Jose wrote:
I assume the OP is talking about the standard,
been-around-for-twenty-years, 121.5 MHz ELT. How in the world would a
satellite orbiting thousands of miles above the earth pick up this
signal,
let along get a fix on it? This is something I have never heard of.


Not by accident. There are satellites that are designed to (in part)
look for such signals. I don't think those satellites are thousands of
miles above the earth, only a few hundred miles is needed to get into
space. In any case, their receivers are =very= good, and there isn't
anything in the way to block the signal. You'd be surprised how far
signals (including ordinary acoustic signals like conversation) carry
under ideal conditions.

I believe the sats that scan for ELT signals are operated by the
Russians. They notify the FAA or somebody in the US when they pick up a
signal. I've heard that most ELT signals come from boats rather than
airplanes.