First let me just say that I am very new here. IN fact this is my first post.

I have been collecting "Aircrew Survival Equipment and Kits" for over 30 years now and I never stoip enjoying it.

Now I have a question, but first a little background on my quest for a repair shop.

I carry a PRC-90 while backpacking far away from civilization for that "just in case". However, I'd like to get them serviced if at all possible just to make sure she is up to specs. They were both manufactured by OAI, Inc which is no longer in existence. I contacted ACR and spoke to a woman about seeing if they would check it out for me. I'd pay to have this done. She was just plain rude. First she tells me that the ACR Mini B2 ILS that I also own is illegal to own because the Coast Guard says so, then she tells me that 121.5 is illegal to broadcast on becasue the CG say so also. Then she tells me that ACR's PRC-90's are completely different than anybody else's, which is also a lie. Even the PRC-116 is the same with one different frequency. I try and tell her this and then she mumbles something in spanish. I thank her for her deception and tell her that she is less likely to ever get my business again (I use to buy directly from them years ago) and hang up.

What should I do?

I know how you feel about the PRC-90, I like them also. When I left active duty, I gave mine to a CG AirAux pilot who put it to good use conducting Recon and SAR missions.

No offense intended, but it would be less complicated to place it on the shelf and update with new equipment. The USCG just announced that they will no longer monitor 121.5MHz . It will do no good for you if no one is listening for your emergency call outs.

Good Luck with dealing with some of the folks that exist in the various "consumer service" desks! I know what you are having to deal with!

Which version PRC-90 used 121.5? Mine used 243.0 (UHF Guard) and 288.0 IIRC. No VHF. As for using it, the batteries are probably out of date, I wouldn't carry it unless I had a source to keep it running.

I am probably getting my radios confused w/freqs carried. But the guard is going to stop monitoring 121.5MHz . I am probably thinking of the ELB's from the 80's.

All I can say for sure is: "Senility sucks".

Somebody will be listening to 121-5. Another question on the PRC-90: Were the batteries proprietary or common. I never opened mine, the riggers did that during inspections.

The batteries, as I recall from my failing memory banks, were proprietary so silly-vilians couldn't make use of them and would eliminate any black market sales.

I can't believe the USCG is gonna stop monitoring 121.5. Isn't that what aircraft ELT's transmit on?

Re batteries, there is an adapter available that will allow the use of more readily available batteries (or so they say).

As for maint/repair, if I couldn't find myself some retired military radio tech who was willing to play with it, I think I would just try any place that works on "HAM" type radios. It all looks like spagetti inside to me, but I suspect that to a radio tech type a radio is a radio is a radio. Or maybe not. Personally, neat as those things are, I think that I would look for something newer and more reliable to bet my life on.

By the way, welcome new guy...

I think I read about the 121.5 freq at: fredsplace.org

121.5/243 MHZ EPIRB USE PROHIBITED AFTER 31 DEC 2006

I checked with ole Fred, and found this.. The most important part seems to be subsection
3 (Action), (F), which I guess I can't cut and paste here anymore. But it looks like 121.5 will be history after 01Feb09...