ATA 34-42, Radio Altimeter

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6 years 11 months ago - 5 years 1 month ago #368 by Mark
A/C with the #1 Radio Altimeter display failing on Primary Flight Display. Indication was not "XXX" as with a failed R/T.

My explanation of how a Radio Alt works in the vid was weak. In a nutshell, the system uses "timing" of the transmitted signal until it is received back at the R/T. The longer the time between send and receive the higher you are. Radio Altimeter signals are only used from the 0-2500 foot range (above the actual ground, it is not dependent on baro altitude). Radio Altitude height is not only used by the crew for a visual indication, it is used by the FCC's for auto-flight, and the GPWS for almost all the Ground Proximity calculations.

Cable length of the transmit and receive co-ax's is critical. Without looking it up, I think most, if not all manufacturers require a cable to be replaced instead of repaired.

Last edit: 5 years 1 month ago by Mark.

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6 years 11 months ago #373 by jake ounce
That was a great tag along video of your troubleshooting! Learned a bunch. Keep the videos coming, there's always something to learn from your vast knowledge Mark. Thanks again.

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