Leadsled,
Perhaps you could actually point us to the source of these facts.
I don't doubt you have seen them, but they do contradict several other reliable sources that I have come across. If you want people to accept your 'facts', at least give us a source!
Prior to you posting here I had never heard of these high failure rates, and he only reason I quoted the NZ regulator was that it was one of the few sources of data that I could find on the internet during my quick research of the matter out of interest.
I have still not found the data you have about 90% of current generation fixed ELTs failing, and I'd be convinced if you could just show it to us.
On the other hand, it was not hard at all to find reports of people that had been rescued after a fixed beacon was activated by an impact.
You say:
Indeed, the false activation rate of fixed ELTs is another major shortcoming, with the advent of every new TSO since the original C129, claims have been made about reducing the false activation rate, without noticeable result.
But NASA says:
NASA Search and Rescue Mission Office : Emergency Beacons
General aviation aircraft must carry either a 121.5 MHz ELT or a 406 MHz ELT. One government study concluded that 134 extra lives and millions of dollars in SAR resources could be saved per year if these aircraft switched to 406 MHz ELTs, although these more effective ELTs cost more. For a comparison of 121.5 and 406 MHz beacons, see
http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/406vs121.pdf.
Most ELTs are designed to survive and activate automatically in a crash.
You say:
The answer remains the same, regardless of any analysis that NZ may gave done about aerial problems, in better than 90% of occasions, no useful signal has been broadcast.
AOPA Says:
AOPA Online: Regulatory Brief -- Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs)
When ELTs were mandated in 1973, most GA aircraft were equipped with an ELT that transmits on the 121.5 MHz frequency, the designated international distress frequency. The original ELTs were manufactured to the specifications of an FAA technical standard order (TSO-C91) and have an activation rate of less than 25 percent in actual crashes and a 97 percent false-alarm rate. In 1985, a new TSO-C91A ELT was developed, which substantially reduces or eliminates many problems with the earlier model. The TSO-C91A provides improved performance and reliability (with an activation rate of 73 percent in actual crashes) at a reasonable cost to users ($200-$500 including installation). Since then, an even more advanced model of ELT has been developed — the C126 ELT (406 MHz). This newest model activates 81-83 percent of the time and transmits a more accurate and near-instantaneous emergency signal by utilizing digital technology. This digital 406-MHz ELT also allows search and rescue personnel to have vital information specific to you and your aircraft. These ELTs are more expensive, however, with the current cost around $1,000 or more per unit, not including installation.