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06-04-2014, 09:40 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 193
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ELT antenna inside sliding canopy???
Good evening fellow RVators,
I am thinking about installing my 406 ELT antenna inside the sliding canopy of my RV. Has anyone out there followed this path? I would appreciate your observations, advice, and a picture or two. Thanks.
John Van Lieshout
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06-05-2014, 01:28 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 120
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I did the same
I installed the ELT antenna on top of the cargo sidewall cover, where the plan calls for tie down ring storage.
__________________
Shawn Li
RV-7-First Flight 5/27/2014
RV-10, Tailcone completed, wings in work
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06-05-2014, 03:37 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Hobe Sound, Florida
Posts: 292
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We installed our under the tail vert/horiz fiberglass cover.
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Kevin Phelps
Paid thru Dec 2020
RV-7A flying N782WP
Stuart, Fl
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06-05-2014, 05:03 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Edgewater, FL. KSFB
Posts: 1,118
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RV-9 installed ELT antenna through the baggage bulkhead. This points the antenna forward and up along the baggage area side.
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06-05-2014, 06:26 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: pittsburgh pa
Posts: 533
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My 406 ELT ant is mounted on the intersection of the left canopy rail and the seat back cross bar ( 6 slider) right behind the pilots left shoulder. I used the angle of the mount and a bit of slight bending to get it to conform to the curve of the turtle deck. I fabbed a little retainer bracket to hold the tip, using a piece of plastic tubing on the tip to hold the gentle curve and provide insulation
I know that this ant works. It was picked up once by the SAR Air Force rescue center from inside my hangar (wooden roof) during about 20 seconds of inadvertent activation during a test. ..... Nice folks to chat with but I suggest you don't unless necessary!
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Gary Reed
RV-6 IO-360
WW 200 RV now an Al Hartzell for improved CG
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06-05-2014, 08:06 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 1,007
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Chasing an unmeasureably small knot of drag reduction I don't believe is as important as building an easy-to-live-with airplane. An antenna inside the canopy is one more thing to snag when reaching around inside, potentially damaging the antenna and the snagee.
Keeping the ELT and antenna in close proximity so the antenna cable isn't passing through bulkheads is a good idea, and why many get put in the tail cone. In what orientation the wreckage will settle after cartwheeling is anybody's guess, so I'm not particular about top or underneath the saddle fairing, though the latter is obviously less visible to satellites. Put the antenna on top, behind the slider rail, paint a light coat of body color (where is says "do not paint"), you'll stop seeing it, and it's likely the best location all things considered.
John Siebold
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06-05-2014, 08:27 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Prescott, AZ
Posts: 1,614
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Great info posted here so far. Here are some other things to know about 406. It is a 5 watt data burst. Sent about every 50 seconds or so depending on manufacturer. It contains the unique ID that you have registered with NOAA.
You can test any ELT in the first five minutes after the hour... for a few seconds. In the 121.5 era... these signals were common just after the hour and towers, airliners etc. ignored them.
Now, the test function... when done according to the directions, won't send any real signal out. But, it will do a software and hardware test and report the results to you. It also logs this event in most units as time used against total battery life. Enough test time is built into the battery reserve to do tests monthly until the battery expiration date. As mentioned, the antenna orientation is less important than you might think. G switch activation is still primitive. It may not activate at all. Most have a sound alert now. If you are down and conscious.... waiting for help... listen for the tone. If you don't hear it, activate with the panel switch. With built in GPS, the rescue coordination center will know who you are and where you are right away.
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06-05-2014, 10:58 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,646
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gereed75
My 406 ELT ant is mounted on the intersection of the left canopy rail and the seat back cross bar ( 6 slider) right behind the pilots left shoulder. I used the angle of the mount and a bit of slight bending to get it to conform to the curve of the turtle deck. I fabbed a little retainer bracket to hold the tip, using a piece of plastic tubing on the tip to hold the gentle curve and provide insulation.
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I did the same thing but put it on the right side where the slider track and seat rest bulkhead meet. In addition, I have the ELT unit right behind the passenger seat and forward of the flap actuator tube, so the antenna cable does not need to pass through any bulkheads that could sever the cable in event of a crash. Further, FWIW, I was not convinced that the bracket Van's provides for the standard aft-of-the-baggage bulkhead position has the stiffness that my ELT manual said was required, plus I feel more comfortable having immediate access to the ELT should I become marginally incapacitated and unable to get behind the baggage bulkhead. Having said all that, I can't say whether it will transmit better or worse from that location.
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Steve M.
Ellensburg WA
RV-9 Flying, 0-320, Catto
Donation reminder: Jan. 2021
Last edited by alpinelakespilot2000 : 06-05-2014 at 11:01 AM.
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06-05-2014, 11:32 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 120
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Here is the picture
Here is how I mounted in a RV-7 slider.

__________________
Shawn Li
RV-7-First Flight 5/27/2014
RV-10, Tailcone completed, wings in work
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