ELT installation problem with ACK E-04

[AeroDog]

After triple-checking the wiring, installing the batteries, etc., I'm getting a ticking sound from the speaker in the small enunciator box zip-tied to the main unit. I also have a flashing red light on the little unit on the instrument panel. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Jerre

 

[upperdeck]

Return it for an Artex 345 if you still can. Seriously, this is just the beginning of your problems with this brand. Mine is sitting on the shelf with the batteries removed so that it won’t false alarm anymore. I refuse to sell it or even give it away it’s so bad.

 

[Dugaru]

Return it for an Artex 345 if you still can. Seriously, this is just the beginning of your problems with this brand. Mine is sitting on the shelf with the batteries removed so that it won’t false alarm anymore. I refuse to sell it or even give it away it’s so bad.

+1. Save yourself.

 

[Jamesey]

Never had a problem.

 

[dmattmul]

Me either, kow.

 

[DaveWelch]

After triple-checking the wiring, installing the batteries, etc., I'm getting a ticking sound from the speaker in the small enunciator box zip-tied to the main unit. I also have a flashing red light on the little unit on the instrument panel. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Jerre

I haven't had a problem with my ACK. Give them a call.
I did have to return mine for a bent pin...my fault as I explained to them. They fixed it and returned to me, no charge.

 

[mgrieb]

After triple-checking the wiring, installing the batteries, etc., I'm getting a ticking sound from the speaker in the small enunciator box zip-tied to the main unit. I also have a flashing red light on the little unit on the instrument panel. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Jerre

Check the plugs on the cable going to the remote on your panel by comparing them to the long cable that came with your ELT. My harness as it came from Steinair had one of them backwards causing the problem you’re describing.

 

[Dav11vad]

I had the same symptoms with mine when I first installed it. Both the clicking and the light. In my case, I had to extend the (telephone) cable about 10 inches from what was supplied by Vans due to my placement on the remote in the panel. I used a connector and a short piece of cable to extend. Found that the problem was with the connector that I had used to extend the cable. When that was replaced, the ELT worked fine. Suggest that you try another cable and connect it to the remote to eliminate that as the cause.

 

[bbaggerman]

After triple-checking the wiring, installing the batteries, etc., I'm getting a ticking sound from the speaker in the small enunciator box zip-tied to the main unit. I also have a flashing red light on the little unit on the instrument panel. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Jerre

The ACK E-04 installation diagram is shown below. In my RV-12 what is labeled "Remote Cable" below was just sort of extraneous with the extra length just wrapped up. My Audio Alert Unit (AAU) is near the ELT. The long cable to the panel is the "Audio Alert Cable". I figured I'd get rid of the short "Remote Cable" and just plug the ELT directly into the AAU. Wrong! It turns out all the parts shown need to be used and in the order shown below, include the shorty (in my case) Remote Cable.

 

[AeroDog]

The ACK E-04 installation diagram is shown below. In my RV-12 what is labeled "Remote Cable" below was just sort of extraneous with the extra length just wrapped up. My Audio Alert Unit (AAU) is near the ELT. The long cable to the panel is the "Audio Alert Cable". I figured I'd get rid of the short "Remote Cable" and just plug the ELT directly into the AAU. Wrong! It turns out all the parts shown need to be used and in the order shown below, include the shorty (in my case) Remote Cable.
View attachment 59823

The ACK worked when hooked up using only the black cables supplied with the unit, bypassing the Van's-supplied long grey cable from the remote back to the ELT. Turns out that long cable from Van's is "crossed" when it needs to be straight through. I now suspect that the short cable and female/female connector shown in the KAI which people are tempted to delete un-crosses the long grey cable going up to the remote. I must have lost the short cable from Van's and used instead the short black cable in the box which is straight through. I think I can fabricate a new short, "crossed" cable to make it work.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Jerre

 

[bbaggerman]

The ACK worked when hooked up using only the black cables supplied with the unit, bypassing the Van's-supplied long grey cable from the remote back to the ELT. Turns out that long cable from Van's is "crossed" when it needs to be straight through. I now suspect that the short cable and female/female connector shown in the KAI which people are tempted to delete un-crosses the long grey cable going up to the remote. I must have lost the short cable from Van's and used instead the short black cable in the box which is straight through. I think I can fabricate a new short, "crossed" cable to make it work.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Jerre

Maybe I am reading the KAI wrong but it seems to be at odds with the ACK instructions.



This is NOT what the ACK documentation shows. Mine only works when I have it connected EXACTLY like it is shown in the ACK manual.

 

[Oldtimer]

I just bought a Vans RV-12 with an ACK E-04 elt. It has turned on 3 times (after landing) on the last 9 flights. The ACK factory people say Vans has it too close to the Dynon skyview and the com radio. I thought they worked together on this?? He also said covering the ELT with tinfoil will probably stop this problem. What a silly fix!
Gary

 

[Dugaru]

I just bought a Vans RV-12 with an ACK E-04 elt. It has turned on 3 times (after landing) on the last 9 flights. The ACK factory people say Vans has it too close to the Dynon skyview and the com radio. I thought they worked together on this?? He also said covering the ELT with tinfoil will probably stop this problem. What a silly fix!
Gary

It isn’t you or Vans, it’s ACK. Lots of threads and posts here about the ACK E-04 activating for no reason. Mine is nowhere near any avionics and it goes off for no reason. The tinfoil suggestion is a classic. Frankly I’m surprised they didn’t blame the phase of the moon and suggest incantations and incense.

 

[bobg56]

the short black cable does un cross the wires, I was working on a friends RV8 installing a new ELT, I needed to use a double female end fitting, after installing the ELT it did not work, I noticed by adding that piece and plugging in the male connectors to that the wires (phone cable) were reversed , the wires are colored so I bought a phone cable splicer and installed a new male connector making sure the wires were now matching up.

 

[AeroDog]

the short black cable does un cross the wires, I was working on a friends RV8 installing a new ELT, I needed to use a double female end fitting, after installing the ELT it did not work, I noticed by adding that piece and plugging in the male connectors to that the wires (phone cable) were reversed , the wires are colored so I bought a phone cable splicer and installed a new male connector making sure the wires were now matching up.

My short black wire was straight through. I bought a $2.00 coupler which reverses polarity and that fixed it. So I wired it exactly as described in the KAI but swapped out the coupler provided by Van's with the reversing coupler.

Jerre

 

[bobg56]

My short black wire was straight through. I bought a $2.00 coupler which reverses polarity and that fixed it. So I wired it exactly as described in the KAI but swapped out the coupler provided by Van's with the reversing coupler.

Jerre

It through me off at first, in my case the female coupler reversed the wires so I had to crimp on a new male end to match wire colors, made me nuts until I figured it out.

 

[Oldtimer]

Where can I buy this phone line coupler?
Another odd thing is that the red light on my instrument panel activation switch flashes two times when I turn on the master switch. Is this normal?
Thanks guys.
Gary

 

[AeroDog]

Where can I buy this phone line coupler?
Another odd thing is that the red light on my instrument panel activation switch flashes two times when I turn on the master switch. Is this normal?
Thanks guys.
Gary

Search for RJ11 reverse coupler on Amazon. A bunch of couplers will show up, some straight through, some reverse.

Jerre

 

[Oldtimer]

Thanks Jerre...I see them.
Gary