Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Find a location where you can mount the transmitter to one of the load-bearing structures of the vehicle, such as a beam, truss or bulkhead. Locate an area that is as far aft as possible while still being accessible for maintenance purposes.
Turn the transmitter so the arrow printed on the battery case is facing the direction of flight. In an airplane this is toward the nose, in a helicopter this is towards the ground in front of the vehicle at a 45-degree angle. The arrow must also be aligned to within 10 degrees of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
Hold the mounting tray included with your ELT up to the chosen area. Make pencil marks through the holes on the tray to serve as a guide. Affix a drill bit to the drill that is the same size as the screw holes and bolts on the mounting tray. Drill through the four marks on the beam chosen to hold the ELT.
Hold the mounting tray up against the wall and hold the mounting clamp over the tray. The clamp fits into the tray towards the middle. The two middles bolts go through both the clamp and tray. The other two only go through the tray.
Screw in the bolts, attach the washers and nuts to the other side and tighten them with the wrench.
Find a location to mount the antenna. The antenna must be at least 3 feet away from any other communication antenna, mounted on a conductive portion of the frame, in a location able to hold a load of at least 12 1/2 lbs., be within 20 degrees of a straight vertical position when the vehicle is in flight and be as close to the transmitter as possible. A coaxial cable will connect the antenna to the ELT, and this must not pass over any aircraft production breaks, such as riveted fuselage sections.
Place the 1/2-inch-diameter bit in the drill. Drill a hole in the location where you have chosen to mount the antenna. Screw the antenna into the hole and place the rubber washer on the opposite side, followed by the bolt securing the antenna into place.
Mark a cutout on the cockpit instrument panel for the remote unit. The size of the cutout must be 1.825 inches long by .49 inch high. If you do not have a cutout this size, get a machinist to make one for you.
Place the remote unit over the cutout section and mark where the holes for the connecting screws must go. Place a bit matching the screw size in the drill and drill holes for the screws.
Plug the RJ-11 cable connector into the back of the remote unit. Pull the cable through the cockpit panel and out to where it can be connected to the ELT. You do not have to secure the cable yet. Just pull it through so you can attach the remote.
Push the remote unit into the cutout and screw down the unit with the screws provided.
Plug the cable connector that runs from the remote unit into the ELT. Check that the cable is away from any sources of EMI or RFI radiation. Secure it with tie wraps.
Plug the coaxial cable into the antenna on one end and into the ELT on the other end. The cable supplied with the equipment is 6 feet long. This should be long enough to attach the equipment and allow for some slack. If it is not, purchase or fabricate another cable.
Perform the required post-installation tests as outlined in the ELT manual and required by the FAA.