Avionics News July 2016 - 59

ACR Electronics
ACR Electronics has its roots in making electronic flash
units for cameras, and one of its later products - a flashlight
- was aboard Apollo 13, the ill-fated moon shot. The company also was the first manufacturer to have a PLB approved
for sale by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
Today's ACR Electronics manufactures a broad line of emergency locator transmitters, personal locator beacons and related products. At the 2016 AEA Convention, ACR Electronics
introduced the ARTEX ELT 3000.
Jeff Geraci, OEM sales manager for the Fort Lauderdale,
Florida-based company, told attendees the all-new ARTEX
ELT 3000 is a highly integrated transport-grade device in a
compact form factor. In fact, he said, it's the smallest and
lightest ELT on the market with built-in GPS, plus it features
appropriate interfaces (ARINC 429 or RS232) if an operator
wants to connect it to an external navigation source.
But basic installation can depend on the internal GPS,
which eliminates any requirement or expense of installing a
separate navigation interface, further reducing weight and
cost. The ARTEX ELT 3000 features a six-year battery life,
and a helicopter version is available. Two mounting trays
can be used with the ELT 3000, one of which is designed for
the smallest footprint possible. The other is used for legacy
ARTEX B and C Series ELT installations, allowing even more
time- and cost-savings.
Another feature of the ARTEX ELT 3000 - along with other
beacons in the company's product line - is its compatibility
with ARTEX's online satellite confirmation testing system,
406Test.com. According to the company, this exclusive testing
system provides real-time results using operational searchand-rescue satellites to ensure the ELT is functioning properly.
For more information, visit acrartex.com.
ALTO Aviation
In-flight entertainment has always been an important part
of the avionics industry. It may not be the segment with the
flashy and hyper-accurate color moving maps and virtual
glide slopes, but IFE has to produce high-quality audio
in a 40,000-foot-high tube moving at 0.88 Mach. ALTO
Aviation seems to have a good handle on how to do
that. Its high-end audio and entertainment systems are
offered as standard equipment on multiple business
jet models from Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer and
Cessna. The company's products also are aboard
Sikorsky helicopters.
Kevin Hayes, ALTO Aviation's vice president of sales
and marketing, introduced his company's latest offering,
the ALTO Acapella DZ-290 Cabin Audio Amplifier. De-

ALTO Acapella DZ-290
Cabin Audio Amplifier

signed as a solution for cabin audio upgrades to new or
legacy systems, the company's new FAA-approved (TSOC139a) solution is controlled through an ALTO keypad, an
existing legacy switch panel or optional software. It also
features chimes control for "no-smoking" and "fasten seat
belts" announcements. According to the company, installing the DZ-290 involves minimal disruption to the aircraft's
existing wiring, and its amplifier interfaces directly to the
Audio International RS-485 databus, allowing retention of
legacy systems.
ALTO said a unique feature of the DZ-290 is its ability to
interface directly with speaker-level outputs from a PA-AV
unit, allowing audio to be passed directly onto the company's speakers. The amplifier integrates four channels with
more than 160 watts of power and features internal foursource selection, volume and mute control. Audio selection
may be through ground logic or by optional software, and its
PA capabilities make it well suited to replace legacy equipment in need of an upgrade.
All of ALTO's systems hold TSO certification, and can be
custom designed and acoustically contoured specifically for
each cabin installation. The company has facilities in Sterling, Massachusetts, and Jupiter, Florida.
For more information, visit altoaviation.com.
Astronautics
Given the high cost of developing and certifying a new
aircraft, and the resulting relatively high price, operators
often find an older copy of the same model suits their
needs quite well. Of course, that
older model may not have all
the bells and whistles of a new
one, but there's always been
at least a partial solution for
operators looking to bring
their in-service aircraft to a
like-new specification: visit
their local avionics shop for
an upgrade.
Astronautics
RoadRunner

Continued on following page
avionics news

july

2016

http://www.406Test.com http://www.altoaviation.com http://www.acrartex.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2016