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Thread: ELT false activation

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Sep 2016
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    Austin, TX
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    42

    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Send it back to ACK! I had all of the same problems and the same response from ACK. If it is an experimental it must be you. It's not.
    I went for months with it off and just carried my PLB as I expected nothing but pushback from ACK.
    I heard of someone at the local airport that had the same problem, sent it back and it has since worked fine. I finally sent mine back and asked them to inspect it as it would go off in flight from thermal activity with nothing but the antenna connected.
    I got a message back from them immediately saying they were installing a new updated circuit board. They asked that I give them feedback.
    I originally just armed it and did not connect anything but the antenna. It worked! I was able to fly for hours in thermal activity with no activation. For the last two flights I connected the remote and it worked fine until yesterday. In some minor thermals it went off. No other activity other than the radio. I do not have it connected to GPS. I was able to turn it off at the remote. So I would have to say it is much better, but still much too sensitive.

    Stop taking their BS and push back. They have an ELT that is entirely too sensitive. There are stories all over the internet with people having the same problem.
    S7 Tri-gear 912iS - flying since 2015
    Built by someone that did a much better job than I would have

  2. #12
    Senior Member JoeRuscito's Avatar
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    Jun 2018
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    Charleston, SC
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    361

    Default Re: ELT false activation

    My personal fix was to run the remote wire completely separate from everything else. My elt is mounted behind the copilot, so I ran the remote wire up the right side of the fuselage between the fabric and large cockpit reinforcement plates. It’s worked since. I believe the gps can set it off when it first connect to satellites and the transponder box can effect it.

    I will also say. I’ve never had it go off in thermals. But once I did have it go off on the ground when I crossed a dirt road on a grass strip at taxi speeds. The odd thing was I had landed much harder than the bump crossing the road well after rollout.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Oak Harbor,Wa
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    168

    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Put the dummy load on the ELT and see if it still goes active when the transponder is on. Because of these problems I mounted the ELT antenna inside the vertical stabilizer to keep that antenna as far away from other antennas as possible. I can attest to the fact that being inside the stabilizer does not cause much signal loss as one time when I had finished the annual ELT tests I inadvertently put the switch in ON instead of ARM. About 10 minutes later I got a phone call from NOAA. They were nice about it. So since then I leave the radio on 121.5 until after Reinstalling the ELT. Also the aircraft was in the hangar at the time.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
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    Dec 2017
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    Mapleton,UT
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Joe, personally I would not call that fixed if you get a false activation crossing a dirt road? Doing it again I would not use this elt. I went with it because kitfox recommends it and sold them to us, but personally have not been impressed with it. I have not had any false activations, just the remote switch is cheaply made and switch plastic housing cracked not long after installing it. If mine ever gives me a false activation I think I will toss it.
    Last edited by Shadowrider; 04-13-2020 at 08:42 AM.
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  5. #15
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Jun 2010
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    Portland, OR
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    I have been using the ACK E-04 for 7 years in my SS7 with no problems whatsoever. It is mounted behind the pilot on the side of the baggage compartment. The antenna is also in that same location just below the ELT.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  6. #16
    Senior Member JoeRuscito's Avatar
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    Jun 2018
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    Charleston, SC
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Dustin I think I would normally agree with you but I think they are independent issues. Also I look at that activation as a fluke because it has never happened before or since and Ive landed/bumped the plane around much harder prior and since.

    Moving the remote wire did solve the non-moving activation I was having in my garage.

    The remote is made a bit cheaply but mine had not cracked yet...

  7. #17
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Aug 2009
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    Arvada, CO
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    My experience hasn’t been as long, but it is the same as Jim’s (jiott).
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  8. #18
    Senior Member
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    Aug 2008
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    Harvard, IL
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    For Jim (jlott) and John (jrevens). I am considering using this ELT. Since it apppears the the remote switch and it's wiring contribute to or cause the problem and you gentlemen have not had problems, when you get a chance could you explain how you wired your system. Airtex now has a model in the same price range but from some reviews I've seen, it seems to come with its own problems including false activation. Thanks in advance.

    Rick

  9. #19
    Senior Member
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    Dec 2017
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    Mapleton,UT
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    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Joe glad its working for you now. The remote housing that mounts to the panel is what cracks. It cracks on the seam of the plastic. Both of ours are cracked. Probably wouldn't notice it but things like this bother me. Airtex is the brand I would probably go with because of the panel mount switch looks nicer and looks to be better quality but if they are having similar issues.......

    Just to be clear, we have not had any false activations. We took the recommendations of others and did not bundle elt remote wires with any other wires. Ran them separate on the right side of the aircraft. Also I was told the transponder antenna is noisy and can also cause problems. We installed the transponder antenna as far back in the tail of the fuselage as I could reach, I have long arms, climbing in the baggage area.
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  10. #20
    Senior Member PapuaPilot's Avatar
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    Nov 2013
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    Nampa, Idaho
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    1,225

    Default Re: ELT false activation

    Quote Originally Posted by bumsteer View Post
    Airtex now has a model in the same price range but from some reviews I've seen, it seems to come with its own problems including false activation.
    Rick
    I have the ACK E-04 in my plane and have only had one false activation in 4 years use. I fixed it by repositioning the cables and making a shielded cable to replace the telephone cable to the remote switch/beeper.

    I'm very curious what you have heard about the Artex ELT 345?

    I have installed a couple of the Artex 345 ELTs in certified aircraft and think they have some nicer features over the ACK.
    • They cost about the same new
    • The Artex battery is good for 6 years vs. 5 yr. on the ACK. The replacement battery cost is about the same.
    • The Artex doesn't have the cheap telephone cord like the ACK does for the remote switch
    • I like that you can connect the Artex remote switch wire with shielded cable, they actually suggest that you do so
    • The Artex has one battery that does everything. The ACK has 3 batteries; the main one, the remote switch and beeper. This lead to a problem for me, read on.

    I just finished my condition inspection and found that the remote switch was not testing or activating the ACK-E04. The "10 year" lithium battery I put in the remote switch was dead after 5 years. ACK suggests doing the the ELT test with the remote switch every 3 months. I guess I need to be more careful to do that. Sadly if I needed to activate the ELT from the cockpit it wouldn't have worked with that battery dead. This means the ACK has another point of failure that the Artex doesn't have.
    Phil Nelson
    A&P-IA, Maintenance Instructor
    KF 5 Outback, Cont. IO-240
    Flying since 2016

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