Even though the battery pack expires 5 years from the date the ELT is shipped from Artex, there are other factors that take priority. The Artex manual states that the battery pack must be replaced with a new battery pack in the following situations:
After use in an emergency
After an inadvertent activation of unknown duration
When the total of all known transmission exceed 1 hour
On or before the battery replacement data as indicated on the battery label
If any of these conditions are met, the battery must be replaced.
Artex batteries contain a microchip that records total activation time and number of activation times. The ELT tester will show this information when the unit is tested.