Ameri-King AK-451-ELT User Manual
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2.2.2.2.3 Blade Antenna Installation: (AK 451.017-3A)
Installations must be made by qualified personnel, and in accordance with Federal
Regulations. The AK 451.017-3A Blade Antenna delivers optimum performance
only when installed correctly. To ensure adequate structural strength of the aircraft
for associated air loading during flight, use of a backing plate or doublers (not
supplied) may be required. Refer to FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-2B for guidance.
Look for Advisory Circulars under the Regulatory/Advisory heading on the FAA
home page,
It is the responsibility of the installation agency to
determine the appropriate and adequate antenna installation. The AK 451.017-3A
Blade Antenna is designed to provide ELT transmissions from a single BNC Female
Coaxial connector.
Location:
The AK 451.017-3A must be mounted on the top of the aircraft to assure maximum
visibility of satellites (406 MHz). The best location is the upper aft portion of the
fuselage. The specific mounting location is very important. A flat surface is the best
antenna mounting location. Do not mount the antenna on the curvatures and uneven
surface. It should be mounted vertically and away from projections such as a
propeller, tail surfaces, engine exhaust, or the shadow of larger antennas. Do not over
torque the mounting screws in an attempt to reduce gaps between the antenna base
plate and aircraft mounting surface. If gaps over 0.020” appear between the base
plate and mounting surface, use of a mounting saddle is recommended. Refer to Fig.
8 for a drawing of the antenna.
Installation Preparation:
Prepare the surface for blade antenna installations in such a manner to ensure a
ground contact of less than 0.003Ω. The electrical bonding between the antenna and
the aircraft ground is very important. If this bonding is not done properly, the
performance of the antenna may become distorted and nulls may appear in the
antenna radiation pattern. This, in turn, may cause erratic navigational readings or
signal drop out. The electrical bonding of the antennas to the aircraft skin is best
accomplished by direct metal-to-metal contact of the antenna base to the aircraft
skin. To accomplish this, the aircraft paint in the mounting area will need to be
removed. If bare metal surfaces are needed for surface preparation they should be
treated with Alodine® 1200(or similar compound) to eliminate aluminum oxidation.
After installing the blade antenna, make sure the electrical bonding of the antenna
base blade to the aircraft meets the requirement of less than 0.003Ω.
Type of aircraft:
The AK 451.017-3A Blade Antenna is designed for installation on fixed wing
subsonic aircraft with reciprocating engines and is rated for a maximum airspeed of
600 KIAS (Knots Indicated Airspeed at Sea Level)