PRODUCT SUPPORT MANUAL Vecta™3// Direction Finder With LCD display Product No.: 2869, 2869.1, 2869.2 Y1-03-0235-1 Rev.
About Cobham Beacon Solutions, ACR Products Cobham Beacon Solutions, ACR Products www.acrelectronics.com, designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival products including EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS, SARTs, Strobe Lights, Life Jacket Lights, Search Lights and safety accessories. The quality systems of this facility have been registered by UL to the ISO 9001:2000 Series Standards.
TABLE OF CONTENTS PRODUCT DESCRIPTION _____________________________________ 4 OPERATION _______________________________________________ 7 UNDERSTANDING THE LCD DISPLAY __________________________ 10 RANGE EXERCISES _________________________________________ 12 APPENDIX A – EMERGENCY SCENARIOS ________________________ 16 APPENDIX B – Vecta™3 DISPLAY REFERENCE GUIDE _______________ 18 APPENDIX C – OPTIONAL BRACKET INSTALLATION ________________ 27 APPENDIX D – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS _____________________ 28 AP
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 1. Vecta™3 Direction Finder with LCD display The Vecta™3 Direction Finder provides an LCD display for viewing radio signal strength, and can detect an AM radio signal typically down to 0.5µV. The signal strength indicator is used to determine bearing by pointing the Vecta™3 towards the highest power reading and proceeding in that direction. This product is capable of monitoring and finding beacons transmitting on 121.
Your new Vecta™3 LCD Display Direction Finder comes with the following components. Figure 1 2. Unpacking the Vecta™3 Kit, P/N 2869 A complete kit containing everything that is needed to perform a direction finding operation: 1 3 2 6 4 5 1. Heavy duty Pelican® case 2. Vecta™3 Direction Finder 3. Water resistant carrying case ™ 4. Mini B2 ILS training beacon 5. AC power adapter (110-240V AC / 12V DC) 6. Headphone 7. Mounting bracket (not shown) 8. Training beacon floatation collar (not shown) 3.
5. Direction Finder and test beacon features 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
OPERATION 1. Operation steps TURN THE UNIT ON. The system will boot to a screen that has a large area for numbers, and displays the operational frequency of the receiver. VERIFY THE OPERATIONAL FREQUENCY. Default is 121.5MHz. If you will be searching for a training beacon, change the receiver frequency of the Vecta™3 to that of the transmitting training beacon. See “Operation tips” below for more detail. FIND A BEARING. Hold the unit as shown in Figure 3.
NOTE: The left-hand front antenna element of the Vecta™3 is the electrically active element and the body’s effect on the front to back ratio of the antenna is minimized when in this position. The unit will work in either hand but, if no signal is heard when searching, you may want to try different polarization positions. Using headphones Headphones can assist in the early stage of a search when the signal is very weak, i.e., when just entering the range of a transmitter.
When determining bearing you can fine tune your bearing by using the MICRO scale and looking for the highest power reading, slowly scanning from left and right. You should see where the power starts to drop off from the highest power reading and proceed forward in that highest readings’ direction. Walking or not holding the Vecta™3 in its operation position can be misleading when trying to read the display. Ensure that you are always in the operating position when recording power measurements.
which direction had the highest radio signal level. Then switch the Vecta™3 from the NUMBERS display to the MICRO display, and place the unit in a hand held searching position- in the direction of the highest reading- immediately upon pushing the NUMBERS/MICRO key. Scan the area a few degrees to the right and a few degrees to the left to more accurately pinpoint the bearing that you want to proceed on. The display will move up and down relative to beacon signal strength.
Figure 6 Y1-03-0235-1C 11
RANGE EXERCISES 1. Selecting a location for the test beacon Range exercises involve placing the test beacon in an area similar to where rescues are expected to take place, then moving away from the beacon in measured distances and recording the signal strength. For open water searches, anchor the beacon in an area where there is at least 8 nautical miles of open water in all directions. Secure the beacon so it cannot be moved or pulled under by wind or current.
3. Conducting a blind search A partner hides the test beacon within a realistic search area. Place the test beacon in an area that does not inhibit the signal, i.e., Avoid situations such as in a hole, submerged under water, lying on its side, laying on a metal plate, etc. A beacon can be found in these situations, however these situations are considered advanced and should be practiced only after the fundamentals are attained. The trainee using the Vecta™3 need only be aware of the search area boundaries.
Follow the strengthening signal. If it starts to fall or weaken, STOP! Slowly move the Vecta™3 in a circle to clearly establish the strongest signal direction. LAND SEARCH: A cross-directional search pattern is useful when there are a lot of false signals. Start the search heading in a straight line until the signal weakens (Figure 8, A). Stop, and take a signal strength reading at 90° from the current heading (Figure 8, B). Choose the stronger signal (Figure 8, C).
A method to deal with signal reflections, if the signal strength is strong, is to fold the antennas and hold the unit very close to the body. This will reduce the sensitivity of the Vecta™3 and help alleviate extraneous signal sources. For great sensitivity when searching, use the optional Hand Held Direction Finding Antenna. See Appendix for accessories. Use your body as a shield by holding the base of the Vecta™3 next to your abdomen.
APPENDIX A – EMERGENCY SCENARIOS 1. Lost diver Scenario: A yacht is cruising the Caribbean. A small group of SCUBA divers have launched a dingy to a nearby shallow reef for a day of diving. All the divers have been outfitted with a Mini B™ 300 personal beacon. It is late afternoon, and after a beautiful day of diving, the winds are starting to pick up. One of the divers has become lost and after an unsuccessful search of the nearby area, the Dive Master radios the yacht of the pending emergency.
3. Hiker rescued Scenario: Three hikers set off for a weekend of climbing a local peak. One hiker has a 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) in his emergency kit. The hikers have properly registered it with NOAA, told loved ones their itinerary, left a message on the dashboard of their SUV and hiked to an altitude of 11,420 ft. While making camp, one hiker has fallen down a deep ravine. The others become concerned when she does not return and start a search.
APPENDIX B – Vecta™3 DISPLAY REFERENCE GUIDE This section explains how the Vecta™3 user interface is organized, how it functions and how you may interact with it. Please read this section in its entirety. PART ONE – Interacting with the Keypad Y1-03-0235-1C SELECT/ENTER Press this key to actively select your choices for system setup MENU Press this key for the primary menu screen, i.e.
PART TWO – Performing the DF Function WELCOME SCREEN The welcome screen is the first screen to appear each time the Vecta™3 is turned on. It is present for about three (3) seconds, then automatically changes to the NUMBERS view of the active Search mode. VERSION SCREEN The second screen to appear each time you turn the system on is the version screen The version number, or “K number”, is the software revision number.
POWER DOWN If the system is not interacted with for >59 minutes, the system will automatically shut down to save battery charge. You will be alerted visually as well as via beeps that the system is getting ready to shut down. Press any key to abort the shut down sequence and continue using the system. PART THREE – User Preferences and Settings MENU SCREEN When you press the menu key on the keypad, you will see this screen. From this screen, all user programmable settings can be accessed and modified.
To change the operational frequency of the Vecta™3, highlight FREQUENCY using the up arrow key or down arrow key. Press the Select/Enter arrow key to indicate that you want to change the training frequency. The FREQUENCY screen will appear (below). FREQUENCY SCREEN When in the FREQUENCY screen, press the up arrow key or down arrow key to select your preferred operating frequency. If you wish to select the actual search frequency, highlight “121.5 MHz” in the red bar.
Highlight BARS, using the up arrow key or down arrow key, if you wish to view the entire range of real time data in a vertical bar graph format. Press the Select/Enter arrow key. The BARS screen will appear (below). Once the BARS mode is selected, the system enters the search mode using BARS as the view of the data. The BARS view, when selected, replaces the NUMBERS view. This view provides a more visual indication of the radio signal when monitoring.
Once the DEFAULT view is selected, the system enters the search mode using DEFAULT color scheme on all screens. If you do not interact with the system 10 seconds, the system will return to normal operational use. No changes are made. Press the Menu key to go back one menu level. Highlight HIGH CONTRAST, using the up arrow key or down arrow key, if you wish to view the screens in black, grey and white. Some users find this color scheme easiest to see in bright outdoor conditions.
SIGN OFF SCREEN This screen is the first of three screens to appear when the system is powered down. This screen informs you that OFF has been selected. This screen is the second of three screens to appear when the system is powered down. This screen informs you that the system is readying to shut down. This screen is the third of three screens to appear when the system is powered down. This screen informs you that the system has shut down.
PART FOUR – User Interface Behaviors Default settings Vecta™3 default settings include: View: NUMBERS view Volume: Mid-level Receiver frequency: 121.
If MICRO view reaches maximum data display If the MICRO mode reaches its maximum data display and you want to continue to use MICRO mode, reset the system by depressing the NUMBERS/ MICRO key. You may do this an indefinite number of times. Battery save mode The system is programmed with a battery save mode, i.e., It will automatically power down when the system has not been interacted with for 60 consecutive minutes. You will be alerted with sound and a visual message before the system shuts down.
APPENDIX C – OPTIONAL BRACKET INSTALLATION 1. Remote Omni-Directional Antenna (Rooftop, Pole, etc…) The Vecta™3 has a specially designed and tuned 3’ whip antenna (121.5 MHz) available as an optional accessory (See Accessory section). The antenna should be mounted as high as is practical for optimum receiver range. Route the coaxial cable to where the Vecta™3 is mounted and connect via the external antenna connector cable.
APPENDIX D – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Vecta™3 LCD Display Direction Finder Frequency Received Search Channel: 121.5 MHz Training Channel: 121.375, 121.600, 121.650, 121.775 MHz Frequency Stability .005% (crystal controlled) Operating Temperatures -10°C to +55°C (14°F to + 131°F) Operating Life: 16 hours continuous on one battery (no backlight), unlimited operating life on either AC or DC power supply Activation Manual “ON-OFF” switch Size 9.0 x 2.5 x 1.5 in (23 x 6 x 4 cm) 9.0 x 16.0 x 1.
APPENDIX E – WARRANTY, NOTICES 1. Limited Warranty This product is warranted against factory defects in material and workmanship for a period of 1 (one) year* from date of purchase or receipt as a gift. During the warranty period ACR Electronics, Inc. will repair or, at its option, replace the unit at no cost to you for labor, materials and return transportation from ACR. For further assistance, please contact our Technical Service Department at ACR Electronics, Inc.
2. Notices FCC Compliance Statement NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
APPENDIX F – ACCESSORIES The following is a list of accessories and commonly replaced items. Item Description Whip antenna 3ft, marine mount, includes antenna cable adapter (source base mount locally) 3ft.coaxial cable, includes antenna adapter Standard: 121.775MHz Contact your ACR representative Hand Held Direction Finding Antenna Test Beacon Test beacon, custom (for 121.375, 121.600 or 121.
EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY ACR Electronics, Inc. hereby declares that the following product is in conformity with Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE). In accordance with the Directive, the product will be marked with the CE conformity marking as follows: Product: Direction Finder Model: Vecta 3 (ACR P/N 2869.2 only) TM Regulations and Standards: IEC 60945: 2002 ETSI EN 301 489-1 V1.6.
