Upgrading your 500-12Y Survival ELT:

Techtest, part of the HR Smith Group, a trusted leader in civil aviation safety solutions for over 55 years, has released the 500-32-2Y series Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). This advanced survival ELT seamlessly replaces the popular 500-12Y series, offering critical upgrades to meet the latest lithium battery standards and ensure optimal performance for your fleet.

Meeting the Evolving Landscape of Safety

The 500-12Y series has served the industry well, but the regulatory landscape for lithium batteries in aviation is constantly evolving. The 500-32-2Y series addresses this by incorporating a battery pack that is certified to the latest Technical Standard Order (TSO) C142b and the latest RTCA Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) DO-227A. These standards set strict requirements for:

Battery performance: Ensuring reliable operation under extreme temperatures and vibration.

Safety: Mitigating the risk of thermal runaway associated with lithium batteries.

Rigorous Testing for Unwavering Confidence

Through our in-house engineering expertise, we didn’t just develop a compliant Survival ELT; we meticulously engineered the 500-32-2Y series to meet and exceed the latest TSO C126c and C142b standards. This involved:

Ensuring the ELT remained portable: Increasing the size and bulk of the battery pack housing would have been the obvious solution to meeting the requirements of C142b. However, our engineers were tasked with keeping the size and weight of the battery pack to minimum to ensure the ELT would fit into the palm of your hand. This resulted in 500-32-2Y series being the smallest and lightest certified Survival ELT on the market.    

Pioneering Thermal Runaway Testing to DO-227A: In order to test our designs to DO-227A, our engineers first had to develop test equipment capable of performing thermal runaway testing, as nothing existed on the market. This allowed us to run numerous tests at battery cell level to determine the optimum lithium chemistry and cell size, before finalising the design of our battery pack.  This pioneering test set-up and process was witness by the CAA, FAA and EASA, and meant the 500-32-2Y series was the first Survival ELTY certified to TSO’s C126c and C142. b

Exhaustive Environmental Testing: The 500-32-2Y series is subjected to rigorous environmental testing, including exposure to extreme temperatures, humidity, impact and vibration, ensuring exceptional performance in real-world conditions.

Uncompromising Electrical Testing: We meticulously evaluate battery performance, transmitter signal strength, and overall functionality under various electrical loads to guarantee unwavering reliability.

Through this rigorous in-house development and testing process, we have absolute confidence that the 500-32-2Y series ELT surpasses the latest safety standards. It delivers exceptional performance, providing peace of mind for pilots, crew, and passengers when it matters most.

Benefits Beyond Compliance

While regulatory compliance is crucial, the 500-32-2Y series offers additional advantages over the 500-12Y:

Reduced Long-Term Costs: The new state-of -the-art battery pack on the 500-32-2Y series has a 7-year life, an extra 2 years of life compared to the 500-12Y. Extended battery life and minimal maintenance requirements contribute to lower life-cycle costs.

Unmatched Reliability: The robust design and advanced technology ensure exceptional performance in even the harshest environments, providing peace of mind for pilots and crew.

Enhanced Crew and Passenger Safety: Reliable emergency communication and two-way speech with the rescue team ensures faster response times in critical situations.

Maintaining Regulatory Compliance: Equipping your fleet with the latest lithium battery technology guarantees adherence to all safety regulations.

500-32-2Y Features

• Robust, compact and light weight.
• 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat and 121.5 MHz Homing signal.
• Two-way speech (500-32-2Y-H).
• EASA/FAA approved STCs for installation on all major commercial jets.
• Boeing, Airbus and COMAC approval
• Battery Pack certified to the latest standards; TSO C142b / DO-227A.
• User replaceable battery pack.

Maintaining Your Existing 500-12Y ELTs

While the 500-32-2Y series offers significant advantages in terms of compliance and performance, we understand that transitioning your entire fleet may require time. We remain committed to manufacturing and supporting your existing 500-12Y ELTs with no planned obsolescence in the foreseeable future.