ELT Location

N941WR · #1 08-03-2005, 12:02 PM

I bought the ACK E-01 ELT and I?m trying to figure out where to place it. The options and my thoughts are:

1) In the baggage compartment ? Pro?s: Easy to get to in the event of an emergency and I want to remove it and/or use it as a hand held. Close to the CG. Con?s: Might get bumped by items in the baggage compartment.

2) Under the baggage compartment ? Pro?s: Out of the way. Close to the CG. Con?s: Must add a million and one plate nuts (weight) to the floor ribs. Under the floor, can?t get to it after an accident w/o tools.

3) Behind the baggage compartment, attached to the floor stiffener. Pro?s: Out of the way. Con?s: Behind the panel, can?t get to it w/o tools. Aft of the CG.

4) Under the seat pan. Pro?s: out of the way. On the CG. Con?s: Under the seat, can?t get to it w/o tools.

5) Behind a seat. Too big, won?t fit lengthwise.

Where have you placed your ELT and would you put it there again if you had to do it all over again?

RV_7A · #2 08-03-2005, 01:16 PM

Bill
Heres where I put mine. I only had to add a handful of plate nuts... I did however just pop rivet the floor in like Vans has you do.

N941WR · #3 08-03-2005, 02:41 PM

Jeff,

That might work for me. (I think my ELT is longer than yours.)

Is the floor structural? Can I put a hinge one end and a screw or two at the other end?

I was thinking of the door thing on the aft baggage wall but someone mentioned that that is structural and said I should not cut a big hole in it.

Rick6a · #4 08-03-2005, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N941WR

Jeff,

That might work for me. (I think my ELT is longer than yours.).......Can I put a hinge one end and a screw or two at the other end?.......

Yes

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla" 58 hours
RV-8A empennage done

Davepar · #5 08-03-2005, 04:09 PM

I haven't mounted mine yet, but I'm going with the same location as Jeff and Rick with a door like theirs.

I notice that Jeff has the ELT mounted on to angles mounted to the baggage ribs. That's good. I was scanning over the ELT install instructions and noticed they specifically recommend against installing directly to a skin, I guess because a flexible skin could cause a false trigger on hard landings.

Bob Axsom · #6 08-03-2005, 06:21 PM

I mounted mine because the FAA requires it so I would not be considered a safety purist but still I did it so it would work. The Unit itself is mounted on a doubler plate and a mount bracket support consisting of "Z" confonfigured angles riveted back-to-back. This worked very well and it remains the same today. The antenna is a different story. I originally mounted this long stiff whip on top of the fuselage forward of the vertical stabilizer and aft of the open sliding canopy. It was being permanently deformed in flight and acted as a draggy turbulator for the vertical stabilizer which I didn't need. After 8.7 hours I moved it inside the bagage compartment and went through all of the careful work to patch the hole in the fuselage in a way that wouldn't show after paint. That went well. Shortly afterward the antenna whip came loose from the base. It is a very flimsy assembly. Even without corrosion there is no doubt I would have lost it in flight already. In my archer I had a different model ELT (NARCO) and every 5 years or so I would loose the ELT after it coroded down under the lower "seal". Anyway, give your antenna installation as much attention as you give the box. Before and after images below.

Bob Axsom
[IMG]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/6...tmnting3wb.jpg[/IMG]
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/9458/eltexant1bj.jpg
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/1235/eltmnted22ro.jpg
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/644...ntfinal3hb.jpg

RV_7A · #7 08-03-2005, 06:59 PM

Someone on here mounted theirs in the same location as mine, however they mounted it to the underside of the removable cover. I wish I had done mine like that since I went with the plate nuts. As far as the antenna, I also got this idea from another RV'er.

N941WR · #8 08-03-2005, 07:29 PM

I'm glad y'all posted about the antenna location.

I like the idea of putting it under the tail but that is where I'm going to put the Dynon remote compass so the antenna can't go there. Looks like I'll mount the antenna on top of one of the side panels in the baggage compartment and the ELT under the baggage floor with a trap door for access.

My antenna is much different than the pictures I've seen. It looks like a long auto cell phone antenna, complete with spring coil up by the top. Not something I really want flopping around in the slip stream.

The Com and Transponder antennas will be mounted on the floor just in front of the spar. The Com antenna will most likely be mounted in front of the cover plate so it can be accessed in flight, like Doug R. recommended.

RV_7A · #9 08-03-2005, 07:58 PM

Bill,
There should be no reason you cant mount them both in this location. It is under the tail fairing. Keep in mind the ELT transmits nothing through this antenna until its too late to use your Dynon compass! Lets hope no one ever has to use this antenna!

-Jeff

N941WR · #10 08-03-2005, 08:09 PM

It's the steel parts back by the compass that worries me. Besides, my antenna is longer than yours by about six inches.

Not only that, I?ve got a little engine and the less weight, the better. With putting the antenna in the baggage compartment I can significantly reduce the cable run.