SKYVAN

Main.tenance Ivtanua.l

CHAPTER 23

COMMUNICATIONS

List of Contents

Communications - general 23-00

G:::ound checking procedure gene ral 23-00-1

Avionics servicing ... 23-00-2

Static dischargers 23-60-0

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COMM UNICATIONS - DESCRIPTION

1. General

This chapter describes the systems installed for the reception and transmission of
communications to, from and within the aircraft. and also for static disposal.
The installed equipment is as detailed in the list of contents.

A. 9round checking procedure

It is essential that the information contained in sub-section 23-00-1 is fully

understood before attempting to service the installed equipment.
For servicing and tests on all avionic systems refer to 23-00-2.

B .. Static dischargers

Midget static whips are fitted to the trailing edges to provide a path for silent
discharge of static electricity collected by the aircraft while in flight.

23-00
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GROUND CHECKING PROCEDURE

1. General
A checking procedure is included for each installation in this section of the
handbook; each of these checks consist of three parts:­
Continuity, Insulation resistance and functioning.
I Each procedure details all checks necessary to ensure proper and correct
operation of the system.
For the purpose of these checks, 'earth' is defined as the aircraft struc­
ture connected to all those metal parts of a connector or cable loom which
will normally be in electrical contact with the aircraft structure, such as
plug and socket bodies, etc. Should it be necessary to replace cable
assemblies, every care should be exercised to ensure that cable strands are
not cut or nicked, crimping is effected with the correct tools. plugs and
sockets are assembled correctly and that connections are not subjected to
undue mechanical stress.
Cable runs should be checked visually throughout their length periodically
to ensure that cables, securing clips, bushes, strapping etc. are satisfactory,
that cables have adequate clearance from the aircraft skin and other struc­
tures to prevent damage by abrasion. that the weight of any cable loom is
not being taken by cables leaving part way along it, that cables required to
flex are not likely to sustain damage. t!1.at cables are guarded from hinged
lids dropping on them. crew or ground personnel standing on them, freedom
from swarf and other foreign matter and that unconnected plugs and/or
sockets are capped or otherwise protected.

A. Continuity
This check should be made with a low voltage tester.
Continuity checks prevent pos sible damage to equipment by incorrect
connections after a system has been broken down and re-connected or
re-wired. A check must be related to the appropriate wiring diagram
or routeing chart which shows all interconnecting cables and terminals.
For some circuits. generally those that can be functioned in a servlcmg
bay, continuity checks may be dispensed with and deemed proven" follow­
ing successful completion of a function check.

B. Insulation resistance
This check must not be carried out during fuelling operations on the
aircraft 'due to the fire risk.
Insulation resistance checks ensure that cables, looms and connectors
have not suffered darr.age or deterioration.

Issue 3 .23-00-1
Sept. 72 Page 1
 The insulation resistance of cable as semblies with free ends should be
measured' between each conductor and earth and cable looms termina­
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ting in plugs or sockets should be measured between each pin and earth ~'
and behvcen each pin and every other pin, taken one at a time.
Except ~;' otherwise stated, the checking voltage should be 250 volts
and the: ;::easured value of resistance at this pressure should not be less
than 2 :-;~ cgohms.
The checking equipment should be of a type that produces a nominally
constant voltage 1. e., mains driver or if hand operated, having a slip­
ping clutch or other means of making the voltage sensibly independent
of the speed of rotation.
Standard electrical apparatus, su'ch as switches, relays and general in­
struments may be left connected in a circuit with the appropriate earth
connection being disconnected and isolated from earth, provided that the
measured value of insulation resistance with the apparatus connected, is
above the value mentioned; should the insulation resistance be less tha
these values the apparatus should be disconnected and the connecting
leads shorted to enable the entire circuit to be checked. The apparatus
can be checked to the manufacturer's requirements if deemed necessary
then re-connected after the circuit insulation check.
All navigation, communication, electronic and semi-conductor equipment
must be disconnected, blocking rectifiers must be disconnected and the
circuit bridged.
All capacitors must be disconnected from earth and only checked in
parallel with a dosed circuit 1. e. it may be expedient to short circuit
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a capacitor to provide a closed circuit. If the capacitor/s is/are
built in, the equipment must be disconnected and checked to the manu­
facturers requirements if deemed necessary then reconnected after th.e
circuit check.
Unless otherwise stated all fuses should be fitted and circuit breakers
dODed.
c. Relay maintenance
The condition of relay contacts must be checked regularly. As this
generally involves removal of the relay covers extreme care must be
taken to ensure that the working parts of the relay are not damaged.
.. A particular point to watch when checking Plessey relays is the braided
lead to the moving contact. This braid must be handled delicately at
all times. Failure to observe this may invalidate warranty claims on
these relays.
The following instructions refer to Plessey relays type 7CZl05834
(associated with hydraulic power pack) and type 7CZ97508/l (associated
with ignition and D. C. power supplies).

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(I) Remove the relay cover and inspect the contacts. If they are at
all di:rty or pitted, they should be lightly cleaned using a diamond
spatula, fine or medium grade.

(2) - During the cleaning operation care must be taken to support the
moving contacts and the contours of the contacts must be closely
followed.
NOTE: (1) Emery paper or similar materials must not be used as
contamination of the contacts could result.
(2) No more than O. 002 inch of metal must be removed from
any contact.
(3) Relays with contacts pitted or burned beyond this tolerance
can be repaired by return of the unit to:­
The Plessey Company Limited
Spares Division
Eastern Avenue West
Romford RM7 7NL
England.
(4) A suitable diamond spatula is available from:­
Special Products {196l} Limited
81 Piccadilly
London W.l
England.
The price is approximately £ 1. SO.

D. Functioning
Functioning checks ensure that proper co-ordination of equipment and
wiring has been maintained and that the equipment will function in the
required manner. Before carrying out a function check, it is essential
that, where necessary, continuity and insulation resistance checks
appropriate to the circuit have previously been completed. Apparatus
. must be observed at intervals during a check for signs of overheating;
if this does occur, the test must be discontinued, the power switched
off and restored only after the cause has been ascertained and the
defect remedied.
Installation faults can, in certain circumstances, result in damage to
equipment that is only apparent as a mulfunction of the circuit under
test. Precautions must be taken to ensure that malfunction is not the
result of such a fault before replacing unserviceable equipment.
Where a -check involves the emission of radio frequency energy, such
test should be carried out by authorised personn~l •
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Z3-00-1
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 Test probes and shorting links must be chosen carefully to ensure that
socket inserts and plug pillS are not damaged during checking.
J'. .
Hertz is a term now g~nerally used meaning cycles-per-second. Since
this term is now more universally accepted, hertz (Hz) and its as s.ocia­
ted -prefixes, kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz) are used throughout this
manual in place of cycles-per-second (cIs), kilocycles(kc/s) and mega­
cycles (Mcl s).

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Maintenance Manual

EQUIPMENT / FURNISHINGS - DESCRIPTION

PASSENGER ADDRESS (TYPE 1)

1. General

The passenger /freight compartment is equipped with fo'u loudspeakers, mounted

in the ceiling panels in pairs at stations 140 and 220, 21 in. to port and starboard
of the aircraft centre line.

2. Detail

A detailed description of the system is given in Chap. 23.

23-20-29
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'Maintenance Manual

GENERAL AVIONICS SERVICING - ALL SYSTEMS

1. General

The following tests and checks must be carried out at inte rvals as laid down in the
Maintenance programme. Specific system checks are included in the servicing
notes for the individual system.

2 Test Equipment required

(1) Headsets (for both bench testing and functioning on the aircraft):
: Each headset should be of the ear defender type and must have a telephone
: impedance of 600 ohms plus a 100 ohm noise cancelling carbon micro­
phone. The type of microphone insert fitted to each headset is critically
important and ~ be ROANWELL type RM-6 (numbers 9982 and
M-6A/UR are moulded on each insert) .
.(2) Multimeter - AVO model 8 or equivalent.
( 3) V. S. W. R. measuring test set.
(4) Specialised ramp test sets for VOR/ILS. marker, D. M. E. and trans­
.~ ponder. These must be as or equivalent to, the types recommended by
the equipment manufacturers.
(5) R. F. Power Meter for H . F. (up to 150 watts)
(6) 500 volt megger or equivalent insulation resistance tester.
( 7) Self contained capacitance bridge capable of operating at 210KHz for
preference. A bridge operating at 1 KHz is acceptable. (Marconi A. D. F.
installations require a special bridge - refer to Marconi handbook).
(8) Portable V. H. F wavemeter.
NOTE: Unles s otherwise stated, the procedures for setting up and
using test equipment are as detailed in relevant equipment
manufacturer's Instruction Manuals at their latest issue.

3. Circuit connections
'Ensure that load resistors and jumpers (for e. g. V. O. R. indicators and
marker lights) are connected as specified on individual avionic routing charts.
A. Bench testing
Al1 avionic equipment must be bench checked prior to installation in the
aircraft by either Suppliers' confirmation or operator's confirmation.
The instructions for bench becking are given in individual equipment
i,
Maintenance Handbooks at the latest issue with the following provisos:- f

23-00-2
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(1) Transmitter modulation depth must be adjusted for a carbon microphone .)\
input of 0.25 volts. Besides bench checking with an oscillator as specified,j
in the appropriate equipment maintenance manual, the modulation must be
checked to be 700/0 to 90% for normal voice levels using a headset as speci­
fied in paragraph 2( 1).
(N. B some transceiver circuits e. g. Sun Air T-22-RA involve a separate
microphone pre-amplifier - ,check with routing chart. All setting on the
bench must be done with the pre-amplifier in circuit).
If the modulation has not been checked by a bench check, it must be
checked on the aircraft using headset as in paragraph 2 (1).
( 2) Testing should be confined to performance and accuracy che cks to limits
istated in the manufacturer's Maintenance Manual. If equipment fails to meet
'these standards, a decision has to be made in conjunction with the local
.equipment agent whether rectification can be effected locally or the equip­
ment should be returned to a repair agency. This will depend on warranty
conditions and facilities available .
. (3) In addition to sensitivity checks to makers I instructions, test each A. D.F.
with a loop simulator (or equivalent) every 150 for an accuracy of:­
(a) Airline standard equipment + 20
General aviation equipment +"30 '\
(b) Test each Bendix 55lE indicato-; pointer head every 150 to ensure ~.
that the alignment accuracy of the pointer and output synchro is + 2 0 . _/
o ­
( c) Test each RMI compass card and pointer head every 15 for an
o
accuracy of + 2 .

(4) On Bendix loop aerial model 232lE check. using a multimeter, the
resistance acros spins:
1 & 2 =0.5 ohI?s (approx. )
6 & 7 = 0.5 ohms (approx. )
(5) Ensure that the installed navigation receiver instrumen~ation units,
converters etc have bee •• adjusted to suit the number of indicators,
autopilot loading etc. of the particular system. In the case of the
A. r. M. SCl2 VOR/RMI converter, ensure that it has been set up for
relevant navigation receiver in accordnace with para. 1. 6 of the SCl2
installation manual.
(6). Check if the equipment has a voltage selector switch and, if so,
select fo r 28 volt operation.
(7) Check panel lights for colour - white light is preferred. If white lights
are not fitted, refer to manufacturer's rranual and check if panel can be
modified to provide same. If so obtain the neces sary parts and convert
the unit to white lighting (28V).
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(8) When crystallising H. F. t.ransceivers, ensure that each chann€ l , whether

intended for use or not, is fitted with crystals and necessary tur:.ing com­
ponents. This will help to prevent transceiver damage.
(9) On aircraft which do not have pilot operated marker volume controls,
it is necessary to adjust the marker receiver preset volume controls
to give telephone power (on aircraft) of 30 mW. This power is to be
obtained when the audio panel volume controls are rotated fully clock­
wise.
On aircraft which do have pilot operated marker volume controls, the
marker receiver preset volume control must be set on the bench to
relevant manufacturer's instructions.

B. Continuity checks
Check continuity with reference to the relevant routing charts. On
Bendix Tl2C/D ADF installations, check the resistance at type 55lE
servo amplifier indicator end of loop aerial cable between pins I and 2
(0. 6 ohms approx.) and pins 6 and 7 (0.6 ohms approx. ).

C. Insulation resistance
(a) Refer to relevant routing charts.

~ (b) Remove all associated fuses and trip all associated circuit breakers.
(c) Disconnect any capacitors and diodes.
( d) Disconnect all electronic equipment.
(e) Disconnect all connections to other circuits.
(f) Test each cable (except earth cables) for insulation resistance.
(g) Revert circuit to normal
D. Power supplies
Before switching on, check that the correct voltage appears at the correct
pin on each unit. Remove the appropriate fuse to check for interruption
of the supply. Replace fuse. Check that correct pins are earthed.
E. V. S W. R. checks on aerials and feeders
(1) Using the procedure listed in the V. S. W R. test set instruction
book, measure the V. S. W. R. of the aerials listed in table 202 at
the frequencies given in table 201.

23-00-2
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 Table 201
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Aerial" 1st Frequency 2nd Frequency 3rd Frequency
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VHF/NAV 108 MHz 112 MHz 118 MHz
VHF Comm 118 MHz 124 MHz 136 MHz
Glideslope 328 MHz 332 MHz 336 MHz
Marker 75 MHz
VHF/FM 30 MHz 45 MHz 60 MHz
UHF 225 MHz 312 MHz 400 MHz

(2) Take measurements at the aerial and co-axial feeder terminated at the
receiver.
"(3) (a) V. S. W. R. figures quoted in Table 2 are for worst frequency case.
There should be improved readings on other frequencies.
(b) Where a T-piece is fitted, both aerial connections must be dis­
connected at the receivers. V. S. W. R. should indicate balance.
(c) Where results show a high V. S. W. R or appreciable difference be­
tween V. S. W. R. of aerial only and aerial plus feeder i. e. high
loss, check for possible connector and cable faults or mismatch.
(d) Record V. S. W. R. readings on inspection sheets for each
individual air craft.
(e) Disconnect the aerial feeder from the Test Set and reconnect to the
relevant transceiver or receiver.

F. For Chelton wire aerials only (ADF sense and HF aerials)

Check for an insulation resistance greater than 20 megohms between the
lead in terminals and earth using a 500 v megger. Check that aerial con­
figuration conforms precisely to relevant drawings. /

Check that the cold ends of spark gaps are bonded to earth.
Check that all cables and fittings at the hot ends of spark gaps are at least
1. 25 inches clear of any earthed metal.
Ensure that aerial wire runs inside the fuselage up to the feeders or couplers
are kept as short as possible.

G. Sense aerial capacitance checks (see para. 2( 7) )

Use the capacitance bridge to check that aerial and feeder capacitances are
within the limits given in table 2.03.

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Table 202
e

VeS.W.R.
AERIAL
At Aerial At Feeder
137X-l (Nav) 5: 1 3: 1
37P-4 (G. S ) 2.5: 1 1. 5: 1 - 2. 5: 1
COLLINS
* 37X-2 (MKR) 3: 1 2. 5: 1
37R-2 (Comm) 2. 5: 1 1.2:1 - 2.1:1
A-15 (Comm) 4: 1 1. 5: 1 - 3: 1
A.R.C A-13B (Nav) 5:1 1. 2: 1 - 2. 5: 1
A-BB (G. S.) 2. 5: 1 1. 5: 1 - 3: 1
A-25A (Comm) 2.5: 1 1.3:1 - 2:1
DORNE & DMN 15-1(VHF/FM} 2. 5: 1
MARGOLIN DMN 1-24 (UHF) 2. 0: 1
CHU CEAO 3E03(VHF /FM} 1. 7: 1

CHELTON 12-22(VHF/FM) 1:3 (Ends)

1: 1 (Mid)
H. R. SMITH 10-203-4(UHF) 1. 3: 1

NWC NWC 400 2. 0: 1

COLLINS 3 7R -2U (VHF) 2. 0: 1

37R-2U (UHF) 2. 0: 1
• ,.'< This aerial is fitted with an adjustable tuning slug for V. S. VI. R. ad­
justment. Refer to Collins 37X Service Bulletin No.1 dated 29 Nov•
. 1960 for full tuning information.
Table 203 •
CAPACITANCE (Pi)
ADF SYSTEM A . 1 (At sense Aerial +
ena .
aerlal Elug} Feeder
Bendix Top (PB3 & 1) 350 + 25
T12C/D 50 + 10
Bottom 50 + 10 125 + 25
Collins Top (PB3 & 4) 270 + 27
50 + 10
Bottom 50 + 10 270 + 27

King Top 50 + 10 270 + 20

KDF-BOO (PB I)

L, Marconi AD370B 50 + 10 3000 + 100

Issue 1 23-00-2
Jan. 73 Page 5
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STA TIC DISCHARGERS - DESCRIPTION

1. Description

• Static electricity collected by the aircraft in flight is dissipated by

13 'Miniflex' dischargers. Chelton Part No 2-15. located on the.
trailing edges of the ailerons, elevators, rudder and fins as shown in
fig. 1. Each discharger consists of two aluminium alloy tubes joined by
a resistive-coated glass fibre cord which is enclosed in a heat-shrunk
plastic sheath. The sheath is reinforced at its forward end to control
in-flight flexing. The forward tube is tapered and internally threaded to
provide for attachment to the fixed mounting bracket on the appropriate
flight surface. The aft tube houses a large number of fine nichrome
wires which are secured by an aluminium plug. The wires protrude from
the tube assembly which is enclosed in a polythene shroud, by approx­
imately 3 m. m.

c FIG. 1 STATIC DISCHARGERS

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STATIC DISCHAFGERS - SERVICING

1. General

I ­ If excessive noise on the radio systems be reported a test should be made

for continuity between the airframe and each discharger's retaining tube
with a low resistance ohmeter; if the resista:1ce is more than 1 ohm, clean
f the surfaces between the tube and mounting bracket. Those dischargers
~ observed to be damaged (split-sheath etc) should be replaced. ­

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