driven by
>>>guidance from the International Maritime Organization
>>>(IMO) and the
>>>International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These
>>>two agencies
>>>are responsible for regulating the safety of ships
>>>and aircraft on
>>>international transits and handle international standards
>>>for maritime
>>>and aeronautical search and rescue missions. In addition,
>>>121.5 MHz
>>>false alerts inundate search and rescue resources which
>>>impact the
>>>effectiveness of lifesaving services.
>>>
>>>Individuals who plan on buying a new distress beacon
>>>may wish to take
>>>the Cospas-Sarsat decision into account. For further
>>>information please
>>>see www.sarsat.noaa.gov.
>>>
>>>
>> Mark J. Boyd
>>
>>
>
>
>

[2cernauta2]

Don Johnstone > wrote:

>It should also be noted that this switch off only effects
>the USA. The rest of the world could, if we felt the
>need to use ELTs, continue with the old frequencies.
>That's progress?

As I understand it, the old frequencies will still be listened to, in
the search of an aircraft that is known to be missing and equipped.
The difference from the current period is that an old ELT will NOT
trigger an SAR alarm by itself. Somehow the SAR services will first
have to be alerted by someone reporting a missing plane.

A friend of mine has already owned a 406MHz ELT since 2000. He's now
facing the programmed Li-ion battery renewal. He's going to spend over
400 USD (certification of the battery, and of the workshop, plus
shipping). DIY and cheaper spares not available.

Aldo Cernezzi

[[email protected]]

I want to point out, for the second time this summer, that the
Cometition Rules Committee made this requirement- All sailplanes
participating in SSA sanctioned contests from 2006 on, will be required
to have ELT's... This is not the exact wording of the rule but you can
check out the rules for yourself. This rule was made when well over a
half of the respondents to the annual survey said they did not want
this requirement added. Go figure! And please John G. don't tell us
again how this has been a lifesaving tool at contests and how important
it is to know where the crash is for the family's sake. We have gone
years with out this and the instances where it was of any benefit, if I
remember correctly, can be counted on just a few fingers and I don't
remeber if any lives were saved.

Tom Dixon
Idaho
2cernauta2 wrote:
> Don Johnstone > wrote:
>
> >It should also be noted that this switch off only effects
> >the USA. The rest of the world could, if we felt the
> >need to use ELTs, continue with the old frequencies.
> >That's progress?
>
> As I understand it, the old frequencies will still be listened to, in
> the search of an aircraft that is known to be missing and equipped.
> The difference from the current period is that an old ELT will NOT
> trigger an SAR alarm by itself. Somehow the SAR services will first
> have to be alerted by someone reporting a missing plane.
>
> A friend of mine has already owned a 406MHz ELT since 2000. He's now
> facing the programmed Li-ion battery renewal. He's going to spend over
> 400 USD (certification of the battery, and of the workshop, plus
> shipping). DIY and cheaper spares not available.
>
> Aldo Cernezzi

[Eric Greenwell]

Don Johnstone wrote:

> It should also be noted that this switch off only effects
> the USA. The rest of the world could, if we felt the
> need to use ELTs, continue with the old frequencies.
> That's progress?

My understanding is the 121.5 mhz ELT monitoring change was
international. Are you saying the rest of the world will be using
something besides the Cospas-Sarsat satellites to monitor ELT's?

This is part of what was posted previously:

> Reasons for the Cospas-Sarsat program to discontinue use are driven by
> guidance from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the
> International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

These sound like international organizations, not USA agencies.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA