Hat tip to Artex

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

My whip antenna for the Artex 406 ELT -- mounted on the top of the aft fuselage -- broke in the breeze about 30 hours into the Phase I testing when I was going no faster than 130 knots. They are supposed to withstand up to 200.

Aircraft Spruce wanted $226 for a new one -- which is ridiculous -- so I wrote to Artex and told them the story.

"That should NOT have happened," Scott at Artex told me when he called yesterday. "We'll get a new one out to you tomorrow."

He asked whether I had the whip antenna with the white or dark base. I had the one with the white base. "That's REV A," he said. "We replaced that a few years ago with REV B."

Good service, indeed.

BTW, he said the company is about to come out with a new ELT that has more features and is cheaper.

 

[FredP45069]

My Artex whip antenna has broken twice. I paid the $250 to replace it last year and now it is broken again. Based on your success I'm calling them in the morning to try to get some relief. Thanks for the report.
Fred

 

[2bolts]

Artex

In the UK, Artex is a covering that you put on the interior walls of your house. LOL

 

[rv9av8tr]

In the UK, Artex is a covering that you put on the interior walls of your house. LOL

Maybe you're thinking of "Latex" for covering the walls...... ;-)

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

My Artex whip antenna has broken twice. I paid the $250 to replace it last year and now it is broken again. Based on your success I'm calling them in the morning to try to get some relief. Thanks for the report.
Fred

Was it the white base or the dark base?

 

[2bolts]

Maybe you're thinking of "Latex" for covering the walls...... ;-)

No it's Artex, it's a powder, mix with water, apply with a trowel.

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/buildi...d_coatings/Artex-Textured-Finish-10kg-9273305

Just a bit of homour

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

I guess I have to take this back. The Artex guy promised a new antenna would be sent out the next day. That was two weeks ago; it never arrived.

Subsequent phone calls have not been returned.

Aircraft Spruce, meanwhile, wants the remaining part of the antenna returned "for warranty evaluation" by its supplier. Apparently, its supplier isn't Artex.

Removing the antenna puts a hole in the airplane and technically, I think, makes me unable to fly since, also technically, I have a stub of an antenna now.

I'm betting I suck it up and throw away $226 on a new antenna.

 

[BobTurner]

FAR 91.207 allows you to fly for up to 90 days while the ELT is being repaired. Placard the panel "ELT removed". Date the maintance logs.

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

The ELT is fine. It's the antenna that's broken. Technically, at this point, I still have an antenna. It's just REALLY short.

 

[roee]

The ELT is fine. It's the antenna that's broken. Technically, at this point, I still have an antenna. It's just REALLY short.

Technically, at this point, you don't have a functional antenna, you have a broken antenna. And so the ELT, as a system, is not fine. With the ELT antenna broken, you don't have a functional ELT installation. Placarding it would be appropriate.

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Technically, at this point, you don't have a functional antenna, you have a broken antenna. And so the ELT, as a system, is not fine. With the ELT antenna broken, you don't have a functional ELT installation. Placarding it would be appropriate.

I can activate it and hear it squealing on my scanner in the hangar. Where is the signal strength minimums listed in the regs?

Also, to update: I can't even get a callback from the guy at Artex who called and told me "this should not happen; we'll send a new one right out to you." Very strange. Surely there's someone who sells a compatible antenna that doesn't cost $226.