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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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???

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.

Arrived in new condition. Have not installed yet.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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 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!

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.

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.