ASW 27 or 27-18 406 ELT & antenna installation

I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.

On Oct 9, 4:28*pm, chipsoars wrote:
I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.

I had a Artex 406 MHz ELT and spend a day trying to work out where it
could be installed in an ASH-26E and gave up and sent it back. I
suggest you do what I did and buy a 406 MHz PLB and strap it on your
parachute harness in a Silver Parachutes "SMAK Pack". Likely a better
option than an ELT, which is unlikely to activate properly anyhow
(with current ELTs I believe it is around 60%, but I expect gliders to
be worse because of difficulty installing properly and likely lower
collision energies) even if you could work out where to to put the
antenna. And for a lot less money than a 406 MHz ELT you get a PLB
with GPS. And if you do bail out at a high altitude the PLB is with
you not some distance away in the glider. You just need to remind any
contest CDs that the SSA ELT rule is well intended but silly. A SPOT
messenger is another good option, especially with tracking. I fly with
both. SPOT tracking on the glider. PLB on my parachute harness.


Darryl

On Oct 9, 8:45*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Oct 9, 4:28*pm, chipsoars wrote:

I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.

I had a Artex 406 MHz ELT and spend a day trying to work out where it
could be installed in an ASH-26E and gave up and sent it back. I
suggest you do what I did and buy a 406 MHz PLB and strap it on your
parachute harness in a Silver Parachutes "SMAK Pack". Likely a better
option than an ELT, which is unlikely to activate properly anyhow
(with current ELTs I believe it is around 60%, but I expect gliders to
be worse because of difficulty installing properly and likely lower
collision energies) even if you could work out where to to put the
antenna. And for a lot less money than a 406 MHz ELT you get a PLB
with GPS. And if you do bail out at a high altitude the PLB is with
you not some distance away in the glider. You just need to remind any
contest CDs that the SSA ELT rule is well intended but silly. A SPOT
messenger is another good option, especially with tracking. I fly with
both. SPOT tracking on the glider. PLB on my parachute harness.

Darryl

I fly with a SPOT and a PLB - a better solution than an ELT I agree. I
do wish I had some sort of impact trigger.

What you'd really like to have is a g-sensor permanently mounted in
the glider that could connect to and trigger whatever device you carry
in event of impact. I wonder if you could mod a PLB with a simple jack
that you could tie into. Would be a lot cheaper and you wouldn't have
to deal with FAA stuff since it's not an aircraft-mounted ELT.

9B

On Oct 10, 3:53*am, Andy wrote:
On Oct 9, 8:45*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:





On Oct 9, 4:28*pm, chipsoars wrote:

I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.

I had a Artex 406 MHz ELT and spend a day trying to work out where it
could be installed in an ASH-26E and gave up and sent it back. I
suggest you do what I did and buy a 406 MHz PLB and strap it on your
parachute harness in a Silver Parachutes "SMAK Pack". Likely a better
option than an ELT, which is unlikely to activate properly anyhow
(with current ELTs I believe it is around 60%, but I expect gliders to
be worse because of difficulty installing properly and likely lower
collision energies) even if you could work out where to to put the
antenna. And for a lot less money than a 406 MHz ELT you get a PLB
with GPS. And if you do bail out at a high altitude the PLB is with
you not some distance away in the glider. You just need to remind any
contest CDs that the SSA ELT rule is well intended but silly. A SPOT
messenger is another good option, especially with tracking. I fly with
both. SPOT tracking on the glider. PLB on my parachute harness.

Darryl

I fly with a SPOT and a PLB - a better solution than an ELT I agree. I
do wish I had some sort of impact trigger.

What you'd really like to have is a g-sensor permanently mounted in
the glider that could connect to and trigger whatever device you carry
in event of impact. I wonder if you could mod a PLB with a simple jack
that you could tie into. Would be a lot cheaper and you wouldn't have
to deal with FAA stuff since it's not an aircraft-mounted ELT.

9B- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I've certainly considered the PLB and will likely get one as well,
however I'm in PA. An incident on a ridge may not afford one the
opportunity to trigger a PLB.

There is a good reason KS requires an ELT at Mifflin, it is hardly
silly. I've enjoyed flying there, an aircraft mounted ELT is
required, and I intend to find a way to accomplish that with the 406.
I doubt that PX would have been found without it, and my family is at
least owed closure in the event of a worst case scenario. What I've
heard about SPOT so far doesn't provide me with confidence in its
accuracy.

Does someone have some constructive advice?

On Oct 10, 7:12*am, chipsoars wrote:
On Oct 10, 3:53*am, Andy wrote:



On Oct 9, 8:45*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

On Oct 9, 4:28*pm, chipsoars wrote:

I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.

I had a Artex 406 MHz ELT and spend a day trying to work out where it
could be installed in an ASH-26E and gave up and sent it back. I
suggest you do what I did and buy a 406 MHz PLB and strap it on your
parachute harness in a Silver Parachutes "SMAK Pack". Likely a better
option than an ELT, which is unlikely to activate properly anyhow
(with current ELTs I believe it is around 60%, but I expect gliders to
be worse because of difficulty installing properly and likely lower
collision energies) even if you could work out where to to put the
antenna. And for a lot less money than a 406 MHz ELT you get a PLB
with GPS. And if you do bail out at a high altitude the PLB is with
you not some distance away in the glider. You just need to remind any
contest CDs that the SSA ELT rule is well intended but silly. A SPOT
messenger is another good option, especially with tracking. I fly with
both. SPOT tracking on the glider. PLB on my parachute harness.

Darryl

I fly with a SPOT and a PLB - a better solution than an ELT I agree. I
do wish I had some sort of impact trigger.

What you'd really like to have is a g-sensor permanently mounted in
the glider that could connect to and trigger whatever device you carry
in event of impact. I wonder if you could mod a PLB with a simple jack
that you could tie into. Would be a lot cheaper and you wouldn't have
to deal with FAA stuff since it's not an aircraft-mounted ELT.

9B- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I've certainly considered the PLB and will likely get one as well,
however I'm in PA. *An incident on a ridge may not afford one the
opportunity to trigger a PLB.

There is a good reason KS requires an ELT at Mifflin, it is hardly
silly. *I've enjoyed flying there, an aircraft mounted ELT is
required, and I intend to find a way to accomplish that with the 406.
I doubt that PX would have been found without it, and my family is at
least owed closure in the event of a worst case scenario. *What I've
heard about SPOT so far doesn't provide me with confidence in its
accuracy.

Does someone have some constructive advice?

Try the asw-27 yahoo group. Better signal/noise.

Evan Ludeman / T8

I have done several tests with my Spot and believe the data is accurate; however, the problem with the original model is missing fixes. The new version has gone a long way in correcting this deficiency by re-broadcasting the last three fixes. This should fill in holes in coverage.

Are any of you flying with the new model? Does the improvements warrant the cost of buying the new model and adding my old one to my collection of obsolete technology?

I have a 121.5 ELT installed in my old HP-14 and would like to know if the SRA or SSA has collected any ELT related effectiveness statistics. If so, what is the activation to failure to activate ratio? (This question is asked because the lack of an ELT signal in a recent accident.)

Wayne
http://tinyurl.com/N990-6F


"chipsoars" wrote in message ...

I've certainly considered the PLB and will likely get one as well,
however I'm in PA. An incident on a ridge may not afford one the
opportunity to trigger a PLB.

There is a good reason KS requires an ELT at Mifflin, it is hardly
silly. I've enjoyed flying there, an aircraft mounted ELT is
required, and I intend to find a way to accomplish that with the 406.
I doubt that PX would have been found without it, and my family is at
least owed closure in the event of a worst case scenario. What I've
heard about SPOT so far doesn't provide me with confidence in its
accuracy.

Does someone have some constructive advice?

I can't speak specifically about mounting in an ASW27 but I have images of
where I installed the ACK-EO1 in an ASW20...very tidy installation..
see my page http://www.wingsandwheels.com/page13.htm Installation in ASW20
(how I did it).
also...I'm still an advocate of 121.5 ELT's in gliders, cheap and still very
effective ELT's and 406 ELT's are not required in gliders...
for those who do want 406 ELT's still the very best and easiest option
(along with a good 121.5 G switch operated ELT) IMO is the portable PLB
models..
I also have some in stock at very special close-out prices , several in
stock, several models, please see :
http://www.wingsandwheels.com/page13.htm
tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"chipsoars" wrote in message
...
I'm intending to upgrade over the winter and would like to know what
others have done - units, antenna type, location of unit and antenna
and performance validation.

thanks,

Chip F.