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Be Careful Intalling UAV tail beacon!

Plummit

Well Known Member
I recently sold a used Uavionix Tail-beacon that was removed from a certified aircraft (C-172). The original installation was performed by an A&P IA in Dec of 2019. The unit worked flawlessly until it was removed by Ramona Avionics when we upgraded to a Garmin GTX345.

As the buyer attempted to install the Tail Beacon he noted that there were "loose parts inside". It turned out that the circuit board was broken internally, but there was no damage to the exterior.

I called Uavionics and spoke with David. He informed me that if the installation wasn't done correctly, when the screws are tightened it puts pressure on the circuit board which then breaks inside the plastic shell. He said that they have seen this over 100 times! Uavionics will only give a 50% discount on another unit if this happens.

If you are installing a UAV tail beacon please read and understand the installation instructions and be careful!

-Marc
 
sounds like a design problem to me. unit mounting hardware should NEVER affect the board, period. the fact that they have seen it that much makes it that much worse.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
I recently sold a used Uavionix Tail-beacon that was removed from a certified aircraft (C-172). The original installation was performed by an A&P IA in Dec of 2019. The unit worked flawlessly until it was removed by Ramona Avionics when we upgraded to a Garmin GTX345.

As the buyer attempted to install the Tail Beacon he noted that there were "loose parts inside". It turned out that the circuit board was broken internally, but there was no damage to the exterior.

I called Uavionics and spoke with David. He informed me that if the installation wasn't done correctly, when the screws are tightened it puts pressure on the circuit board which then breaks inside the plastic shell. He said that they have seen this over 100 times! Uavionics will only give a 50% discount on another unit if this happens.

If you are installing a UAV tail beacon please read and understand the installation instructions and be careful!

-Marc

This is not an accurate description. The tailBeacon mounts in a receiver, and is held in place with two set screws. If the two set screws are over-tightened, it can cause galling, making it difficult to rotate the tailBeacon inside the receiver ring. I have seen new installs do the same thing when the installer does not slide it in all the way and twist it anyway.

The broken PCB board comes from twisting the tailBeacon too hard. If you do this, the main PCB will crack or break. I put one in a vice one time and twisted it as hard as I could, and it took two hands and a lot of effort before I could break it. So if you find one that is cracked, know that someone put a lot of effort into it. (look for channel-lock teethmarks on the outer ring)
 
This is not an accurate description. The tailBeacon mounts in a receiver, and is held in place with two set screws. If the two set screws are over-tightened, it can cause galling, making it difficult to rotate the tailBeacon inside the receiver ring. I have seen new installs do the same thing when the installer does not slide it in all the way and twist it anyway.

The broken PCB board comes from twisting the tailBeacon too hard. If you do this, the main PCB will crack or break. I put one in a vice one time and twisted it as hard as I could, and it took two hands and a lot of effort before I could break it. So if you find one that is cracked, know that someone put a lot of effort into it. (look for channel-lock teethmarks on the outer ring)

Exactly! When I posted that originally I didn't understand how they were breaking, only that it was an install issue. I spoke with a company rep at the Copperstate flyin and he told me that if the screws pull the mounting ring out of it's normal plane, then it gets very difficult to install the beacon, which is a twist-and-lock mount.

In this case I didn't install the beacon; it was installed by my A&P. It worked flawlessly until it was removed by a very capable avionics shop. I sold it to another user who complained about there being "loose parts inside" when he attempted to install it. There were no loose parts inside when I mailed it off, and the package wasn't damaged.

I was just about to refund the price when I called Uavionix and they explained how the units get broken. If you can twist the mounting ring on while holding it in your hands, but you can't lock it in by hand pressure when the mounting ring is installed on your airplane, don't force it! Correct the mounting ring installation first.

Uavionix told me that they will replace a broken unit for $1000, which is a hefty discount on a new unit but you should avoid breaking them in the first place.

-Marc
 
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