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GPS out to ELT wire

J

jtdehaan

Member
On page 42-16 step 1 I'm supposed to connect the blue wire coming from the connector adapter to the white WH-F55 wire. I don't have a blue wire coming out of the connector adapter, all I have are the red and black wires to connect the buzzer. What to do?

Jake
 
Revision

There is already a revision posted for that page on Van's website. I saw it while printing the another revision today. I think it corrects the problem you describe.
 
Just checked the connector that was in my box. Same problem. One black wire and one white wire. Does anyone have a solution??
 
Blue Colored wire?

As discussed, there is no blue colored wire coming out of the ELT plug. I called Vans today to see if they are sending a new one out, they told me that it was an option if we wanted to hook it up to the GPS, and we would have to buy the new plug ( with the 3rd wire) from the ELT company. So do we just cap off the white wire from the ELT?

Anyone else hear anything different??

Jim O
Blairsville, GA
 
If that is true, and it may well be the new posture from Van's, it is a very bad sign for the good people who still have kits to come as they seem to not have the capacity to fix much of anything and they are not prepared to deal with any of the avionics issues. So far they have fixed only the issue with the voltage regulator and that was a simple "Cut the wire" fix. It gives one a good bit of concern.

In this case it is what we were told that we bought, if they turn on us over this small amount of money whats next?

Best regards,
Vern
 
The GPS wire...

The ME-406 ELT does not have the hardware to take the NMEA GPS data and use that to encode a position report through the ELT. ARTEX does have an add-on part that makes this possible (a NAV box) but without it there's really no point in connecting the GPS wire.

However, that GPS wire could come in handy for the future if one-box GPS enabled 406mhz ELTs become available or some form of ADS-B requires a wire from the panel to the ELT. We are going to cap and wrap ours.

-Neil
 
Neil,

Did you call ARTEX to confirm your statement?

Please call ARTEX technical service and speak to Gary. I spoke to him a day ago and he indicated that the ELT would accept the lat/long data from the Garmin 2/3/496 provided the adapter with the blue wire is installed.

No special box is required.
 
Nope - I was going off the avionics shop. That would be great news if that is in the new ELT! However, there's nothing on their website. There was an announcement back in July:

http://www.aopa.org/news/productnews/090717gps.html

But these are nav adapters to existing ELTs. I'm not at the hanger to verify the model number on our ELT but it looked like the standard ME-406 to the avionics guy. There's no model on their website that has the nav built-in.

Do you have a model number handy? I'd love to be wrong! Perhaps the adapter we "should" have received is actually the NAV adapter? That would solve the riddle.

-Neil
 
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GPS Input

I have spoken to Artex twice about the interface with the blue wire. They have gotten approvals and are in the process of making the correct interface(blue wire) to make the ELT accept a GPS input. They indicated this should be available shortly and it is an inexpensive item.
 
GPS DATA TO ELT

Guys,
If you notice, pg. 42-16 Rev 3, which shows the ELT wire hookup, still shows a BLUE wire for the GPS DATA INPUT. Why would Van's still show this if they did not intend for it to be there. They have always (eventually) sent us what we need to make it like the prints. I don't think we will have to buy the correct plug when it becomes available, Van's will send it to us. I think this was a case of the ELT manufacturer letting Van's down. The incorrect plugs were in the ELT package and from what someone said previously, the correct ones are not ready yet.
Larry H.
 
ARTEX info

I just got off the phone with ARTEX (good suggestion). The existing ME-406 does not convert the NMEA-0183 data from the GPS on its own. ARTEX will be supplying the infamous blue-wire module that outputs to a ME-183 box that converts the GPS data to something the ELT sees as lat/long.

So, it sounds like two things to plug into the ELT, not one.

-Neil
 
Connector/Module/Interface NOT Supplied

Has anyone heard anything with respect to the ADDITIONAL module that we have to purchase that would successfully pass the GPS coordinates from the Garmin GPS to the ELT? I have yet to see anything from Van's that addresses the ADDITIONAL module/interface. And have not seen anything in the revised plans that shows us how to wire the module. (The white wire behind the passenger seat for this connection is really a coaxial cable (center conductor/shield and jacket) and NOT a simple piece of wire). So you cannot simply strip it and make the connection. (Many have noticed that this wire is much thicker, a lower gauge than would be expected.)

Maybe Scott can comment. Think this item fell into the proverbial hole.
 
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Marty,

I don't think I would pay for it anyway. As I remember it was supposed to take our location from something like a 30 foot radius to a 3 foot radius. Fine with me as is. I wouldn't have one at all if it wasn't a law. I'd have "On Star". I like her soothing voice.
 
MartySantic said:
Has anyone heard anything with respect to the ADDITIONAL module that we have to purchase that would successfully pass the GPS coordinates from the Garmin GPS to the ELT? I have yet to see anything from Van's that addresses the ADDITIONAL module/interface. And have not seen anything in the revised plans that shows us how to wire the module. (The white wire behind the passenger seat for this connection is really a coaxial cable (center conductor/shield and jacket) and NOT a simple piece of wire). So you cannot simply strip it and make the connection. (Many have noticed that this wire is much thicker, a lower gauge than would be expected.)

Maybe Scott can comment. Think this item fell into the proverbial hole.
Click to expand...

Just an update. I sent an e-mail to Van's Support on Feb 15 and have NOT heard anything. That was my 2nd request for information. I don't know why Van's support will not answer this question. Will send a 3rd request.
 
Thanks to all of the RV12 PIONEERS

Thanks to you, Marty and to all of the other 'pioneers' who have lead the perfection of this Van's kit.

This is a vital 'service' that you all provide to us 'followers'. Sure appreciate:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
 
MartySantic said:
Has anyone heard anything with respect to the ADDITIONAL module that we have to purchase that would successfully pass the GPS coordinates from the Garmin GPS to the ELT? I have yet to see anything from Van's that addresses the ADDITIONAL module/interface. And have not seen anything in the revised plans that shows us how to wire the module. (The white wire behind the passenger seat for this connection is really a coaxial cable (center conductor/shield and jacket) and NOT a simple piece of wire). So you cannot simply strip it and make the connection. (Many have noticed that this wire is much thicker, a lower gauge than would be expected.)
Click to expand...

Received a response from Van's today!! Ken Krueger sent me a VERY nice e-mail. He indicated the navigation interface for the RV-12 is not yet being offered for sale by Artex. Therefore the the following Navigation Interface as listed on the Artex website that would successfully pass the GPS coordinates from the Garmin GPS to the ELT may not be the one we want.

http://www.artex.net/products/onepro...&productid=133

Ken also indicated that ONLY the center conductor of the coaxial cable (WH-55) be butt spliced to the blue GPS Data Input wire. The shield should be trimmed back and left un-terminated. (Step 1 on Page 49-16 of the plans.)

I suggested a revision to the plans here as WH-55 is not a normal piece of wire.

Ken also added when the ELT nav module becomes available, we will not need to make any further wiring changes and this is why you "have yet to see anything from Van's that addresses the ADDITIONAL module/interface".
 
Marty - just out of curiosity, is that GPS data wire actually a coax, or a shielded wire? If it's just a shielded wire (like twisted shielded pair, but rather with only one wire instead of a pair) then it's shielded for good reason and Vans won't likely want to change that. It's NMEA0183 data coming down that wire and since it's digital data it has a good potential to both be an emitter and receiver of EMI/RFI. Keeping the wire shielded helps keep the good stuff in the disired wire and also helps keep the bad stuff (like VHF comm interference) out.
 
Canadian_JOY said:
Marty - just out of curiosity, is that GPS data wire actually a coax, or a shielded wire? If it's just a shielded wire (like twisted shielded pair, but rather with only one wire instead of a pair) then it's shielded for good reason and Vans won't likely want to change that. It's NMEA0183 data coming down that wire and since it's digital data it has a good potential to both be an emitter and receiver of EMI/RFI. Keeping the wire shielded helps keep the good stuff in the disired wire and also helps keep the bad stuff (like VHF comm interference) out.
Click to expand...

Looked like a coaxial cable to me but I may be wrong. It is definitely a single insulated conductor surrounded by a shield. With a coaxial cable one typically grounds both ends. With a shielded multi-conductor wire the usual case is to ground ONLY one end and not the other to minimize the potential for a ground loop. Ken indicated we are NOT to ground the shield at the ELT end but merely trim it back.
 
GPS Interface

I talked with a salesman at the Cobham booth at OSH. The ME-183 Navigation Interface costs $200. http://www.artex.net/documents/getFile.php?fileid=725&filename=ME183_NAV_Interface_Brochure.pdf
It is installed between the ELT and the 15 pin connector that has the phone jack and blue wire. The ELT must be reprogrammed in order to accept GPS position data. This is accomplished by use of a programing adapter that can be borrowed from Cobham or an avionics shop.
GPS position data is continuously updated and stored in the ME-183 Nav Interface. In the event of ELT activation, the ELT inputs the GPS position from the ME-183 and sends the Lat - Long position with the distress signal. It is recommended to have the ME-183 if there is a possibility of forced landing in an area that is difficult to be searched such as mountains or dense forest.
I think that an external adapter is a bad idea because it could be broken off during a crash. Perhaps future versions of ELTs will have internal storage of GPS position.
Joe
 
Gel strips

HI,

Can I hijack this thread? I don't understand the instruction to install gel strips in the ELT plug. Are these literally to be inserted between the plug and the body of the unit? If so, why?

Thanks...Keith
 
To keep water out

Can I hijack this thread? I don't understand the instruction to install gel strips in the ELT plug. Are these literally to be inserted between the plug and the body of the unit? If so, why?
Click to expand...
Yes, press the strips down on the D-Sub pins. I believe the purpose is to keep water out.
Joe
 
Joe Gores's recent response to another thread, reminded me of this one. Has ANYONE purchased and successfully installed the interface required that will pass the GPS coordinates from the Garmin to the Cobham/Artex ELT in the RV-12?
 
GPS Wire to ELT

While at OSH I checked with the Guys who make the ELT and they said the have not released the new interface yet. They are having problems with the FAA.
 
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