Now i all know we hate the LPAR, but i want to buy one for my self. I dont a brand new one but a older one. Where can i buy one.
The LH series (small square box with wooden antenna sticks) and the LA series (model installed in CAP aircraft) are no longer available. However, the newer LL-16 is available for around $750 each.
If you can find an older model that is broken, Ltronics will still repair them.
http://ltronics.com/
Good luck.
W. Kay, Lt. Col.
ND Wing/DO
Who said we hate them?
Every once in a while they pop up on eBay.
This one went for $125. http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-Air-Patrol-LPER-aircraft-ELT-DF-w-antennas-Xlnt_W0QQitemZ170516464600QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B:SRCH:US:101
Hate them? They are awesome! I totally regret selling mine. Just don't put your eye out with the sticks.
Major Lord
Haha I don't hate it I love it. But majority of groun team people that I met hate it. I also don't want a new one because I've used it and think it's crap. The old one is better
I have seen the new L-tronics unit, but not used it in the field. Is it that bad?
Major Lord
I was fairly impressed with the new L-tronics unit although it doesn't seem to have quite as good a range as the older analog ones. The Seimac "cheese block" however, is a piece of junk IMHO.
I own an old style L-per, and have used the new style. Each has its advantages. I'll stick with the one I have now, until the new one becomes more affordable with respect to my budget.
I have two older style ones, I wish I could sell one and get most of the way to a new one with it.
If you know and understand the original model, the cheese block will make perfect sense. The biggest thing different is there is no sensitivity adjust. That was the hardest thing for many to get the hang of, so they substituted it with computer voodoo. But it does work, and works with all the existing L-Per ad-ons.
I miss the ability to take the mast off of the old L-Per. Folding up the built-in array and body blocking just doesn't seem to work well for me with the new one. I do like the ability to go off-freq on the fly though.
I liked the sensitivity of the properly tuned antenna of the old L-Per, although I have to admit the wooden sticks and exposed connections, plus the thumbscrew based locking were kind of schlocky... I guess if its dumb but it works, its not dumb! The old L-per had great bearing resolution, and with a practiced operator, you could distinguish multipath from line of sight by listening for the purity of the tones. It was primitive, effective, and elegant.
Major Lord
I offset the holes on the sticks by an inch, drill a new one so that there's two holes and that the two holes line up when it's extended.
An allen wrench on a string goes through the hole. No more collapsing L-Per mast.
I also made indents in the wood at the end so when the antennas are straightened out they "snap" into place. I 've got a spring on the other side of the bolt that holds them down keeping tension on it.
Good call. I considered screw in ball-detents. The most problematic issue with the L-Per was getting out of the car and setting up the antenna without hurting yourself, followed closely by the problem of having to change two batteries with a screw driver. Other than that, I still think its awesome. I am tempted to build a similar unit using telescoping antenna elements to prevent the Red Ryder BB gun Syndrome. Maybe there is even a market for all those old L-pers out there still in service!
Major Lord
Quote from: Major Lord on August 09, 2010, 11:00:31 PM
I have seen the new L-tronics unit, but not used it in the field. Is it that bad?
Major Lord
My county's SAR team has 4 of the new ones complete with vehicle kits, I personally dislike them and would rather go with the Old L-Per anytime. The one thing that the new ones are good at is for in-vehicle DF'ing and the compactness of the unit.
Thumb screws .. in the back, instead of the counter sunk philips, and you can change the batteries without even taking the back off the stick.
Quote from: a2capt on August 10, 2010, 07:01:39 AM
Thumb screws .. in the back, instead of the counter sunk philips, and you can change the batteries without even taking the back off the stick.
Take one of your screws to home Depot or Lowe's and get the same size thumb screws. Available in white or black nylon, and metal. I have the white ones.
Plus, if you get some teeny O-rings for those screws, they stay nice and snug with them on the shaft of the screw, acting as washers. No vibrating loose while stowed.
Nothin' like a handheld scanner for DFing. On the last ELT mission I had, the other folks were using both versions of the L-tronics DF units and I found it faster by bodyshielding with a Radio Shack scanner. ;D
Quote from: JC004 on August 10, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
Nothin' like a handheld scanner for DFing. On the last ELT mission I had, the other folks were using both versions of the L-tronics DF units and I found it faster by bodyshielding with a Radio Shack scanner. ;D
Sometimes, that's all you can do. For practice at last week's meeting, I had someone put our ELT out in the lot and I went to find it. Once I got close I gave up on the L-Per, pulled out my scanner, and went to work. It was a small lot with several cars and hangars so I was getting too many reflections to DF.
Quote from: SarDragon on August 10, 2010, 07:06:17 AM
Quote from: a2capt on August 10, 2010, 07:01:39 AM
Thumb screws .. in the back, instead of the counter sunk philips, and you can change the batteries without even taking the back off the stick.
Take one of your screws to home Depot or Lowe's and get the same size thumb screws. Available in white or black nylon, and metal. I have the white ones.
I'd stick with the metal. I had an issue with the nylon ones twisting off leaving he screw hole plugged. They get brittle in the cold.
Quote from: JC004 on August 10, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
Nothin' like a handheld scanner for DFing. On the last ELT mission I had, the other folks were using both versions of the L-tronics DF units and I found it faster by bodyshielding with a Radio Shack scanner. ;D
+100
I always have my scanner with me and usually find things a lot faster than even the old L-Per. Especially in tight urban areas where there are a lot of reflections.
A rubber ducky on the L-per receiver works just as well, IMHO. Keep decreasing the sensitivity as you get closer, and pretty soon, you've got your target.
YMMV.
Quote from: SarDragon on August 10, 2010, 07:00:40 PM
A rubber ducky on the L-per receiver works just as well, IMHO. Keep decreasing the sensitivity as you get closer, and pretty soon, you've got your target.
YMMV.
I've done this a ton of times. I used to keep one in my UDF kit. I had the meanest UDF kit around.
The four-antenna vehicle setup with the LL-16 works very well. Left/right and front/back with signal strength is pretty sweet. I never got proficient with the LH series, so I don't have a lot to compare to, but I like LL-16 even out of the vehicle.
I guess like everything else, it comes down to personal preference and practice. I'd never call the LL-16 a piece of crap. For ramp checks, a handheld and body blocking is tough to beat.