Geico266

Geico266

Well Known Member
I installed the ELT antenna bracket and tried to get the ELT unit to do a self test per the instructions with no joy. After setting the thing off then realizing there is no reset button!! :eek: I then made quick call to the local ATC tower to tell them to ignore the inadvertent 121.5 test :eek: now the panel LED is on all the time. :confused:

What does the solid LED mean? It won't go off no matter what I do short of disconnecting the phone cable.

Anyone else get this thing to work as advertised?
 
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Hi Larry,

No still waiting for Van's to supply the correct connector with the now famous blue wire so that I will not have to do it several times. When I ask last week they had no idea when this issue would be dealt with.

It has been 10 days and they have not responded to the issue of the D-180 not being able to see the magnetometer or the OAT probe, so it is hard to get much done with out good support from Van's.

Best regards,
Vern
 
I had a similar experience.

I was the first person to pickup my Avionics kit in Aurora. Within a day or two I had the ELT device out of the package and pressed a button or so and found a blinking LED, and didn't know how to turn it off since there is no "OFF" position. Within another two or three days came a notice from Artex through Van's, about checking the ELT. Mine blinked seven times indicating it had been on for more than one hour. I took it to Artex (next door to Van's) the next day, they plugged in their test meter and it showed the unit had been ON for 42 hours, unknown to me. They installed a new battery while I waited. There should be very clear instructions on the unit for the homebuilder community to avoid this type of error.
 
ELT Remote Light

When I first hooked up my ELT the remote light stayed on. I found out it is because I used the Artex part #611-0018 as mentioned on 42-17. This is a device to reverse the plug position if you are replacing an old elt. When I took the part out and just plugged the "phone cord" straight in everything worked great. The light stays off until I push the button...then it comes on and goes off...the elt beeps three times and all is back to normal.

It may be that I just got a different phone cord than everyone else but if your light stays on you might try this. Don't forget to keep the remote grounded.
 
Peter,

I just checked my telephone modular cable RS 279-374 and it is also cross-over type. Therefore, I should not need 611-0018 at the remote switch either.

The remote switch manual can be found here. http://www.artex.net/documents/getFile.php?fileid=482&filename=570-0023_Manual.pdf

A picture of a "cross-over" cable is shown on page 15 of 33. The schematic is shown on page 12 of 33.

The ME406 ELT Manual can be found here. http://www.artex.net/documents/getFile.php?fileid=314&filename=570-1600_Manual.pdf
 
Peter,

Did you call or e-mail Van's on this one. The plans are WRONG here! Also, per the ELT manual, should it not flash or beep just ONCE??
 
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Looks like the solid light on the remote switch was caused by the 4" cross over plug (P/N 611-0018) not being needed. I removed it, plugged the phone line into the switch directly and the ELT now works as advertized.

Vans has been notified.
 
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Peterk said:
The light stays off until I push the button...then it comes on and goes off...the elt beeps three times and all is back to normal.
Click to expand...

If the ELT beeps 3 times is not there a problem? According to the manual it should not beep. 3 beeps indicates a bad ground plane or atenna wire.
 
3 Beeps

Yup...3 beeps means antenna probs...think I may need to take some paint off the platform.
 
I confirmed with Airtex that P/N 611-0018 is only to be used when retrofitting their unit to an old aircraft. It is not to be used in a new application with a new style remote switch which is what we re using in the -12. Toss it.
 
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Peterk said:
Yup...3 beeps means antenna probs...think I may need to take some paint off the platform.
Click to expand...

I took the paint off the cross member, have a good ground path between the antenna base and the airframe. I get a good signal on 121.5. Have not checked 406 yet.

The light STILL blinks 3 times when you go back to ARM.
 
Spoke to ARTEX on receiving 3 blinking lites when the ELT switch is taken to ON and then back to ARM. Three lights means there is an antenna issue. Gary first asked me for the size of the larger antenna mounting plate. He indicated the plate forms the ground plane for the antenna and even the larger plate supplied by Van's was on the small side. Gary also, had me try the longer coaxial cable between the ELT and the antenna. This did not remedy the situation.

I then attached 3 one foot long clip type jumpers to the plate. One extending to the right, one to the left and one aft. This effectively increases the size of the ground plane. Tested the ELT again, and received 1 blink of the light signifying all is normal.

As such, Van's has to determine another way of increasing the size of the ground plane to solve this issue.
 
If you are receiving 3 blinking lites when you go to ON and then back to ARM on the ELT with the larger antenna mounting plate, please send an e-mail to support. 3 lites signifies an antenna problem.

Was informed that Van's is not doing any further work on this issue because they have not heard from others having the same problem.
 
ELT - Limited Test Times

If I recall correctly, the proper time for testing an ELT is on the hour to 5 minutes after. No more than three sweeps. Anything outside of these parameters may cause SAR alerts.
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP
 
I experimented with a larger ground plane and found it to solve the problem. Told Ryan at Vans about it and was told I was wrong so take it for what it is worth, later we received a larger mount plate, haven't installed it yet. In the mean time I increased the angle of the original plate so to move the top area of the antenna away from the roll bar a little further and it seemed to correct the problem. Research when installing the 406 antenna on my 7 told me of a minimum distance from metal requirement because of reflectivity, unlike the 121.5 system. Hope this is a proper fix and hope it helps. Larry
 
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Is it not amazing. Many of us are having the same problem, even with the larger plate and we are all being told we are wrong!!!

I'll try bending the plate to move the tip of the antenna away from the metal structure. Hope it works! It sure would be an easy solution.
 
Marty,

Yes...bending would be the easy answer...let us know. Ken sent me a note back asking if I had tried the new plate they sent out. By the way, why can't you just cut half an inch off the antenna? And...thank you for the Dynon download!
 
I have the larger plate installed and still get the error.

WOW Peter, you know your antenna theory. Cutting about 0.5 inch off the top would change the resonant frequency of the 121.5 whip, but, would not really change the resonant frequency of the 406 MHz whip. Per Gary at ARTEX, the 406 MHz whip is encased in the rubber sheath. Gary indicated the 3 blinking lights is most probably as a result of the 406 MHz whip/ground plane. Hard to change the length of it, and, my antenna analyzer only goes to 174 MHz, so I do not know what the antenna is doing at 406 MHz.

Hope that answers your question.

AND for all OTHERS......If you see 3 blinking lites, send an e-mail to support. They need to hear from others having the same problem.
 
Angling the Antenna Away from the Rollbar-IT WORKS

Larry suggested bending the mounting plate a bit more to get the antenna a bit further away from the rollbar. Bent the plate a bit more and tried it at noon today.

IT WORKED. The lite blinked once signifying all is normal. Thanks Larry!!!

Measured the bend and it turned out to be 25 degrees.

A simple solution that should NOT affect the radiated pattern of the antenna.
 
MartySantic said:
Larry suggested bending the mounting plate a bit more to get the antenna a bit further away from the rollbar. Bent the plate a bit more and tried it at noon today.

IT WORKED. The lite blinked once signifying all is normal. Thanks Larry!!!

Measured the bend and it turned out to be 25 degrees.

A simple solution that should NOT affect the radiated pattern of the antenna.
Click to expand...

Hi Marty,

Glad it is working, you may want to read the information that came with the ELT, I think they required it to be within 15 degrees of vertical to get the required radiation.

Have a good day.

Best regards,
Vern
 
Marty

Good job...again...Marty!

This has been a good day! A new fuel tank solution and a fix for the ELT plate. Thanks again for sharing the results of your experimental mind. Can't wait to see you flying.
 
Mine seems to work

I had the cross-bar painted heavily. I painted the new ELT bracket heavily. Not sure the plate is actually gounded to the cross member even with 3 screw in place and tight. Got one blink when turned on. Guess I better leave it alone now !

John Bender
 
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