Use of 121.5 ELTs to be illegal in U.S. in about 60 days.

Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of 121.5
MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...998&TYP E=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it can
be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners of
"older" equipment.

Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of
121.5 MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is
prohibited."

More news of that type just in:

"People of Earth, your attention, please. This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of
the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. As you will no doubt be aware,
the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the
building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system. And
regrettably, your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The
process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you."

....

"There's no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and
demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in
Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to
lodge any formal complaint and it's far too late to start making a fuss
about it now. ... What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh,
for heaven’s sake, mankind, it's only four light years away, you know. I’m
sorry, but if you can't be bothered to take an interest in local affairs,
that's your own lookout. Energise the demolition beams."

....

"I don't know, apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at all."

Jim Logajan wrote:
/snip/
the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the
building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system. And
regrettably, your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The
process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you."
/snip/

Above all: Don't panic.

Brian W

Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of 121.5
MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...998&TYP E=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it can
be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners of
"older" equipment.

The basis for banning the sale of ordinary 121.5 ELTs (one exception) is
that there is no sattelite facility to listen on this frequency and
(apparently) the uch better success rate of locating 406.0 406.1 ELTs.

It seems evident that any ELT which can offer an emission which is
listened for (on 406.0/ 406.1) will be encouraged.

Brian W

brian whatcott wrote:
Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of
121.5 MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is
prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...E=47&PART=87&S
ECTION=195&YEAR=1998&TYPE=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it
can be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners
of "older" equipment.

The basis for banning the sale of ordinary 121.5 ELTs (one exception)
is that there is no sattelite facility to listen on this frequency and
(apparently) the uch better success rate of locating 406.0 406.1 ELTs.

They didn't just ban the sale, they have also banned all "use." I quoted
the regulation in its (brief) entirety. The one "exception" appears to
exist as an official interpretation.

(Satellites were never the only entities that listened for 121.5 ELT
transmissions anyway.)

It seems evident that any ELT which can offer an emission which is
listened for (on 406.0/ 406.1) will be encouraged.

The regulation doesn't encourage 406, it mandates it. By August 15.

On Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:52:32 -0500, Jim Logajan
wrote:

brian whatcott wrote:
Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of
121.5 MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is
prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...E=47&PART=87&S
ECTION=195&YEAR=1998&TYPE=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it
can be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners
of "older" equipment.

The basis for banning the sale of ordinary 121.5 ELTs (one exception)
is that there is no sattelite facility to listen on this frequency and
(apparently) the uch better success rate of locating 406.0 406.1 ELTs.

They didn't just ban the sale, they have also banned all "use." I quoted
the regulation in its (brief) entirety. The one "exception" appears to
exist as an official interpretation.

(Satellites were never the only entities that listened for 121.5 ELT
transmissions anyway.)

It seems evident that any ELT which can offer an emission which is
listened for (on 406.0/ 406.1) will be encouraged.

The regulation doesn't encourage 406, it mandates it. By August 15.

Jim
I dont know why you object so strongly. the new 406 machines are
encoded so that the rescue people can look up who's elt has gone off.
this allows a phone call to find out if the elt is in expected use or
just tipped over in the hangar.
the elt also sends the gps coords so the rescue effort isnt fly to an
area and do a hit and miss grid search, which may take ages, it is to
fly directly to the accident scene.

the reason why 121.5 elt's are banned is that the receivers are still
actually in place and the sar people cant tell if they are just a
nuisance from a thrown out unit or someone desperately in need of
help. by banning their use the signals can then be ignored as
spurious.

Stealth Pilot

Stealth Pilot wrote:
I dont know why you object so strongly. the new 406 machines are
encoded so that the rescue people can look up who's elt has gone off.

The issue isn't with regard to technical aspects of 406.0/.1 vs 121.5, but
that the grace period between the required-by date and announcement date is
so short. It seems probable there simply wouldn't be enough 406 ELTs on
hand in the U.S. to cover the short term demand, among other problems.

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:37:50 -0500, Jim Logajan
wrote:

Stealth Pilot wrote:
I dont know why you object so strongly. the new 406 machines are
encoded so that the rescue people can look up who's elt has gone off.

The issue isn't with regard to technical aspects of 406.0/.1 vs 121.5, but
that the grace period between the required-by date and announcement date is
so short. It seems probable there simply wouldn't be enough 406 ELTs on
hand in the U.S. to cover the short term demand, among other problems.

well Jim it happened just recently in Australia as well and the
manufacturers seemed to ramp up production of some beautiful units in
time for the demand.

I bought a superb GME brand MTS410 GPS version.
It cost more than my years flying but if needed in the middle of the
nullabor in summer heat it will pay for itself in an instant.

sometimes you guys just think too much.

Stealth (still no transponder) Pilot

On Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:55:16 -0500, brian whatcott
wrote:

Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of 121.5
MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...998&TYP E=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it can
be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners of
"older" equipment.

The basis for banning the sale of ordinary 121.5 ELTs (one exception) is
that there is no sattelite facility to listen on this frequency and
(apparently) the uch better success rate of locating 406.0 406.1 ELTs.

Hey, If the FAA doesn't care if I have a 121.5 ELT, neither do I.

Roger
It seems evident that any ELT which can offer an emission which is
listened for (on 406.0/ 406.1) will be encouraged.

Brian W

"Roger" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:55:16 -0500, brian whatcott
wrote:

Jim Logajan wrote:
Within 60 days of being published in the Federal Registry, use of 121.5
MHz ELTs will be forbidden by a re-write and re-title of
47 CFR section 87.195:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-103A1.pdf

"The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is
prohibited."

The original text of 47 CFR section 87.195 may be read he

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...998&TYP E=PDF

Two issues:
1) There are ELTs that support both 121.5 and 406 MHz, yet the
one-sentence regulation doesn't acknowledge their existence, so it can
be interpreted to mean their use too is prohibited.

2) There are going to be a lot of seriously annoyed and ****ed owners of
"older" equipment.

The basis for banning the sale of ordinary 121.5 ELTs (one exception) is
that there is no sattelite facility to listen on this frequency and
(apparently) the uch better success rate of locating 406.0 406.1 ELTs.

Hey, If the FAA doesn't care if I have a 121.5 ELT, neither do I.

Roger

Good point, Roger,

A similar discussion came up some time ago, at a live seminar rather than on
usenet, and the result was that the FAA had better uses for their time and
manpower than to enforce FCC rules. That was then and...

Deja vu is never exact and the use of cell phones (both then and now) would
generally work for the mutual convenience of both pilots and controllers
while alarms from parked aircraft and ELT use by back packers and cliff
climbers appear to have caused a lot of serious problems for various
agencies including FAA; so this could well be different--especially when
false alarms are involved.

Just my $0.02
Peter

It seems evident that any ELT which can offer an emission which is
listened for (on 406.0/ 406.1) will be encouraged.

Brian W