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jrevens
01-17-2012, 01:13 PM
Does anyone have pictures of how they mounted their ELT, that they would share. I know the factory is now welding a plate to the fuselage structure for that, but I'm curious how others have done it.

akarmy
01-17-2012, 02:27 PM
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/picture.php?albumid=143&pictureid=1788

You can just see the edge of the yellow case in this picture. It's mounted behind the pilot side seat pan. on an aluminum plate.

Dave S
01-17-2012, 04:01 PM
Here is a photo - not a perfect photo but enough to show where the ELT (Artex 409) is located. Hope it helps some.

The part you can't see is the plate underneath it which is fastened to the fuselage tubes with cushion clamps. ELT base is screwed to the plate and the ELT is strapped to the base.

Just so nobody gets any ideas.....the two inline fuel filters in the photo WERE REMOVED PRIOR TO FIRST STARTUP AND WERE NOT USED.

Sincerely,

Dave S
KF7 Trigear
912ULS Warp

P Morel
01-17-2012, 07:36 PM
I used adel clamps on the pilot side behind the seat and clamped to the fuselage.

War Eagle
01-17-2012, 07:48 PM
I mounted mine on brackets I made that hang the unit on the pilots side of the fuselage so it is accessible either through the bag that forms the baggage compartment and/or through the turle deck opening.

I tried to think of a way to mount so I wouldn't have to take the seats out to access it for service.

Esser
02-18-2013, 10:39 AM
Where is the factory welded plate located?

jrevens
02-18-2013, 11:37 AM
Esser,
It is located approximately in the location where I decided to mount mine, but I used an aluminum plate with some clamps that I made out of S.S.

Dorsal
02-18-2013, 12:51 PM
John, nice mount, I going to move my antenna "inside" and thanks to you I now have a plan :)

Tom Waid
02-18-2013, 02:27 PM
This is my solution. I used some aluminum I had on hand and adel clamps. Obviously this can be improved by cutting some lightening holes which I'm considering. Some reports on this forum about successful internal mounting of the antenna led me to go ahead and mount it that way.

http://tropicaltuba.com/Kitfox%20Project/images/613.jpg

Dave S
02-18-2013, 02:59 PM
There is a lot to be said in favor of inside mounted ELT antenna...........when I was at this point a discussion with one of the greybeard EAA tech counselors went like this...."You know, if you ever end up needing it you will find yourself upside down or right side up in the swamp....if the antenna is on the outside there is 1/2 a chance it won't work because the antenna will be broken off or buried in the mud....tube and fabric airplane, put it inside the fuselage frame".

One sidebar point to keep in mind. I understand that some com radio antennaes need to be a minimum distance away from the ELT antenna; but, that will be covered in the ELT antenna installation documents for the specific ELT model.

Sincerely,

Dave S

Esser
02-18-2013, 03:20 PM
Thanks, I looked all in that area on my fuselage and there is no plate. My kit was delivered in June so I thought it would be up to date. I will just have to do something like the others on this thread.

mr bill
02-18-2013, 03:47 PM
This is how I mounted my ELT and put the antenna in the vertical stabilizer.

HighWing
02-19-2013, 09:08 AM
Two more things to think about. If mounted high, for sure easier to maintain, but if it should break loose during a crash, it could become a lethal missile - remembering the EAA accident investigator from Alaska who talked about a fatality who had a fishing pole protruding from the back of his head - otherwise survivable. If mounting low the same thing applies, but for a different reason, If the mount won't sustain the G forces - mounted high or low - in a crash, the antenna cable might break from the unit with no transmission.

I don't know if Adel clamps are designed to withstand heavy G forces applied by heavy equipment. I have seen them break supporting the ignition module over time. Our emergency Landing (crash) was a half mile from a Fire Station and the property owner was on the cell phone within minutes, but if we had lost oil pressure a half hour later, we would have been at the crest of the Sierras. We didn't need the ELT where we were, but if there, our lives might have depended on it functioning correctly.

Internal antenna - after the Emergency folks arrived at our crash site, the first thing they asked is where the ELT was. They wanted to shut it off - they work.
Lowell

mr bill
02-19-2013, 12:03 PM
I used thicker steel clamps (Ace Hardware, not Mil Spec) that are much stronger and less susceptible to fatigue.

GDN
02-23-2013, 01:03 PM
I'm a ELT and SAR products specialist too and i would add that in most part of the crashes, the coaxial cable is broken and so no transmission...
If you buy a new one take one with external AND internal antenna so you will be rescued ;-)