ELT antenna under empennage intersection fairing?

[Dean Pichon]

I have seen that some builders are puting the ELT antenna under the (fiberglass) empennage intersection fairing. I would like to do this and am wondering if anyone has tested this location (either on purpose or by accident) and can comment on transmission effectiveness.

[/IMG]

Thanks,

 

[Vlad]

My DAR specifically noted before inspection that he would not pass this type of installation.

 

[Bill Phillips]

I have my 406 ELT antenna mounted like photo

it was mounted and a couple years ago the plane was inside a two story shop with brick walls and steel doors and when it was accidently tripped and left unknown the CAP, U.S. Air Force, Home Land Security Force and a bunch of Deputies showed up. I was very embarrassed, but happy to know how well it worked. As to a DAR that "refused" to consider the mount location, DUMP him and find another.

 

[jclark]

Yes and yes ...

I have seen that some builders are puting the ELT antenna under the (fiberglass) empennage intersection fairing. I would like to do this and am wondering if anyone has tested this location (either on purpose or by accident) and can comment on transmission effectiveness.

[/IMG]

Thanks,

Mine is mounted in the same area on an RV6.
At SnF a few years ago (the year there was LOTS of grass, trash and dust blown around), I trtied wipe down a lot of dust that had been blown through my slightly open tip up canopy.

Unknowingly, I hit the ELT button on the panel and left to go shopping.
Got a phone call from the lead guy of the CAP I believe, informing me that MY ELT was tripped and I was to meet him at the plane! :-O

It WORKED! And worked well. (They found my plane in the midst of hundreds! At a show where there were probably thousands.)

They wondered where the antenna was as they could not find it.

Made me replace the batteries as it had been on for more that 2 hours as I recall. The BIGGEST issue was I had to remove the baggage bulkhead and crawl in to pull out the ELT so they could get the serial number.

So there ... an existence proof of one.

James