ELT Theory and Practice

A. Review Care and Use of Equipment: 1. Folding and unfolding the equipment. How to do so properly. 2. Standard carrying position 3. Do not over tighten the knobs 4. Do not let the box hand down from the cords 5. Test the equipment. Test equipment every so often. The aluminum rods will oxidize and become non conductive. This will throw off your readings B. Review DF and REC. Modes 1. Receive Mode homes in on the maximum signal strength. It is not always the direct signal, but the strongest signal the equipment can receive 2. DF Mode averages all of the different signals the L-per receives and electronically finds the center of all of them. Note, this homes in on all signals, including bounces. 3. I prefer the use of the DF mode when I am using the equipment. You may not walk directly to the target, but you will get there. RECEIVE mode is used for the times where there are multiple signal bounces (find the strongest signal, theoretically it is the transmitter or the most direct reflection), or when you are using the DF for long distance work. IT is more accurate for long distance the DF C. Determine Bearing with equipment: 1. Determine the reliability of the signal a. Listen. A clear, direct signal sounds different then one that has been bounced all over the place. It is clearer and sharper, more in focus. b. Nulls: When you take a DF reading, there should be only two nulls. If you have multiple centering in the DF mode, you are working on multiple signal bounces. Your readings will not be accurate c. Once you take a reading, walk in that direction for 15-20 feet. You should be able to keep the signal in the center in the DF mode without moving the antenna more then 60 degrees one way or another

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ELT Theory and Practice

2. Take the bearing. In the DF mode, have the operator pick a landmark along the bearing and then using a compass, take a reading. In the REC. mode, have a second person shoot a bearing along the crossbar. 3. Plot the bearing on your maps. Review Exercise one: Put the ELT in a visible position. Have the school members 100 yards away from the target. Members should: Unfold the equipment properly Put the equipment on the DF mode Determine the signal reliability by listening, checking nulls, and walking to the target Take a bearing on the target with their compass. Stress accuracy. Listening to the Signals: Review with the students the importance of listening to the target. In the DF mode, have the students hold the antenna so it is not facing the target. Have them listen closely to the signal as you move the antenna in a slow circle. Review the Receive mode. Have the students slowly lower the sensitivity until they can only hear the signal when the antenna is pointing directly at the target. Review Exercise Number 2: Listening to the DF Equipment. Put the ELT in a position approx. 100 or so yards away from the students. Give the students the DF unit. have them sit it up into the DF position. Once they are ready, blindfold the student, turn him or her around at least three times, and have them try to locate the target. Remove the blindfold and let them see how accurate they were. Repeat the exercise for the REC. mode. Note: Mark Webster's DF unit will not work doing this. The unit needs to be maintenance for the REC. mode to work properly. Insist that the students accurately locate the target. Close in DFing

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ELT Theory and Practice

1. Discuss signal strength and distance. Draw the graph showing the relationship between signal strength and distance on a flip chart. Emphasize the inverse square relationship and that signal strength will dramatically increase 2. Closer you are, the stronger the signal. Discuss over sensitizing the receiver. Have the students try to home in when the target is over sensitized. 3. Walk a straight line perpendicular to you reading. Travel for 100-300 feet on each direction, do the bearings change very much. If yes, you are close to the target, if no, you are still relatively far away for it. Draw the flip chart showing what happens and how the L-per should point. Practice Exercise 3: Goal: Student should understand the sensitivity switch. If the student does not decrease the sensitivity, the unit can not take readings. Place the ELT in a known position and make it visible to the students. Turn the sensitivity to maximum. Have the students try to home in on the signal. Have them walk to the signal and have them try to keep the needle centered. Practice Exercise number 4: Help the student determine when he or she is close to the target. Place the Target in a known, visible location, Students should locate the target using the DF mode Students should walk perpendicular to the target for 100 feet and observe how the signal changes. Have them walk on both sides of the initial start point. ELT's and Buildings: ELT are often found in buildings: Hangers at airports or in private residences (also check for shipping companies). To determine if an ELT is at a building, you should take readings from all sides of the building (if possible) . The readings should all point to the building. Close Range ELT's in building or shipping location Once you determine which building the ELT is in, you often have to determine it's specific location. Many times it is not visible. What do you do then.

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ELT Theory and Practice

Replace the large antenna with a rubber duck, or remove the antenna completely. Place the unit in the REC. mode. Decrease the sensitivity on the DF until you no longer hear the signal. Walk with the equipment near each thing you suspect (airplanes, shipping cartons, workbenches). As you approach the transmitter, the signal will reappear. Keep on following this process until you walk to the target. If you can not decrease the sensitivity enough, tune the transmitter to the other frequency 121.5 or 121.6 and continue with the exercise. AT an airport, you can tune the L-per to the opposite frequency and touch the l-per's antenna to the antenna of the aircraft. When you touch it or get within a few inches of it. the you will receive the signal Practice Exercise Number 5 Hide the ELT in one of three targets (such as cardboard boxes). Change it after each two students. Do not let the students see which box the target is in (have them hide behind a building or something). Students should locate the transmitter by removing the large antenna and use a rubber duck antenna. Students should remove the antenna and replace it with a rubber duck or do not use any antenna. Reduce the sensitivity until they do not hear the signal Move to the targets, keep on reducing the sensitivity, or move it to minimum and sweep past each target. Keep on reducing the sensitivity until the signal can be heard at only one only one of the targets.

ELT in the Woods: Sometimes, when you are in a heavily wooded area, you will have trouble using the DF with the antenna attached. The antenna will constantly be hitting the trees or underbrush, or the signal will bounce around so much that you will not be able to home it on it. This has been my case. Discuss using the body null method to locate the signal. Put the device in the REC. ode. Replace the antenna with a rubber duck. Hold the right against your body. turn around until you loss the signal at one point. You may have to increase or decrease the sensitivity until you only hear the signal at one point. The target should be directly behind you. Practice Exercise number 6:

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Hide the ELT our of site in a wooded area. Have the group work in teams, one team for each l-per available.. Have the team locate the target.

DFing in the auto. You should monitor the signal while you are driving to a target. You can do this by getting a regular 1/4 wave mag mount antenna and attaching the l-per to it. Discuss signal propagation with the students. The signal should radiate in a circular pattern. As you drive across the circle, the signal will increase in strength until you pass it. At this point, you can get out and take a reading to determine is you should be traveling right or left. Repeat the same procedure. You should be very close to the target. When doing this in a car, you should set the volume and keep it at a set level. Look at the needle for signal strength. Once the needle pegs out, you can decrease the sensitivity a little bit. You can keep on doing this. Practice Exercise 7: Locate the ELT 500 yards off on a side road on route 30 two or three miles north of the camp. The target should be visible (such as on the top of a vehicle) Have the teams get into vehicles, and have them put the L-per in the car, and attach it to an external antenna. At the entrance to the camp, have the team drive north. Have them take a reading that will set them in that direction. Have them mark the spot that they passed the signal. At that point, have them determine which way to turn. Practice Exercise Number 7. Hid the transmitter in a cubbord in the mess hall. Have the students locate the target. Discuss the requirements for information to get off of the ELT. Discuss going into remote areas at night

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