Erp Research Paper

| Upgrading Your ELT | Upgrading from the 121.5 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) to the 406 MHz ELT | | | Alford Duncan | Embry Riddle Aeronautical University |

The purpose of this document it to provide a brief history of ELTs, the satellite system that monitors ELT deployment, a summary of how the ELT works, and how it’s installed. I will also attempt to show the benefits of upgrading your existing 121.5 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter to the newer and more efficient 406 MHz ELT. I also outline in general terms how to register a new 406 MHz ELT, and give a comparison of the two types of ELT systems (121.5 MHz and the 406 MHz). Finally I give you a brief summary of the regulations pertaining to the use of ELTs. |

A brief history
Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) aren’t new; they’ve been around since the 1960s. The technology however wasn’t sufficient for the requirements. It wasn’t until 1971 that the FAA issued its first TSO or Technical Standard Order (TSO-C91) pertaining to ELTs. A Technical Standard Order is a minimum performance standard for a specific item. In other words the FAA said; if you install an ELT in your aircraft it must meet a set criterion for operation. An example of the criteria would be G-loading,
COSPAS is a Russian acronym for Cosmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov or Space System for the Detection of Vessels in Distress. SARSAT is an acronym meaning “Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking” The first COSPAS-SARSAT satellite launch was in 1982 by the Soviet Union. Within a few days of the satellite stabilizing in orbit a 121.5 MHz signal was detected in Canada. The Canadian government launched a search and found a downed small aircraft in British Columbia, Canada with three survivors. The United States Launched its first satellite the following