This is a great product. Very easy to upgrade from 121.5 to 406. HOWEVER, this is old inventory that I received! Unit comes with a 5-year battery installed, and my unit was manufactured over one year ago, so I will only get 4 years of service out of this battery before I have to replace it. Booo!

Northside A Verified Purchase

ACK E-04R 406 ELT Retrofit Kit From E-01 With Whip Antenna USA

QUALITY PRODUCT. EASY TO INSTALL.

William J Verified Purchase

ACK E-04R 406 ELT Retrofit Kit From E-01 With Whip Antenna USA

Lithium batteries not readily available in Alta, WY. Ordered through Amazon

Ken K Verified Purchase

ACK E-04R 406 ELT Retrofit Kit From E-01 With Whip Antenna USA

Ive installed 5 of these units so far over a few years. Units pass 91.207 inspections without problem. Installation is relatively simple although care must be taken to ensure proper battery polarity in the buzzer and RCPI. Wish the phone cable was a bit longer for installations in 172s but this can be worked around. Overall, the E-04 is my 406MHz ELT of choice.

Its an ELT that emits a signal just like all the rest. Compact size, easy to install, easy to test, easy to register and easy to buy. Im glad Spruce sells these A few negative comments focus on the batteries for the remote switch. Cross referencing the PL-28 which is a Duracell p/n, there are several options including 4LR44, PX28A, A544, 28PXA, 476A, 4G13, GP476, K28, V28, PX28AB, L1325, 1414A, V4034PX, PX28L, K28L, L544, L544BP, V28PXL, 2CR1/3N, 2CR1-3N, CR28L, 1406LC, 2CR11108. If you live near a pet store, these batteries are commonly used in shock collars for barking dogs.

Easy install and works great took about 4 hours

Great solution for converting the ACK E-01 to the ACK E-04 406 ELT..smooth easy plug in technology..quick sign off by my A&P , and it was done.

Great service, always prompt, merchandise always well packed....

showed up quick!!

I havent really used this yet and I hope I never will. After all, it is an ELT. I purchased this to install in my Zenith 750 kit plane that I am building. It is easy to install, and from reports of others who influenced my purchase it is a really good product.

The unit is compact and well engineered .. easy to install and connect. The self test feature simplifies the requirements for testing and annual inspection requirements. This important feature makes this unit much simpler and less expensive to maintain than some other 406 MHz beacons.

While I known that you dont control shipping price, it is getting very expensive. Last order for 3 Elt an a few other small thing was north of $90...

A very complete kit*, very well packaged and thought out, and the instruction booklet is well thought out, illustrated, and quite clear in the installation, registration, and operation. * Yeah, okay, you supply the attach hardware and a couple batteries if your want to install the remote panel and the party horn, but price out the competition, and their replacement batteries, and battery life, and youll see this unit gives the biggest buweeep-buweeep for the buck.

I dont know how to rate this product since I have not had opportunity to install it yet.

Fast shipping

Quick and efficient, we received the ELT in good time and it was installed.

This ACK EOS-4 was the perfect replacement for my failed Amiri King 450 unit. It came within 1 day and I installed it the next. The instruction manual covered everything including how to register with NOAA. The remote switch fit perfectly were the old one was mounted. I was able to use the existing wiring. The price is right and it has a 5 year battery life. You will have to order online or search for the two batteries required for the Remote Switch and Buzzer alarm. They are not included and cost roughly $10-15 each. The upside is they last eight to ten years. The ACK replacement battery is roughly $180 with tax but lasts 5 years unlike some that are only a 2 year battery and cost almost as much as the unit itself. This is a great product, an amazing safety upgrade to a 406mhz system, easy to install and only needs a log book entry by your A&P I.A. I highly recommend it. P.S. if you are upgrading from an Ameri King unit get the full kit and not the retrofit. It comes with a new mounting bracket, new antenna, new remote switch and all the wiring. It only costs a few dollars more and you will use almost everything. You do have to re drill four mounting holes for the new bracket. It is not the same footprint as your old Ameri King but this is very easy to do. Check out the installation manual on Aircraft Spruce sight or ACK Technologies website. It is all there and very straight forward.

Very pleased with the ACK E-04 kit. It was very straightforward to replace my ACK E-01 with the E-04, and I was delighted with both the instructions and ease of replacement work. Hat’s off to Aircraft Spruce Canada and ACK.Ray Henault, COURTENAY, BC, Canada

Bought this to replace my dead Ameri-King ELT. Need to purchase two batteries, one for the remote and one for the audio alert. About $20 at Batteries Plus and if you go with the lithium variety they dont need to be replaced for 10 years. There are published instructions for retrofitting from the Ameri-King, and it allows you to use the existing remote cable, greatly simplifying the installation. You need to purchase a male-male cable adapter if you go that route, only a couple dollars and included in the box if you buy from Spruce. The only challenging part of the installation, at least in my case since its a fabric aircraft, was the antenna installation. Replaced the existing antenna no problems but ACK includes a static suppressor which is about an inch and a half long and installs between the antenna BNC connector and the cable. The added length coupled with the cable made it too long to fit in the trailing edge of the wing root where it was previously. Solved easily with a 90 degree BNC adapter but be aware. Wouldnt be an issue in fuselage installations. Total installation time was about 4 hours in my relatively simple aircraft which included the online registration with NOAA.

I purchased the ACK E-04 ELT. I went to ACKs web site ackavionics.com and was able to download the instructions to swap out the Ameri-King ELT and install the ACK ELT. I also spoke to Tech support on the phone 408-287-8021.

I replaced my battery draining Ameri-King AK-541 ELT with the ACK E-04 ELT and I am happy with the results. The ACK installation guide allowed me to use the existing remote wiring to connect the new ACK panel Remote and Audio Alert when I purchased P/N 11-14707, modular coupler for $4.95. The ACK Remote fit into the same panel hole for the AK-541 Remote, when the screw holes were elongated using a small round file and a vacuum cleaner at the Same Time dont want any metal filings getting into my radios, etc. My I. A. helped and signed off on the installation. The ACK 3 month self test is easy in the cockpit, just push the test button with the radio on 121.5. It is all spelled out in the ACK Installation and Operation manual.

Great

Easy install. Good instructions.

Ordered a ACK E04 with other parts on a Tue, received it the next day. Way to go Aircraft Spruce.

Having researched all the ELT’s, this one seemed the best bang for the buck. Saw a few negative reviews but they seemed to be the exception. Just started installing on my nearly complete Zenith 601XL. Install was pretty simple. All the complaints about the 2 batteries needed for this unit are ridiculous. Picked them up at Ace Hardware for around $10 - No big deal! Called Ack with one install question and got my answer right away. And the swept antenna looks much better than the competitors stubby wire one. Received quickly and in good shape - thanks Aircraft Spruce.

Yes if you get water in the remote or audio alert it can set off the ELT electronics do not like water much. The ELT itself is waterproof to 60 feet of water for 48 hours. With over 25,000 units now in service the problems we do see are almost always traced back to electrical equipment or antennas in close proximity to the ELT or control wiring. Make sure you follow the guidelines in the manual regarding antenna separation and cable routing. Water getting into the remote or audio alert in an area subject to water intrusion such as below side windows, leaky windshields, the wing root of Cubs etc will cause activation if the equipment can’t be move wrapping it with Saran Wrap will protect it. If your having problems always start with our trouble shooting guide available on our web site. http://www.ackavionics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Trouble-shooting-E-04.pdf

The ACK E-4 406 ELT is lighter than my old AmeriKing unit. A small bracket modification was needed, but otherwise it installed very easily in my 1960 C-182. The customer service person at Aircraft Spruce recommended I order the $4 adaptor, which arrived in the same box, and completed the interface into my panel wiring. I recommend this unit.

EASY TO INSTALL AND SET UP

I was worried the supplied cable for the remote would be too short for my Cardinal, but it was fine, by a foot. Install was quick and holes were accurate for the ELT, placing the remote head was a bit rougher, but not hard. If you gotta have an ELT (and you do), this is an easy install or upgrade.

Easy install just did two in the last week. Mooney M-20J no issue. Piper Navajo, removed an ELT-10 & the tray screwed into the existing holes.

This is one of the easiest ELT installs and best ELTs as far as durability goes. This is the best bang for the buck. And I would also like to add that these batteries are cheap as far as pricing, if you think $130-$160 is outrageous or ridiculous then you need to sell your airplane and get out of aviation all together.

I installed an E-04 ELT in my homebuild Zenith 601 XLB and it really saved my butt. Installation was simple went smoothly and I connected the ELT to one of the serial outputs of my Dynon EFIS as the GPS location source. All worked the first time. On a nice Monday afternoon I took of from work and went flying. During takeoff from the remote third airport (49R) my canopy popped open while climbing through 100 feet and even though I dove back to the runway ahead I was unable to regain control and the the airplane crashed two thirds down the runway, upon impact I broke my back. when I regained my conscience I could only push myself out of the cockpit onto the wing but I could not move myself any further. Unknown to me, and even though my airplane was totaled, my ELT had done it's work and warned the center in Colorado with my airplane ID and my location. Based on my submitted call list they first called my home, but my wife was out working, then they called my wife's cellphone which she didn't answer since she was working. Finally they reached my daughter and inquired whether the signal they received from the small airport was a likely valid distress signal, my daughter confirmed this, but they stated they would wait for one more signal from the ELT before contacting search and rescue. My daughter, didn't like this delay and immediately contacted the local sheriff who arrived about twenty minutes after the crash at the airport together with a local ambulance. The 406 MHz system is really great, with the added knowledge of the plane involved, the location of the accident and the database with contact numbers chances for a quick rescue have increased tremendously. I could easily have spend the night on the runway since traffic is very light at this airport, but now I was airlifted back to a hospital in San Antonio with very little delay and am currently almost completely recovered from the accident.

ACK requested that I send them the ELT I mentioned before was eating batteries. I don't know why I didn't do just that a couple years earlier... Their Repair Department found a defective Circuit Board in the unit, replaced it and re-certified the unit as Airworthy (8130-3). Kudos to Mike Akatif and his team for great customer support and a rugged product. Thanks! Lou Leet

This was a very easy installation. The tray mounted right where I removed my old ELT and tray, and there was plenty of cable to make it to the front for the remote switch. You do need to purchase two small batterys, one for the remote switch, and one for the audio alert indicator,about $20 extra, they are good for 10yrs though before replacement. I'm quite happy with my decision to use this ELT.

An ACK, Model E-04 saved my father, and my life on September 9th, 2012. For ultimate survival, we also recommend an additional hand-held McMurdo 406 MHZ, PLB. Google Search: Power Loss Over Rough Seas http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2012/September/13/Power-loss-over-rough-seas.aspx

One of our distributors ask me to respond to the comments by the Dayton Flight Department. We have never been contacted by anyone from this company and cannot find any listing on the internet. To date we have delivered over 9300 E-04 ELT's. We have had no battery issues other than when people inspect the ELT and place the red cap over the switch without reading the manual and inadvertently turn it on without an antenna. The later model ELT's have a warning sticker by the switch. They may be confusing us with a similar looking competitors ELT that has been having issues with battery life. ACK Technologies Inc

I installed one of these units on my plane 4 years ago. Yesterday a student accidentally pushed the transmit button on the sub panel. *while the plane was still in the metal hanger*. I got a call from the air force wanting to know if everything was OK.!!! If you need an ELT... this is the one to get.

This worked well as a replacement for my E-01 ELT, however I was expecting it to use the 8 D cells and it apparently only comes with a proprietary battery. It is lighter than the D cells but will cost more and be less convenient to maintain.

David S Verified Purchase

ACK E-04R 406 ELT Retrofit Kit From E-01 With Whip Antenna USA

If you intend to connect to your GPS then you need to buy a suitable length of cable to do that. Its aircraft spruce part no 11-04478 for the 3 conductor cable. The kits includes the connector only. It does NOT give you this wire. I bought 25ft which was more than enough to finish the install in my C-172N.

First, I do not give 5* ratings on anything because the full value of a product or service never reveals itself until long after its initial acquaintance. That said, this is my report on the ACK ELT-04: I bought it to replace an old AK450, a task for which the E-04 was designed. It uses the same panel cutout for the remote allows reuse of the phone cable that connects the ELT to the remote (RCPI) and can reuse the existing RG58 antenna coax. The footprint of the ELT, while using a different hole-pattern occupies a similar space. This means you dont have to move other equipment to make room for it. ACK provides special instructions for the swap from the AK450. You need an RJ11 connector (not supplied in the kit) to join to male RJ11 connectors. Why didnt they put a female jack on the face of the ELT? It is too bad that the hole pattern for the RCPI is slightly different than the AK450s, but twenty minutes with a small round file is long enough to make the slight hole relocation. The latest version of the E-04 comes with an antenna filter, and this brings me to the urgency of replacing my AK450: I had discovered that the older ELT interfered with GPS reception when transmitting on 121.2. All satellites would drop out. This problem was solved by disconnecting the ELT antenna. With the new ACK ELT (and its antenna filter) this problem is solved.

Would have given item and service a 5 star rating, but the elt package did not have all the components enclosed. I know aircraft spruce didnt package it, the factory did, but it delayed installation for over a day. Spruce did make it right in the end.

arrived faster than i thought it would..... havent had time to even unpack it, so 4 stars it is

Over all an easy install. Wired it up to my Avmap Ultra for GPS input. Good bang for the buck. Things that Im not happy with, why not include the little batterys that are needed to make it all work?? Not a real big deal $10 on Ebay got me a set, but for $500 you think they would be included. On the other hand since the ELT IS conected to the Aircraft Power Why do I need to have a battery in the remote switch at all?? and could you not put in a charger system for the ELT battery as well???

Arrived in new condition. Have not installed yet.

I installed an E-04 replacing the old E-01. It could not be more simple. A new battery into the panel switch, replace the main unit and plug in the speaker, and remove and install the new antennae, and your done. Whole thing took two hours at the most. The quality is reasonable. The price is very realistic, these guys aren't gouging you.

I would have given all 5 stars if it weren’t for a couple easily corrected items. The DIN connector that comes in the ELT kit will need to need to have the wires from your GPS input, power, and ground soldered to it as well as one wire for a test lead. That’s 4 wires in a connector with 4 closely spaced pins. You will need the dexterity of a surgeon to do this. I found this to be impossible. By the third wire I had destroyed the connector. I ended up installing a 4 position molex connector, which was pretty challenging with the tiny wires they use on the ELT. For the test light you make, you will need to find a 300 ohm resistor. Since Radio Shack is out of business almost everywhere, that might be a difficult find. I know I can buy 100 of them from Mouser or Digikey, but I don’t need 100 (or more) of them. They cost about 10 cents apiece. How difficult would it be for ACK to include one in the kit? Best advice if you buy this ELT - get rid of that ridiculous DIN connector and use something more robust/aircraft grade.

Purchased this ELT to replace an older existing unit and my maintenance shop found it inoperative out of the box. At my request, Aircraft Spruce sent a replacement unit.. No operational experience with this ELT yet, but the installation was straight forward and without issue. Aircraft Spruce stood behind their product and have retained me as a customer. Thanks Aircraft Spruce!

Ridicously priced. Unfortunately, I had to buy it to satisfy the FARs

Responding to Mike Akatiff's assertion there are no battery problems: The Installer might have wired the unit incorrectly to cause battery drain, but it SURELY was not on otherwise the CAP or NOAA would have notified me. Radio shop tests confirm there is power radiating from the antenna when on, and it stops when off is selected. Perhaps it is a defective unit--I shall contact ACK and discuss a warranty replacement. I have rated it 3-stars because I don't have enough data to rate it 1-star. I have just ordered my 5th replacement battery!!! Louis Leet / Dayton Flight Dept

Before installing be sure to have a CR2 3-volt and a Duracell PX-28L 6 volt battery on hand. It won't work without them and are not included in the kit. I would like to have a few words with the designer(s) who couldn't figure out how to make a system that doesn't need additional batteries, and requires two types of different voltages at that. The need for batteries is bad enough, but how about at least a common battery such as AA or AAA?

I installed an E04 two years ago with a full pannel upgrade. It is on its 3rd battery--they're VERY expensive, must be shipped by ground, haven't been stocked East of the Mississippi and there is no way to check its (battery's) status untill it is known dead. Also cannot check the 406MHz signal data content at the 3 Avionics shops which have changed the battery!

Elt was delivered with a 3 month old battery

Very disappointed in this product. I was forced to replace the Ameri-King unit in my Experimental Kitfox. The E-04 seemed like a good fit. The builder of the plane had not installed a remote, so I installed it per specifications. I now have a new friend at the Air Force in Florida as the unit goes off with little provocation. I spoke with ACK and based on suggestions checked everything and shielded the remote wire and switch. No luck as it goes off during power up. ACK sent me a replacement wire and switch, but before using decided to leave the remote disconnected to see how things worked. When I hit a hard thermal it went off in flight. Hoping to get ACK to inspect the G-switch as it is clearly too sensitive. I have a PLB that now is carried while flying until I can figure this out.

No coupler to attach the antenna to the ELT came in the package.

The two additional and different battery design for the buzzer/switch panel really is DUMB! Why not use the aircraft power in place of them? If necessary, optically-couple the LED/buzzer outputs for electrical isolation of the ELT from the aircraft power. The outputs ARE anciliary to the ELT's primary function. The remote and GPS cables are not properly stress-relieved against flex-induced failures at the ELT body exit. If ACK used standard 8-pin RJ-45 (LAN) modular plugs for the remote connection, COTS boots could be used for the strain-relief on the cable ends, and you'd have a growth path (existing conductors for backwards compatibility) for any future new functionality. You could also use SHIELDED cables, for RFI rejection, too. I agree with the need for mechanical protection of the unit's BNC antenna connector (the ACK approach is sound), but it can be hard to get at/connect, once you've installed the ELT in the aircraft.

I installed an ACK E04 in my Stinson (fabric) aircraft in 2014. NO mention in the manual about the ELT accessories sensitivity to moisture. Fast forward a couple of years, and Im getting phone calls from my (not home) airport because SAR saw my (parked for 2 days aircrafts) ELT trigger. I traced the fault to corrosion on the annunciator box circuit board. Cause: the accessory boards were NOT de-fluxed and conformally coated (Im retired now, after a career in electronics/avionics engineering, so I know what Im looking at). NO actual water on the boards long term exposure to ambient humidity seems to be sufficient. Correction: cheaper/faster to buy new items as replacements, BUT the first thing I did was strip out the boards from both accessories, thoroughly wash the flux residue off (no-clean solder flux is a production manager/bean-counter wet dream - it doesnt exist, but it saves a production step), then mask and coat the circuit boards with a conformal coating designed for electronic circuit boards (another production step ACK saved). Re-assemble and install. No false triggers in years since I did this. MAYBE ACK has cleaned up their act by now, but I doubt it - too many references to use of Saranwrap in the comments above. I dont know how ACK got approval on this, but if the SAR guys sent ACK the bill for unnecessary C-130 launches caused by ACKs lack of QA/QC, the saved production steps would be implemented in a hurry.

What a pain in the neck! There are many restrictions on where you can mount this thing. You also have to buy different parts from other vendors to make it work with a GPS, assuming you have a GPS that’s compatible. And if you intend to use a GPS - highly recommended per the manual - you’d best be good at avionics installation. You also get to fabricate your own GPS data verification tool. Finally, prepare to listen for cryptic beeps during the 3 month test. All this after perusing the manual for 15 minutes. I sincerely regret this purchase.

DONT MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID. Do Not Buy This ELT. Description is deceptive and youll spend more money trying to make it work with GPS than just spend $35 more to get the AIRTEX which is apparenlty a much better quality unit with GPS built in. I bought the ACK because it was supposed to be a direct fit replacment for the Ameri-King. Easy installation - right? That is completely FALSE. The mount has to be replaced, the remote is a different size, and wiring is different and requires additional ACK parts, and also requires a completely different wiring set up with a GPS WAAS unit. Doesnt even come with basic screws for the battery mount or the remote. Youll have to by supplemental parts for it work work which will cost you more the the GPS AIrtex unit. Extremely disappoined with the product and would never recommend.

The ACK 406/121.5 MHz E-04 ELT is well designed and lightweight, but the installation package is incomplete. ACK leaves it to the installer to source two different, hard to find speciality lithium batteries costing about $10 each. These specialty batteries are required to power the remote switch (6v) and buzzer (3v). Including these batteries would be easy at very little additional cost to ACK. I hope Aircraft Spruce will insist ACK include these batteries, making the installation kit complete. I would have saved a lot of time and money if these two batteries had been included. It is also my hope Aircraft Spruce will include the option of ordering these two batteries when customers order ELT replacement batteries Part # 11-10012. BUYER BEWARE

Do not recommend at all. Has been nothing but problems since I installed it 3 years ago. Overly sensitive g-switch would set the ELT off simply loading bags into the airplane (3 feet ahead and a bulkhead separating the baggage area from the ELT mount). Sent in for repair, they claimed nothing was wrong. Moisture from flying in rain/condensation shorts out the ELT even if trace amounts of moisture get into the speaker. Their fix? Put it in a ziplock bag. The final straw was this years re certification it failed the power output test (3 years old only). Contact ACK, no response. Avoid this product and company.

Nice unit. Easy to install. Replacement battery cost is outrageous! $130.00!!! Ridiculous!

This product shorted and had to be discarded within 8 months of use. I wrote to ACK and had zero response. I bought another one because its cheaper than the alternative that was offered and because there were reports of the other one failing as well.

First off, had I known this unit requires three separate batteries, all of which are oddball part#s I would have never purchased in the first place. Also the harness supplied for the remote panel switch is NOT aircraft quality. I cannot see how this unit ever got certified. Less than 3 years after new install this unit is completely dead. Lets hope my A&P can find a cheap fix. My original ELT was 20+ years old was still working when I put this ACK unit in. Should have left well enough alone.

Long Cables that come with the unit are junk we have 3 of these in our fleet and 2 of the long cables failed out of the box unfortunately we had already installed the cables and reassembled the aircraft ( my Bad ) but still remote cables are junk be sure to bench check everything prior to install