Don’t lose your way with Chelton DF
Don't lose your way with Chelton DF
When you call the emergency services on land, the despatcher is able to determine your location in just a few seconds thanks to your phone’s internal GPS and the location information available on the cellular network. However, what happens when there is an emergency at sea, in the middle of the desert or in the height of the mountains where a GPS position cannot be determined?
Search and Rescue crews aboard aircraft still rely heavily on Direction Finder (DF) systems to determine those in distress even when those individuals themselves are unable to determine or communicate their position. While GPS and other newer technologies become more dominant in the SAR and C-SAR arenas, you would think it would be easier to find those in distress but that is not always the case.
For many years, GPS has been labelled as the answer for many search and rescue needs however, it’s not enough to simply rely on GPS for SAR missions. There are multiple beacons still in service across the world working on a variety of legacy frequencies. If SAR equipment doesn’t cater for all instances or frequencies, then some emergencies could take longer or even missed altogether – leaving no peace of mind for the rescuer.
Instead, DF which operates on and is certified for use on both legacy and modern beacons, is the only system which can provide true peace of mind for search and rescue crews. Future-proofed so that newer beacons are detectable; not forgetting the legacy ones still in use.
We have heritage in DF; delivering equipment for over 60 years to guide Search and Rescue crews. With Chelton DF on your team, searches are more efficient, more accurate and faster; all critical especially in harsh environments when you are up against the clock.
Key Features
Chelton’s DF family has been meticulously designed to maximise range whilst not compromising size, weight and power characteristics.Â
The design of Chelton’s 935 DF Antenna has been proven in a customer trial to have had 3x the range detection when compared to other competitor systems.
If you’d like to know more about these results and performance, please contact us below.
The system is designed to maintain a consistent RF connection between the base and the antenna. It supports frequencies up to 6 GHz, making it suitable for a wide range of wireless communication applications operating in this frequency range.
The interface supports both single and dual channel antennas.
The system incorporates an anti-rotation feature, which prevents the connection from rotating during installation and removal. This safeguard helps protect the connection from potential damage that might occur due to twisting or rotational forces.
Dust and Dirt Resistant:
The design of the system ensures that the connection interface is built to withstand and resist the negative effects of dust and dirt to maintain reliable performance.
Waterproofing (IP68):
The interface is internally protected and waterproofed to an IP68 rating so the antennas can be submerged in water to a certain depth without suffering damage.
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Protective Caps and Bags:
The detachable antennas come with additional protective caps and bags. These accessories offer extra protection for the antennas during storage, guarding against potential physical damage, dust, and other environmental factors.
When it comes to performance, Chelton comes top of the class
The design of Chelton’s DF family is such that it outperforms other systems in a number of areas including:
- Broader Frequency Coverage
Chelton’s DF family can cover up to 9 different frequencies with the ability to monitor 6 simultaneously giving you confidence in your aircraft’s ability to locate beacons. This includes Tactical VHF, Marine Distress and COSPAS-SARSAT depending on the application and requirements of your platform.
- Low Airframe Protrusion
Chelton’s antenna experts focus designs on optimal RF performance without sacrificing on size, weight and power; that’s why our DF family offers the best performance to drag ratio with the lowest amount of airframe protrusion combined with largest frequency range.
Conformal options are available in the market but the reality is that this is only ever a reasonable solution for platforms at the beginning of the design and not for existing helis in operation.
When it comes to the best all-rounder, Chelton DF comes top of the class.
- Flexibility
The Chelton DF family offers not only flexibility in use but also flexibility in operation and installation. The DF family is configurable for both SAR and C-SAR and because of the broader frequency coverage we can offer, Chelton’s DF will be easy to use for however your agency needs to; whether that’s marine bands for coastguard rescue or tactical VHF for mountainous terrain.
Thanks to our large install base, we know exactly how best to install a DF system based on your platform and your requirements including different plinth options to ensure protrusion is as low as possible while still functional to work at lower altitudes.
