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FAA acts on ELT Straps / 406Mhz on the Horizon?

I'm not surprised. I've always been leery about the use of Velcro for this purpose.
 
406 MHz ELT mandate on the horizon? There is no reference to this happening in the referenced article. Only the "hope" by a 406 MHz ELT manufacturer rep that the discussion on mandatory equipage gets a fresh look by the FAA.

I am not a marketing expert but it appears to me that a company that makes 406 MHz ELTs would not oppose efforts to force them on all US GA aircraft. That is just a wild guess with nothing to prove that it is true.
 
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bracket rating???

I assume that the ELT bracket should survive an instantaneous deceleration of about 40g.
seems to me that if the bracket is properly designed, the strap would only serve to keep the ELT in alignment so that the horns/tabs etc. on the bracket would take the force. My Ameri-King metal latch type strap would probably only last as long as my fire extinguisher clip in a tumbling type accident.
...of course, if you alter the position, angle, attachment of the bracket, then all bets are off....the thing IS going to hit you in the back of the head after hitting the brakes while taxiing! :)
I agree the this has nothing to do with the frequency or type of ELT; just sounds like an opportunistic response to sell a new product!
 
This is a silly move on the FAA's part. A 2" square of velcro can support 175lb if seated properly. If you sandwich the velcro strap it can be made exponentially stronger. The solution should be to change the design of the strap rather than ban velcro altogether. It would also be advisable to beef up the connector between the antenna wire and the ELT. Mine is a small cannon plug that is not very strong and has no strain relief.
 
This is a silly move on the FAA's part. A 2" square of velcro can support 175lb if seated properly. If you sandwich the velcro strap it can be made exponentially stronger. The solution should be to change the design of the strap rather than ban velcro altogether. It would also be advisable to beef up the connector between the antenna wire and the ELT. Mine is a small cannon plug that is not very strong and has no strain relief.

Have you ever seen 10-year old Velcro? If it gets any sunlight, it loses a lot of its holding power. Even without sunlight hitting it, it loses its hold after opening and closing it enough time. Velcro does not last as long as steel straps.
 
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I guess I'm just not quite as anti-regulation as many folks, the move to velcro was a done for one reason, so manufacturers could save $$$. I love velcro as much as the next guy and its certainly very useful stuff, but I'm not sure I want it securing a potentially lifesaving device.

I also love technology, so as far as the 406 question, why would I not want to spend a little bit extra for a much better unit? The difference in cost between the old 121.5 and the new 406 (for the AK units) is $390. Personally, I think the latest technology of the new 406 offers a much better "value" and vastly improves the chances of being quickly located in the event of an accident.
 
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Have you ever seen 10-year old Velcro? If it gets any sunlight, it loses a lot of its holding power. Even without sunlight hitting it, it loses its hold after opening and closing it enough time. Velcro does not last as long as steel straps.

I am very familiar with the way textiles like Velcro age through use and exposure and if used correctly there is ample strength to do the job of securing an ELT to its bracket, which if designed correctly should take the brunt of the force in a crash. I regularly trust my life to a rare 20 year old Velcro closed parachute system without worry that the Velcro will fail.

I think the bigger issue is reinforcing the connection between the external antenna and the ELT. The connector on my ELT is fragile and sticks out of the front of the box in such a way that it could easily be snagged or smashed off by debris.
 
Potentially life saving device? One area I decided NOT to try and save money. No Velcro here....

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As I understand it the problem was the Ted Stevens crash in Alaska where the ELT broke lose and broke the connector on the ELT. A simple solution would be to move the electrical connections to the rear of the unit.
Oops sorry That involves re design of the unit and that costs some extra $$$
 
"The NTSB did not determine if that separation was the result of improper mounting or other factors."

If thats the case, why are they blaming the velcro strap.
 
If the aircraft user wants to be found in the case of an event, use Spot, APRS or equivalent.
 
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