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Summary of Contents for Rhotheta RT-600
- Page 1 User Manual Installation and Operating & Wideband Precision Direction Finder with extended COSPAS-SARSAT range & special scan modes • Standard Version • Law Enforcement Version...
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Page 2: User Manual: Installation And Operation Of Direction Finder System Rhotheta Rt-600 / Sar-Df
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Edited by: RHOTHETA Elektronik GmbH Kemmelpark Dr.-Ingeborg-Haeckel-Str. 2 82418 Murnau Germany Tel.: +49 8841 4879 - 0 Fax: +49 8841 4879 - 15 Internet: www.rhotheta.de E-Mail: email@rhotheta.de... -
Page 3: Table Of Contents
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Index 1 GENERAL INFORMATION..........................5 1.1 Purpose of use of the direction finder ......................5 1.2 Scope of delivery ............................6 1.3 Important basic adjustments........................6 2 OPERATING .............................. - Page 4 User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 List of figures Display Control Unit Overview..........................7 Power-On Screen..............................8 Page Selection ................................ 9 Dimming Setup................................ 9 Five Examples for Squelch operation ........................11 Operational Elements in Bearing Mode ........................ 12 Display in Bearing Mode ............................
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Page 5: General Information
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 1 General information RHOTHETA Elektronik GmbH is the developer and manufacturer of the Direction Finder System RT-600. In the United States of America, the system is marketed under the system designation SAR-DF 517. -
Page 6: Scope Of Delivery
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Scope of delivery • Display Control Unit • Antenna Unit (with Receiver and DF-controller) • Connector set for cable (antenna ⇔ display) and power-supply. Important basic adjustments In order to achieve best use of the direction finder, the user is able to perform several adjustments of configuration. -
Page 7: Operating
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2 Operating Operating the direction finder is deliberately very simple with its clearly arranged layout. Except the upper page rotary switch and the ON/OFF pushbutton, the function of the operating elements always depends on the active page. -
Page 8: Power-On Procedure
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 >Rep / DIM< Push-Button. If pushed for a short time, this button activates the setup of the display dimming function. If pushed for a longer time (ca. 3 seconds), this button activates the repetition of the last valid bearing and signal level information. -
Page 9: Main Pages Selection
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.1.2 Main Pages Selection There are two main pages which can be selected: The DF (Direction Finder) Page is the page in which all relevant operational information is shown, depending on the kind of signal which shall be received. -
Page 10: Squelch Operation
If there is a very weak signal “in the noise”, this signal will produce a correct bearing indication thanks to sophisticated bearing technologies used in the RT-600 system. Fluctuations due to noise will be small even at low signal levels, however the reaction time of the bearing indication can increase. -
Page 11: Five Examples For Squelch Operation
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Examples of different squelch settings: Without received signal, the noise level (a) is below the correctly chosen squelch level (b). The receiver audio output remains quiet, and no bearing is indicated. -
Page 12: Direction Finder Mode
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Direction Finder Mode Generally, the direction finder mode is used to track bearing information towards a transmitter. It shows all basic information depending of the kind of signal to be tracked. -
Page 13: Standard Display In Bearing Mode
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 might be disturbing the bearing indication after a quick change of course of the aircraft or vehicle. In this case, the indicated bearing value lags by the real bearing value for about two seconds (for very weak signals even longer). -
Page 14: Special Options In Cospas-Sarsat Bearing Mode
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.2.3 Special Options in COSPAS-SARSAT Bearing mode Especially for the use together with beacons transmitting a data signal according to COSPAS-SARSAT specifications in the 406-MHz-Band, special functionalities and pages are being provided. -
Page 15: Cospas-Sarsat Decode Window
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.2.4 COSPAS-SARSAT Decode Window The COSPAS-SARSAT Decode Window allows decoding incoming COSPAS-SARSAT data messages. COSPAS-SARSAT Decode Window >Exit< push button (F1 button) allows to leave the decode window and to go back to the COSPAS- SARSAT bearing mode window. -
Page 16: 121.500 Mhz Bearing Window In Cospas-Sarsat Mode
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.2.5 121.500 MHz bearing Window in COSPAS-SARSAT mode While being in the 121.500 MHz bearing window activated through the COSPAS-SARSAT Bearing Mode sub- page, the bearing window is slightly different to the normal bearing window: Differences are: >406.xxx<... -
Page 17: Marine Ship Scan Mode
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.2.7 Marine Ship Scan Mode This chapter only applies for the standard version of the RT-600 / SAR-DF 517. If the Marine Ship scan mode has been selected marine channels 1 to 88 (156.025 to 157.450 MHz) are scanned, including frequencies in between. -
Page 18: Law Enforcement And Medical Operation
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Law Enforcement and Medical Operation The functions described in this chapter only apply to the law enforcement version of the direction finder equipment. Law enforcement direction finders are able to track transmitter for... -
Page 19: Id Editing Sub-Page
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 ID Editing Sub-Page >VALUE< Data field showing the last received LoJack ID of any active VLU within receive range. In case that no LoJack ID has been received, the value field is filled with dashes (“ - - - - - “). -
Page 20: Ets
2.3.2 ETS Pages The Law Enforcement version of the RT-600 system is supporting the tracking of ETS transmitters. If an ETS frequency has been selected, the bearing window for ETS opens. Its operational use is similar to the standard bearing window. -
Page 21: Frequency Selection Page
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Frequency Selection Page If the frequency selection page has been activated by using the frequency selection rotary switch, the frequency selection page opens. The frequencies which can be selected consist of several frequency blocks: Memory Channels, Special Application Frequencies, COSPAS-SARSAT frequencies, and scan modes. -
Page 22: Frequency Selection Page, Law Enforcement Version
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 2.4.2 Frequency Selection Page, Law Enforcement Version In the law enforcement version of the equipment, the frequency selection page offers a set of 20 different choices, organized in 5 blocks, which can be selected by the user. -
Page 23: Setup Page
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Frequency Range Step Size Application Band Applicable for: Standard Version 118.000 – 123.975 MHz 8.33 kHz Air VHF Law Enforcement Version 156.025 – 162.995 MHz 25 kHz... -
Page 24: Setup Page
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Setup Page >Store< push-button must be pressed in parallel if a value of a setting shall be modified. If a value can be modified, the background stops to blink. -
Page 25: Error Messages
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 3 Error messages If an internal error of the device is recognized, a corresponding, flashing error message will be shown in the DF pages: Error message including error code (in brackets) Short description of the indicated error. -
Page 26: Installation
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 4 Installation Antenna unit A convenient position of the monopole bearing antenna is crucial for good bearing results. The antenna needs an effective ground connection to the body of the aircraft or to the roof of the vehicle. If there is no metallic mounting surface available, a metallic sheet or similar (net) with connection to ground has to be applied first between vehicle-body and antenna. -
Page 27: Influence Of The Antenna Unit Location And The Environment On The Bearing Accuracy
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 4.1.1 Influence of the antenna unit location and the environment on the bearing accuracy. Recommendations concerning the practical antenna unit location on helicopters and airplanes: The bearing accuracy of the direction finder antenna unit is severely influenced (comparable to an airspeed sensor) by the environment. - Page 28 User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Examples of properly installed direction finder antenna units: - 28 -...
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Page 29: Display Control Unit
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Display Control Unit The display control unit may be mounted into a front panel by the means of this mounting drawing: Mounting hole pattern for the display... -
Page 30: Cable Connection / Wiring
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Cable Connection / Wiring (Also refer to chapter “Technical Data” for details) 6-pol. Amphenol plug, female 9-pol. Sub-D plug max. length of cable ca. 10…20 m... -
Page 31: Technical Data
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 5 Technical Data Electric features Method of bearing: Doppler-principle (3 kHz rotational frequency, right / left rotation) Bearing accuracy ± 5° Internal resolution: 1° Sensitivity: RF-Voltage at Receiver Input (50 Ω): VHF <... -
Page 32: Interface
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Interface External connections (optional / at Sub-D 9-pol. Connector X4 male) Dimming: Analog input signal for variable control of the legends illumination. external voltage input for Input voltage range is freely adjustable in the range of 1.5 …... -
Page 33: Mechanical Features
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Mechanical features Temperature range: Display Control Unit • permissible operating temperature -20 ° C ... +60 ° C • permissible storage temperature: -30 ° C ... +80 ° C Antenna Unit •... -
Page 34: Drawing Antenna Unit
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Drawing Antenna Unit - 34 -... -
Page 35: Appendix
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 6 Appendix Frequencies of channels on maritime band (only for standard [A] version) Frequency-range of the RT-600 in the maritime band: 156.000 MHz ... 162.025 MHz Channel No. -
Page 36: Serial Interface Data Protocol (Short Description)
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Serial interface data protocol (short description) 6.2.1 General Interface parameters: RS232: 9600 Baud, 8 databits, 1 stopbit, no parity, LSB sent first Timing of serial data: For accurate use of the serial data (even for the optional serial input commands) the correct timing is mandatory. -
Page 37: Serial Standard Output (Protocol Description)
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 6.2.2 Serial standard output (protocol description) Specification serial standard output: The binary datastream with a length of 39 bytes starts with a header byte (value = hex. 0xA0 as ID for bearing mode). - Page 38 User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 Detailed Description of important values for practical use: • Status: byte [2] Receiving Bit 0 of this value (LSB) indicates signal receiving. Bit 0 = 0, then no signal is received and so on no bearing is available.
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Page 39: Optional Extended Serial Output (Protocol Description)
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 6.2.3 Optional extended serial output (protocol description) The data content depends on the actual mode of the direction finder. To get special data, the direction finder has first to be switched to the equivalent mode. - Page 40 User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 LoJack ID data This data is only available and valid, if: • Display Control Unit with actual software Rev ≥ 3.20 (see Power-On procedure, page 8) •...
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Page 41: Optional Serial Input (Protocol Description)
User manual: Installation and Operation of Direction Finder System RHOTHETA RT-600 / SAR-DF 517 6.2.4 Optional serial input (protocol description) Specification serial input: (optional) The serial input is normaly only used for service and maintenance. Nevertheless it is possible via this interface, to remote control the actual frequency and the squelchlevel of the DF system.
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