Weiredest places you have found ELT;s and EPerbs.

[jimmydeanno]

I heard about that find on the USS Iwo Jima, from a CAP SM with me while onboard the USS Iwo Jima, while talking about how it would be great if someone hit into one while we were there(=find/mission). Been waitin for one all fleet week, hoping NYCG finally gets a mission... ;-)

There have actually been a few of them for the USS Iwo Jima.  I know of one that was chase down the eastern seaboard by NYWG during fleet week a few years back.  The one I had wasn't that one, but occurred when it pulled into port at Norfolk Naval Station about a week later.  Still fun though!

[Larry Mangum]

1. US Navy Frigate tied up next to the USS Constitution (Open mic on 121.5).
2. US Navy Frigate in Glouscter MA.
3. Fort Lewis flightline, CO's chopper (5 times).
4. Cellular Tower
5. Jumbotron at a state fair.
6. Helicopter being towed down I-5 on a trailer.
7. Boat cruizing offshore, leading to a 3 state chase. (MA, NH, ME).
8. Too many EPIRB's to count in MA.
9. CG Falcon Jet at OTIS.

[swamprat86]

Bathroom at Philly International airport
Battery recycling bin in a park in DE
C-130 at McGuire
Trunk of Coast Guard vehicle (that was a fun one to explain to the CG OD at 2 am.  It was his vehicle.

[AlphaSigOU]

Inside an about-to-be crushed aircraft at a salvage yard. Someone forgot to take out the ELT when the bulldozer set about crushing the hulk to recyclable pieces.

[BrandonKea]

Bathroom at Philly International airport

Bad inflight meal?

[Cecil DP]

UPS truck on I-95 running between Boston and Augusta Maine. I didn't find it, a good friend chased it for 50 miles, until the driver finally stopped.

[Larry Mangum]

UPS truck on I-95 running between Boston and Augusta Maine. I didn't find it, a good friend chased it for 50 miles, until the driver finally stopped.

I remember that!

[Always Ready]

I have zero good stories from my searches but WIWAC, I seem to recall Col Kuddes (NCR/CC) telling a few stories on my old squadron (Offutt). He said back in the day someone from Offutt found an ELT in an outhouse. He said the guy who owned the plane had been taking it apart or something and put the ELT in the outhouse so he wouldn't lose it.

He went on to tell a story of a SAREX quite a few years back. I guess someone decided to be a tad onry to a certain ground team and put the practice beacon on the back or the underside of their van. The ground team spent hours driving around looking for the practice beacon.

[BTCS1*]

Thats just cruel! I'm assuming it was the GT van.

[Always Ready]

Thats just cruel! I'm assuming it was the GT van.

Yeah it was. I edited my post for clarity. Sorry about that.

[DC]

He went on to tell a story of a SAREX quite a few years back. I guess someone decided to be a tad onry to a certain ground team and put the practice beacon on the back or the underside of their van. The ground team spent hours driving around looking for the practice beacon.

That's classic! I'm going to have to try that one of these days... 

[Hoorah]

Or stick it a moving semi truck. That be fun to chase down.

[DC]

Or stick it a moving semi truck. That be fun to chase down.

I can see a very irritated truck driver after having been chased down (assuming you find and recover your $300 practice beacon) by a bunch of people wearing camo looking for some tracking beacon attached to his truck...

There is ironic humor in a UDF team chasing their own proverbial tail. For several hours.

[PlaneFlyr]

Inside an about-to-be crushed aircraft at a salvage yard. Someone forgot to take out the ELT when the bulldozer set about crushing the hulk to recyclable pieces.

I had the same happen at Robins AFB (Georgia) Museum of Aviation with a C-141 being cut up for scrap around 2004-5.  Plane had been on static display for about 15 years, but ELT still worked fine. 

[es_g0d]

Some of the stories at the link below include "weird places."  Regardless, its good and informative reading.
http://www.cap-es.net/Features/SAR%20War%20Stories.htm

Next, in the vein of hiding the practice beacon on the GTs vehicle, here's an entire page devoted to similar ideas.  Please read the disclaimer FIRST.
http://www.cap-es.net/ES%20Electric%20Technology/Evil%20ELT%20Hiding.htm

Lastly, I just wanted to note that a Pointer 6000 practice beacon costs (at last order) $156 post paid.  Not nearly "$300."  I'm not saying to abuse the little transmitters, but they're tougher than you think and really aren't THAT much if they're destroyed.  The most fragile point on them is the switch; invariably someone won't be able to "pull AND flip" the switch at the same time, and will PRESS HARD, and the switch breaks.  Ugh.

[Al Sayre]

Scott, Who is selling them for $156 ?  I need to buy a couple.

[DC]

Lastly, I just wanted to note that a Pointer 6000 practice beacon costs (at last order) $156 post paid.  Not nearly "$300."  I'm not saying to abuse the little transmitters, but they're tougher than you think and really aren't THAT much if they're destroyed.  The most fragile point on them is the switch; invariably someone won't be able to "pull AND flip" the switch at the same time, and will PRESS HARD, and the switch breaks.  Ugh.

The '$300' figure was based on this, $275 from Pointer, plus whatever shipping is.

[es_g0d]

Al (et al),
You can purchase direct from the manufacturer, Pointer. 
http://www.pointerinc.com

That way you cut out the middle-human.  They were very nice about it last time I bought one; they mailed it and billed me instead of charging a credit card and mailing much later like some companies do.  They've done an excellent job of supporting Civil Air Patrol with very little official credit -- or even fame, as we're proving with this thread!

Their prices may have gone up some; kindly let us all know what they are currently!  I wouldn't expect a big jump.

(update: I just called, the family-run company was closed but a nice lady who works in accounting answered the phone.  She wasn't sure, but thought the price was $160 now)

[BillW]

In the trunk of a car recently stolen from a pilot as the car was being moved around in chop shop being dismantled. The police loved that find.

[Nolan Teel]

It's a toss up between:  a UPS Truck in Minneapolis with a box of 10 ELTs that were all transmitting or the ELT we found in Florida that was in a gutted house when nothing but the wall frames up.