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ELT battery source?

Mconner7

Mconner7

Well Known Member
My ACK E04 battery is due for its 5 year throw away. Prices seem all over the place, anyone know a good discount source?
 
Before you order one make sure it hasn’t been sitting on the shelf. I got one replacement from a well know supplier that was already over a year into its five year life date. Buyer beware!
 
Good point by Tankerpilot.....

if manufacture date is stale, send it back. The manufacture and distributors tend to make / stock them as needed.

I see all distributors backorder these batteries. I suspect that is the "just in time" stocking of this time limited part. They may make a few to "stock" but every distributor seems to back order them. I noticed Gulf Coast, WAG backordered. Spruce is high volume and shows in stock.

I suspect ACK waits to get enough orders, ACK makes a batch and sends them out. Then there is shipping + tax. Sometime shipping can be higher from one to another distributor.

Who is best? I go by price. They all typically sell within $10 of each, from $265 to $275. However Wag Aero @ $253 was lowest I saw.

These are the ACK distributors:
http://www.ackavionics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DISTRIBUTORS-LIST.pdf

PS: Battery age. Who knows what age the cells are that ACK uses to make their Bat Pak. I am sure they have regulation for manufacturing this part. Do they make them and let them sit, slapping a date on it before shipping? Li-Ion's are long lived, but what matters is date stamped on the ppw. I don't think a 6 yr old Li-Ion battery pack is "bad" just not allowed by Regs. I have some 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion cells for flashlights that get used 6 yrs old still holding charge very nicely.
 
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Replacing the cells?

So ACK says the battery is not FAA legal if it is opened, they don’t want someone replacing the cells. Since we are EAB can we change the batteries cells ourselves?
 
Mconner7 said:
So ACK says the battery is not FAA legal if it is opened, they don’t want someone replacing the cells. Since we are EAB can we change the batteries cells ourselves?
Click to expand...

The short answer is also a very emphatic answer. No, one cannot cobble together an ELT battery. ONLY the OEM part is certified as part of the TSO and the ELT must be maintained in accordance with its TSO. There is zero leeway on this point.
 
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