Crawf Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Interested in which PLB people are using in RAAus aircraft? - I'm considering the GME MT610G. I like the GME products and supporting a local company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 GME MT610G. is what I have. My last GME was more intuitive to operate (in my view). One thing I don't like - My old unit was 10++ years old, still testing good but no longer supported. GME cost structure makes it not cost effective to replace the battery and GME don't give credit or dispose of the old unit - pretty urin poor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawf Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 Thanks for the reply. When you say it was testing ok after 10+ years, was that still on the original battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRviator Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I have an out-of-date GME MT410G and recently replaced it with an ACR ResQLink 400, for no other reason than that's what I could get at BCF in a hurry. ISTR someone discovered the GME MT410G beacons take a standard size lithium battery but I can't find that post anymore. When I do find it, I'll simply replace the battery in the GME and keep it as my spare. Even though the battery is officially out-of-date it still tests good, so it still comes with us as a backup, and the ACR lives in my flying vest as the "must be carried" beacon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_S Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Hi, I have the GME MT610G. Cheers, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawf Posted January 3 Author Share Posted January 3 Thanks for the replies. Have ordered an MT610G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 21 hours ago, Crawf said: Thanks for the reply. When you say it was testing ok after 10+ years, was that still on the original battery? I believe so but failing memory may be deceiving me 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueadventures Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) Must remember the test switch is only advising the circuit works and there is battery life. It does not advise if the battery will perform for the required 24 hours minimum for a PLB and Epirbs are 48 hours. Best to replace on time as you may need it's 24 hour plus performance one day; hopefully not. What may be a good idea would be to have and expired one hooked up to the required voltage through a voltage reduction off the aircraft battery; just saying food for thought as may be a life saving backup??? Edited January 3 by Blueadventures 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRviator Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Blueadventures said: What may be a good idea would be to have and expired one hooked up to the required voltage through a voltage reduction off the aircraft battery; just saying food for thought as may be a life saving backup??? That's not a bad idea...It wouldn't take much to do I'd imagine, there's a swag of low-cost voltage regulators to step down 12V to the required voltage. I ended up finding the other post that mentions the batteries used, but I think @walrus has made a typo as the CR125 resolves to a 12V 5AH SLA, not a small lithium. Could be he meant CR123, but I'll take my MT410G apart maybe tomorrow and have a look-see and report back. EDIT: According to this datasheet there are 2 x 2 CR123A batteries in the MT410 series PLB's. When I pull mine apart, I'll grab some photos of the process in case anyone wants to follow suit and keep theirs as a backup with new batteries. Edited January 3 by KRviator Added detail re battery from datasheet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueadventures Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 4 minutes ago, KRviator said: That's not a bad idea...It wouldn't take much to do I'd imagine, there's a swag of low-cost voltage regulators to step down 12V to the required voltage. I ended up finding the other post that mentions the batteries used, but I think @walrus has made a typo as the CR125 resolves to a 12V 5AH SLA, not a small lithium. Could be he meant CR123, but I'll take my MT410G apart maybe tomorrow and have a look-see and report back. Its a idea I have had for a few years. Rather than new battery that fits in the unit just have wires that can hook up to the relevant voltage. (Don't know the voltage) Need to turn off when found or asked by RCC. This would be an additional item to the required compliant unit. Edited January 3 by Blueadventures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRviator Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 3 minutes ago, Blueadventures said: Its a idea I have had for a few years. Rather than new battery that fits in the unit just have wires that can hook up to the relevant voltage. (Don't know the voltage) Need to turn off when found or asked by RCC. This would be an additional item to the required compliant unit. Some (very) quick number crunching based on the MT410G 2 x CR123s that gives 6V at 1.4Ah - but remembering it's gotta keep on keeping on for at least 24h, so 1.4/24 gives 0.06A at 6V. Multiplied by two as there seems to be 2 x 2, so call it .12A at 6V. A bog-stock LM7806 voltage regulator from Jaycar will put out upto 1A - more than enough power for our needs. Add in a couple of capacitors on the +12V and +6V rails and you're in business. If that's all you've got running from your aircraft battery after you spear in, and assuming some generous losses in our little adapter circuit, you'll still have something like 160+ hours of transmit time from a standard PC680 battery. I would hope they'll have found you by then, especially with a GPS position given... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosi72 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Several years ago, a friend of mine and I were hunting in the middle of bush, no reception, and whilst waiting for deer to appear, we chatted about PLBs that we both recently purchased. A friend, who is not technically savvy, asked me to demonstrate how to test. We both did the same tests on our devices, but his Plb responded with some additional Led flashes.. About 30mins later, a message on my Sat phone from my Mrs. arrived asking what happened to a friend of mine!? I realised that those additional Led flashes were actually for real. A quick call to Amsa was just in time, the helicopter in Traralgon had engine started and was about to depart. A couple of days later a friend had a phone call from Amsa and GMA asking him to bring the device for analysis. The seal was of course intact, but device still somehow raised real alarm. He got replacement device, and hopefully they found the root cause. Lessons learnt: never test your Plb without mobile phone coverage. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetboy Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 03/01/2024 at 10:42 AM, KRviator said: That's not a bad idea...It wouldn't take much to do I'd imagine, there's a swag of low-cost voltage regulators to step down 12V to the required voltage. I ended up finding the other post that mentions the batteries used, but I think @walrus has made a typo as the CR125 resolves to a 12V 5AH SLA, not a small lithium. Could be he meant CR123, but I'll take my MT410G apart maybe tomorrow and have a look-see and report back. EDIT: According to this datasheet there are 2 x 2 CR123A batteries in the MT410 series PLB's. When I pull mine apart, I'll grab some photos of the process in case anyone wants to follow suit and keep theirs as a backup with new batteries. MT410 :When you open it up you'll find 1/ its hard to slide the casing open without triggering the unit on and 2/ the CR123 cells are tab welded together Regular cells can be connected with wires but best to select cells that aren't stainless steel end caps the first set I got were Panasonic Photopower from Element14 and they soldered fairly easily but last yr when these were no longer shipping I got a set from PB tech as all the Jaycar and others had unsuitable datasheets. I measure each cell voltage before and after the soldering, pretinned caps and wires, hot and quick. Either leave one set connected at all times or connect a power supply while cells are removed. There are stories of the ID codes being wiped if the power is not continuous and I dont know how to check this, I do however verify the test spectrum on an analyser before and after Original cells I have from 2005 still test same voltage as 2012 ones, I use them in less critical devices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Interesting; seems that no one thinks being unable to economically replace the battery on a GM is an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 You can avoid soldering and heat problems with battery tabs by purchasing a dedicated battery tab spot welder off AliExpress, Temu or eBay for around $25. https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=coupon-un&_bg_fs=1&_p_jump_id=895&_x_vst_scene=adg&goods_id=601099519047693&sku_id=17592226956628 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garfly Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 (edited) As a further line of defence (back-up for your PLB) recent iPhones come with their own Sat-based SOS system which now works in Oz. Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone – Apple Support (AU) SUPPORT.APPLE.COM With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you're off the grid with no mobile and Wi-Fi coverage. Edited January 14 by Garfly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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