KR> APRS / ELT

[Dj Merrill]

Just an fyi that Byonics just announced a new cheaper APRS tracker that
will be available in March for $180.  Includes 10 watt transmitter, GPS,
and antenna.  Not much for details yet:

This might be the cheapest option to get an APRS system for your
airplane.  I'll post more details as they become available.


In case anyone was still wondering if ELTs were optional, according to
the EAA, your homebuilt does require an ELT if it has more than one
seat.  If you are building a single seat KR, you are not legally
required to have an ELT onboard.



--
Do I need an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) in my homebuilt?
Yes, if you are building an airplane that has more than one seat, you
will be required to have an ELT. The regulation that pertains to ELT's
is 14 CFR 91.207. This section applies to all US registered civil
airplanes, whether they are standard or experimental category.

The specific paragraph in 91.207 that applies to homebuilt aircraft
reads as follows:

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, no
person may operate a U.S.-registered civil airplane unless --

(2) For operations other than those specified in paragraph (a)(1) of
this section, there must be attached to the airplane an approved
personal type or an approved automatic type emergency locator
transmitter that is in operable condition, except that after June 21,
1995, an emergency locator transmitter that meets the requirements of
TSO-C91 may not be used for new installations.

Paragraph (a)(1) of 91.207 talks about charter and air carrier
operations, and does not apply to the operation of homebuilt aircraft.

Single seat airplanes are exempt from the requirement for an ELT. This
exemption is found in 91.207(f)(9), the pertinent part of which is
quoted here:

"(f) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to --

(9) Aircraft equipped to carry not more than one person."

Thus, a single-seat airplane is not required to have an ELT installed,
regardless of certification category.

Note that this regulation speaks specifically to ?airplanes?, which the
FAA defines as:

??an engine-driven fixed-wing aircraft heavier than air, that is
supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings.?

This being the case, homebuilts other than airplanes (i.e., helicopters,
gyroplanes, balloons, gliders, airships, trikes, powered parachutes,
etc.) do not require an ELT under this regulation.
--


-Dj

-- 
Dj Merrill - N1JOV
Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/
Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/

KR> APRS / ELT

[Tim Caughron]

Hi all, long-time follower, first-time poster.
While I haven't started my KR-2S project yet, I thank all of you for your
dedication to this ongoing resource. I have read many great ideas and hints
and will be doing frequent searches when the building starts.

I work as a Sheriff Deputy in California and am assigned as a pilot to our
Air Support Unit. Having been in the unit for 7 years now, it is safe to say
I have worked my fair share of downed aircraft and beacon alerts. The APRS
discussion has been great and many folks have made some great points.

>From my viewpoint, the 121.5 system was extremely unreliable. Easily, at
least half the searches we conducted for downed aircraft were without any
ELT activation - at least by the time we made it on scene. Generally, an
aircraft was reported overdue. Authorities were notified and a search begun.
This generally started with origination and destination airports. Then
expanded to known course. Sometimes, the search was delayed hours or even
days. Unfortunately, pilots have a habit of not filing flight plans anymore,
so more likely than not the notification comes from friends or family. Even
if we were lucky enough to pick up a signal, the 121.5 system required a
very complicated search of the "alert area" because of the omni-directional
signal and no equipment to zero in on it.

As for the 406 system - it looks promising and will be a huge help for
searchers because of the GPS reporting. I have had only one experience with
the system so far - that being a camper in the Sierras experiencing chest
pain and made notification via the "Spot" unit he had for the trip. We
received instant notification and coordinates that were right on the money.
Flew to the location and hoisted him out without searching or delay.

As for APRS, let me just say that I was so impressed with its capabilities
that I studied for and received my Technician license so I can operate one.
My plan is to make one or two portables to carry while flying at work. We
generally operate in remote terrain and without a flight plan or flight
following (just the nature of the business). If we had a mishap, it could
literally be forever before we were located if I was unable to activate my
portable PLB. 

The interesting thing is that the APRS is a free version of commercial
flight tracking systems that are becoming very popular and quite expensive.
They offer everything APRS is capable of. The benefit is the live flight
tracking. Even if the unit fails in a crash, the last point of contact is a
much better place to start than pointing to a random place on the map. As a
rescuer, I hope that someday one of my searches involves the APRS system. It
would be of great benefit to pull-up an aircrafts flight before I begin a
search. I know it would greatly assist in the location and can be nothing
but beneficial.

While I don't condone anymore gov't regulation, I would hope that all airmen
see the benefit of this equipment and move to a volunteer adoption of
installing and using it. By my experience, it is likely to be your friends
and family that make the overdue report anyway, why not give them the tools
and ability to track you and narrow the search information for the
authorities. Think of it as a redundant system - when it comes to aircraft,
you can never have too much of that. Oh yeah - I guess I would recommend a
"Spot" also if you are of the outdoor adventurist type.

Tim Caughron
KR-2S plan holder
caugh...@bak.rr.com

KR> APRS / ELT

[Larry H.]

If one is worried about it, just fly the highways and byways, if a problem 
arises, just crash where everyone else crashes!
Larry H.

KR> APRS / ELT

[Dj Merrill]

On 2/21/2010 2:15 PM, Mark Jones wrote:
> So, just how good is an ELT really? How long should it take 
> for someone to respond to an ELT?


For clarity, the ELTs I am talking about are the new 406Mhz units that
transmit GPS coordinates, so they know within a few feet of where you
are located.  I agree completely that the old 121.5 Mhz ELTs are mostly
ineffective.  Legal, but ineffective.


On 2/21/2010 1:53 PM, Larry Flesner wrote:
> For the price, I see a definite benefit to the APRS, probably used
> with a 406 ELT..  The difference being that the APRS is constantly
> transmitting your location and will indicate where the flight
> terminated and the ELT will only arrive on scene and transmit "after
> the fact" and could (probably would) be totally useless depending on
> it's survivability.


Yes, the APRS unit will indicate where the flight terminated, but
unless you manually flip a switch to tell it to start transmitting an
"emergency" signal, there is no difference in the signal between landing
safely and crashing.  The APRS unit may also be destroyed in the crash,
never giving you an opportunity to flip the "emergency" signal switch.

The important point here is that APRS must be *manually* activated to
send the "emergency" signal similar to a PLB.  The ELT is the only one
of the three that will automatically activate in the event of a crash.
I just want to make sure that people are not thinking that the APRS will
function in the same manner as an ELT.  It doesn't.

A 406 Mhz ELT in combination with APRS would be a nice setup, IMHO.

A complete APRS system is about the same price as a PLB, so there
really isn't much of a price advantage.  It does offer some really nice
features that the PLB doesn't, though.

APRS Portable unit:  $260
http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mtaio.php

APRS Aircraft wired unit with antenna and GPS:  $278
unit - http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mt8000fa.php
antenna - http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mt_antenna.php
gps - http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/gps.php

Portable PLB - $290
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/mcmurdofastfind.php

-Dj

-- 
Dj Merrill - N1JOV
Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/
Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/

KR> APRS / ELT

[mark wood]

>
> When I hit that deer a couple years ago on landing my ELT went off  
> and was
> transmitting. I did not realize it till about 3 hours later. No one  
> ever
> responded, called or even checked and it was on the airport when it  
> was
> transmitting. So, just how good is an ELT really? How long should  
> it take
> for someone to respond to an ELT?


In my case, we were in the desert and were not able to reach anyone  
on 121.5. I finally managed to contact a passing airliner who then  
relayed my position to ATC and finally the sheriff who dispatched a  
helicopter to come look for us. About 5 hours later we saw the  
helicopter pass by 5-6 miles away. I tried signaling with my mirror  
but they kept going. After 15 minutes or so they flew up the other  
side of the valley in the opposite direction. About 10 minutes later  
they came flying on a course about a mile off of our position but  
they saw my mirror signal. The observer told me they never got the  
ELT until they were on the last pass and 5 ish miles away. They  
spotted us only from the flashing mirror.

Having spent 20 years in the guard and doing lots of S missions, I  
can attest that this is more of the rule than the exception.

MArk

KR> APRS / ELT

[erickelshei...@att.net]

   This is a very good point Mark, Like I told Mark Langford, I 
watched his entire flight yesterday even had the wife watch which gave her 
great peace of mind. With this system she can watch me fly and know at a glance 
where I am and that all is well any time I fly. 
Eric Von Kelsheimer
Clinton, Indiana 47842
erickelshei...@att.net
When I hit that deer a couple years ago on landing my ELT went off and was 
transmitting. I did not realize it till about 3 hours later. No one ever 
responded, called or even checked and it was on the airport when it was 
transmitting. So, just how good is an ELT really? How long should it take 
for someone to respond to an ELT?

Mark Jones (N886MJ)
Stevens Point, WI
E-mail: flyk...@charter.net
Web: www.flykr2s.com



___
Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp
to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net
please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html

KR> APRS / ELT

[Mark Jones]

 >The third crash was on the airport, less destructive, and I
>have no knowledge if the ELT went off or not.

When I hit that deer a couple years ago on landing my ELT went off and was 
transmitting. I did not realize it till about 3 hours later. No one ever 
responded, called or even checked and it was on the airport when it was 
transmitting. So, just how good is an ELT really? How long should it take 
for someone to respond to an ELT?

Mark Jones (N886MJ)
Stevens Point, WI
E-mail: flyk...@charter.net
Web: www.flykr2s.com