I've said it before, though I haven't done an extensive web search on
it,
There's gotta be an elt available that sends one short burst with your
exact GPS location to a satalite, instead of having the boy scouts try
to hunt down an AM signal with a directional antenna, while the
transmitter is operating continuosly draining those questionable D
cells that have been in the unit for...how long? Hokey Smokes! let's
get caught up with the '90's. It's crazy, flying along and having
center call you to ask if you hear an elt signal while you're at FL310
over the LA basin. Yeah, we hear it, so now what? If it were a gps
signal, center would know right away it's just a helicopter sitting in
the hanger an hour after a firm landing. A millisecond burst would
require very little power, and could encode position, aircraft type &
"N" number and whatever else. The signal only needs to be sent once,
and would save time, money, and lives. A hunter or hiker or pilot
could add a brief text message as well, to indicate urgancy.
Oh, one other thing, considering the cost of a gps & transmitter, it
should be affordable to anyone, maybe the price of a 'chute or less.
Why don't we all have these?
-Dan