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ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

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ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:09 pm Post subject: ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

During my Condition Inspection of my (purchased) RV-6, I prepared to check the ELT batteries for date/operation. The builder had mounted the ELT behind the passenger seat in the baggage compartment, with the antenna directlyÂ above just inside the back glass. Not ideal for packing luggage, but certainly easy access for service (I thought).



I leaned over the seats and flipped open the two latches, and picked up the ELT to disconnect the coax & 'phone wire' that runs to the panel mounted control. No issue with the coax. But the phone wire is *hard wired* into the top of the ELT by the mfgr. To compound matters, the builder, in his infiniteÂ wisdom, drilled a hole in the baggage floor & snaked the cable through corrugatedÂ tubing that disappears into the inaccessible space under the baggage compartment. So now the 'portable' ELT, complete with its attached portable whip, is portable to a distance of about 2" above the floor of the baggage compartment.

I get it that not all builders have good sense, and all of us have 'bad decision days', but how could a mfgr do something this stupid, and I know it's pointless to ask, but how could the FAA be so stupid as to certify the thing?

Yes, I realize that the builder could have left a 2-foot service loop hanging out with the splice in the baggage compartment, but IT'S AN E(mergency)LT. In an actual emergency, finding a latch on the case would be a lot simpler and quicker than finding the splice point in the cable.

Does filing a Service Difficulty Report on a 20 year old product make any sense?

OK, rant mode off; back to your regularly scheduled programming.Â 

Charlie

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halbenjamin101(at)gmail.c
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:53 pm Post subject: ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

Hi Charlie,

Sounds like itâ€™s time to cut the cord, buy a couple of crimp on phone connectors and be done with it. I too find things that could have been done differently to make maintenance easier, but then again again I built it. 

Hal Benjamin 

RV4, Flying 



Sent from my iPad



 	  Quote: 	
		  On Aug 13, 2020, at 4:20 PM, Charlie England <ceengland7(at)gmail.com> wrote:



ï»¿During my Condition Inspection of my (purchased) RV-6, I prepared to check the ELT batteries for date/operation. The builder had mounted the ELT behind the passenger seat in the baggage compartment, with the antenna directly above just inside the back glass. Not ideal for packing luggage, but certainly easy access for service (I thought).



I leaned over the seats and flipped open the two latches, and picked up the ELT to disconnect the coax & 'phone wire' that runs to the panel mounted control. No issue with the coax. But the phone wire is *hard wired* into the top of the ELT by the mfgr. To compound matters, the builder, in his infinite wisdom, drilled a hole in the baggage floor & snaked the cable through corrugated tubing that disappears into the inaccessible space under the baggage compartment. So now the 'portable' ELT, complete with its attached portable whip, is portable to a distance of about 2" above the floor of the baggage compartment.

I get it that not all builders have good sense, and all of us have 'bad decision days', but how could a mfgr do something this stupid, and I know it's pointless to ask, but how could the FAA be so stupid as to certify the thing?

Yes, I realize that the builder could have left a 2-foot service loop hanging out with the splice in the baggage compartment, but IT'S AN E(mergency)LT. In an actual emergency, finding a latch on the case would be a lot simpler and quicker than finding the splice point in the cable.

Does filing a Service Difficulty Report on a 20 year old product make any sense?

OK, rant mode off; back to your regularly scheduled programming. 

Charlie

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ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 3:36 pm Post subject: ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

I hear you, but there is zero slack. I       was able to pivot it out of its holder, and rotate it enough to       get to all 4 of the battery screws, but I seriously doubt that I'd       have enough left on each end of the cut to strip & crimp both       ends.

       

       As the subject line says, this is more of a rant than a call for       help.  I'm impressed almost daily by 'aircraft quality'.

       

       The next time I need to pull up the seat pans, I'll pull some       slack down from the panel and back to ELT location. 

       

       Charlie

       

       On 8/13/2020 5:48 PM, Hal Benjamin wrote:

     

      	  Quote: 	
		                Hi Charlie,       

         Sounds like itâ€™s time to cut the cord, buy a couple of           crimp on phone connectors and be done with it. I too find           things that could have been done differently to make           maintenance easier, but then again again I built it.Â 

         

         

         Hal BenjaminÂ 

         RV4, FlyingÂ 

           

           Sent from my iPad

           

              	  Quote: 	
		  On Aug 13, 2020, at 4:20 PM, Charlie               England <ceengland7(at)gmail.com> (ceengland7(at)gmail.com) wrote:

               

                          ï»¿                                During                   my Condition Inspection of my (purchased) RV-6, I                   prepared to check the ELT batteries for                   date/operation. The builder had mounted the ELT behind                   the passenger seat in the baggage compartment, with                   the antenna directlyÂ above just inside the back glass.                   Not ideal for packing luggage, but certainly easy                   access for service (I thought).

                 

                 

                 

                 I                   leaned over the seats and flipped open the two                   latches, and picked up the ELT to disconnect the coax                   & 'phone wire' that runs to the panel mounted                   control. No issue with the coax. But the phone wire is                   *hard wired* into the top of the ELT by the mfgr. To                   compound matters, the builder, in his infiniteÂ wisdom,                   drilled a hole in the baggage floor & snaked the                   cable through corrugatedÂ tubing that disappears into                   the inaccessible space under the baggage compartment.                   So now the 'portable' ELT, complete with its attached                   portable whip, is portable to a distance of about 2"                   above the floor of the baggage compartment.

                 

                 

                 I get                   it that not all builders have good sense, and all of                   us have 'bad decision days', but how could a mfgr do                   something this stupid, and I know it's pointless to                   ask, but how could the FAA be so stupid as to certify                   the thing?

                 

                 

                 Yes,                   I realize that the builder could have left a 2-foot                   service loop hanging out with the splice in the                   baggage compartment, but IT'S AN E(mergency)LT. In an                   actual emergency, finding a latch on the case would be                   a lot simpler and quicker than finding the splice                   point in the cable.

                 

                 

                 Does                   filing a Service Difficulty Report on a 20 year old                   product make any sense?

                 

                 

                 OK,                   rant mode off; back to your regularly scheduled                   programming.Â 

                 

                 

                 Charlie

               

             

           	
         

       

     	
     

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Mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:15 pm Post subject: ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

I mounted the my ACK unit behind the       baggage bulkhead along with the antenna. Didn't really consider       the portable aspect.Â  There is a generous service loop in the       phone wire (which I think was more than long enough to reach the       panel for the remote piece.

     

     

     Bill "just sharing since I'm not flying       today" Watson

     

     

     

     On 8/13/2020 4:05 PM, Charlie England       wrote:

     

      	  Quote: 	
		                         During my           Condition Inspection of my (purchased) RV-6, I prepared to           check the ELT batteries for date/operation. The builder had           mounted the ELT behind the passenger seat in the baggage           compartment, with the antenna directlyÂ above just inside the           back glass. Not ideal for packing luggage, but certainly easy           access for service (I thought).

         

         

         

         I leaned over           the seats and flipped open the two latches, and picked up the           ELT to disconnect the coax & 'phone wire' that runs to the           panel mounted control. No issue with the coax. But the phone           wire is *hard wired* into the top of the ELT by the mfgr. To           compound matters, the builder, in his infiniteÂ wisdom, drilled           a hole in the baggage floor & snaked the cable through           corrugatedÂ tubing that disappears into the inaccessible space           under the baggage compartment. So now the 'portable' ELT,           complete with its attached portable whip, is portable to a           distance of about 2" above the floor of the baggage           compartment.

         

         

         I get it that           not all builders have good sense, and all of us have 'bad           decision days', but how could a mfgr do something this stupid,           and I know it's pointless to ask, but how could the FAA be so           stupid as to certify the thing?

         

         

         Yes, I           realize that the builder could have left a 2-foot service loop           hanging out with the splice in the baggage compartment, but           IT'S AN E(mergency)LT. In an actual emergency, finding a latch           on the case would be a lot simpler and quicker than finding           the splice point in the cable.

         

         

         Does filing a           Service Difficulty Report on a 20 year old product make any           sense?

         

         

         OK, rant mode           off; back to your regularly scheduled programming.Â 

         

         

         Charlie

       

     	
     



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ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:57 pm Post subject: ACK E-01 ELT SDR (warning: Rant mode ON)

Yes, and that service loop got permanently installed, through a conduit in the nonremoveable floor of the baggage compartment. The generous service loop should have been a removable cable.

 Sent from BlueMail 

 On Aug 15, 2020, at 9:22 PM, Bill Watson <mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com (mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com)> wrote: 	  Quote: 	
		           I mounted the my ACK unit behind the       baggage bulkhead along with the antenna. Didn't really consider       the portable aspect.  There is a generous service loop in the       phone wire (which I think was more than long enough to reach the       panel for the remote piece.

     

     

     Bill "just sharing since I'm not flying       today" Watson

     

     

     

     On 8/13/2020 4:05 PM, Charlie England       wrote:

     

      	  Quote: 	
		                         During my           Condition Inspection of my (purchased) RV-6, I prepared to           check the ELT batteries for date/operation. The builder had           mounted the ELT behind the passenger seat in the baggage           compartment, with the antenna directly above just inside the           back glass. Not ideal for packing luggage, but certainly easy           access for service (I thought).

         

         

         

         I leaned over           the seats and flipped open the two latches, and picked up the           ELT to disconnect the coax & 'phone wire' that runs to the           panel mounted control. No issue with the coax. But the phone           wire is *hard wired* into the top of the ELT by the mfgr. To           compound matters, the builder, in his infinite wisdom, drilled           a hole in the baggage floor & snaked the cable through           corrugated tubing that disappears into the inaccessible space           under the baggage compartment. So now the 'portable' ELT,           complete with its attached portable whip, is portable to a           distance of about 2" above the floor of the baggage           compartment.

         

         

         I get it that           not all builders have good sense, and all of us have 'bad           decision days', but how could a mfgr do something this stupid,           and I know it's pointless to ask, but how could the FAA be so           stupid as to certify the thing?

         

         

         Yes, I           realize that the builder could have left a 2-foot service loop           hanging out with the splice in the baggage compartment, but           IT'S AN E(mergency)LT. In an actual emergency, finding a latch           on the case would be a lot simpler and quicker than finding           the splice point in the cable.

         

         

         Does filing a           Service Difficulty Report on a 20 year old product make any           sense?

         

         

         OK, rant mode           off; back to your regularly scheduled programming. 

         

         

         Charlie

       

     	
     



        

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Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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