ew 406-MHz personal locator beacon (PLB) aimed at military and public-service users. It is to be available in the second half of this year. Designed for the professional market, the MR 510 is housed in a rugged metal casing. It features manual or automatic actuation via water immersion or lanyard connected to the ejection seat.

 In addition to automatic broadcast of position on several frequencies, the MR 510 will provide voice communication on both VHF and UHF frequencies with a guaranteed operating time of more than 24 hours over a temperature range of +55 to -40 degrees Celsius. It is waterproof down to 33 feet.

Priced in the $3,500 range, the new MR 510 is basically the current Becker Avionics MR509 PLB with the addition of a 16-channel GPS that will continuously broadcast the beacon’s coordinates. Like the MR509, it is a mil spec unit. It will be available directly from Becker USA in Miramar, Fla., as well as through the more than 200 Becker dealers in the U.S. and general aviation vendors, including Eastern Avionics and Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.