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#21
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it should.......the standard antenna's supplied with most ELT's are simply
fixed length 1/4" wave antennas.....rubber duck type antennas are also fixed length 1/4 wave they are physically shorter.......but not......with the OAL of the antenna being simply coiled for the more "convenient" but less efficient length 1/4 wave length can be mathematically figured by using the simple formula One-quarter wave: 246 divided by the frequency in MHz equals the length in feet divide this by 12 give you antenna mast length in inches so...ELT frequency of 121.5 is (246 / 121.5 = 24.29") One-half wave: 492 divided by the frequency in MHz equals the length in feet 243 MHZ is the same if you use 1/2 wave 492/243.0 =24.29") and when you consider hand held radios use only the radio itself as the ground plane you find it does still work....though not as well or efficient as the fixed length 1/4 wave antenna on a good ground plane..though it is more convenient than carrying your glider around next to your ear ) tim Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at: www.wingsandwheels.com "Paul Remde" wrote in message news:EBe_e.371199$_o.9111@attbi_s71... Hi Tim, Good points. Do you know if the rubber duck antenna will transmit the higher frequency signals on 243.0 MHz as from the AmeriKing AK-450 ELT OK? I'm not an expert on antennas, but I imagine that since it is 2 x the frequency the antenna is designed for it may work fine. Thanks, Paul Remde Cumulus Soaring, Inc. http://www.cumulus-soaring.com "Tim Mara" wrote in message ... some years ago I contacted my local FSDO and asked about ELT installation in my glider..this was long before some SSA sites required them ...knowing the glider did not "require" an ELT to be legal, the question to the Fed's was "can I install an ELT if it doesn't meet the manufacturers specifications (meaning antenna installation). I installed this and several others since not because the FAA or SSA required it.but because I considered it to be an inexpensive safety feature that I wanted for myself, and for my loved ones should there ever be a chance it might be needed. Essentially, the response was very favorable with them saying "anything you do to promote safety we'll go along with".Now that response was from MY FSDO (local office). I installed the ELT in the most professional manner as to location, mounting, and meeting all other manufacturers requirements, expect, installing a handheld radios rubber duck antenna on a metal plate for ground plane.....I completed a 337 and new wt/balance and had the local A&I sign off on the installation..I also tested the ELT at some range and found the signal to be actually quite excellent.....Now I never tested it beyond a few miles, and I'm quite sure a higher performance 1/4 wave fixed mast antenna mounted external with proper ground plane may have been better.....but this installation, IMHO did what I wanted and expected.....it would give the S&R people something to locate the aircraft with.... I also had concerns about externally mounted ELT antenna's being knocked off in a crash and contacted 3 different ELT manufacturers and found that even one manufacturer claimed they had certified their brand ELT with NO antenna installed at all and with the ELT simply sitting on an aircraft wing when it was tested to be certified. obviously this would not be the highest performance set-up and not what should be. I have noted that S-H and DG have made ELT antenna installations in some gliders that are comprised of nothing more than this same rubber duck antenna mounted on an angled bracket in the cockpit with essentially no ground plane........though I do not consider this to be a high performance set-up, it appears they also think it is suitable......Personally I wish all glider manufacturers would spend a bit more time and consideration to building really good antenna's into their structures for Comm, ELT and Transponders, so far none have.....until then, we have to improvise.and do the best with what we have.....that is why I have made some "non-certified" antenna options available, and though I have tried to make it known these are not certified for use where the FAA mandates ELT use, they will IMHO work, and simple and inexpensive "options"......if someone (anyone) has a better option, I would like to see them....and would of course consider offering them as well... Best regards Tim Wings & Wheels www.wingsandwheels.com "jphoenix" wrote in message oups.com... Marc, Perhaps we could have the SSA government liaison (or SRA dude) ask all these questions directly to the FAA. Specifically: Can a private pilot glider install his own ELT in his own experimental glider and sign it off? Does a TC'd glider need a 337 form completed and approved (major alteration)? Does a glider with an ELT installed have to meet all (or some) of the requirements of 91.207? With an official FAA answer to these questions, and perhaps some more I didn't think of, we can avoid uncertainty over what rules apply and how they apply, etc. Jim I think it is fairly clear that for a glider with an experimental certificate, you can pretty much install an ELT any way you want, and likely get away with signing it off yourself (as a non-A&P). I think it is also fairly clear that an ELT installation in a type certified glider will require at least an A&P (and possibly IA) sign off, but probably does not require a 337. The question in my mind, however, is whether the typical A&P (or IA) would be willing to sign off an ELT installation in a certified glider, that makes use of uncertified components (like a rubber ducky). Any A&Ps out there willing to comment? Marc |
#22
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Mike the Strike wrote:
Tim's comments are very useful. I am also wrestling with both ELT and transponder antenna installation issues and wonder why manufacturers don't install them, at least as an option. Schleicher offers transponder antenna installation, as does DG (DG also has drawings on their website for their gliders that aren't even in production). Other manufacturers likely also offer this. Check with your manufacturer about these antennas, if you haven't already. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#23
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In my ASH-26E, the ELT is located by my left elbow, and the entenna is
the wire whip installed in the baggage area above the spar, as the is the only non-carbon skinned part of the glider. I didn't bother with a ground plane as I figure amny chrashed airplanes also may not have a ground plane to work with... The antenna is mounted to an aluminum bracket behind my left shoulder, and curves around the inside of the baggage area toward the rear and right side. Springiness keeps it nicely pressed against the top of the fuselage. As for transponder, I had the factory install it, as the cost was essentially parts - something like $120 four years ago. I still haven't installed the transponder itself, but am running the antenna through a regimen of abuse as it occasionally catches on the trailer. The antenna is installed through the fuselage just aft of the wheel, and there is no added ground plane, as I assume the carbon skin is good enough. -Tom |
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