User Manual

Y1-03-0180 Rev. T1

The ThunderBird S.S.A.S. is shipped in the “OFF” position. During the installation procedure,

leave the beacon in the “OFF” position to prevent false alarms.

3.1.2 Mounting Location

The location selected must be sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the total installation and

at the same time consider vibration, exposure to surrounding hazards, such as equipment

movement, doors being opened, personnel traffic, etc.

Also to be considered in selecting a location for installation is the harmful effect that certain

corrosive vapors might have on the beacon. Under no circumstances should a location be selected

for installation where the beacon would be jeopardized by any foreign articles being temporarily

or permanently positioned during “at sea” or “in port” activities.

Do not mount or store the beacon within 1 meter (3.3 ft) of strong magnetic (such as loud

speakers) or electrical (such as radar or high power radio transmitter) fields. The beacon should

not be mounted closer than 1 meter (3.3 ft) to a navigation compass.

In order to maintain the required covert operation, the ThunderBird S.S.A.S. mounting location

should be hidden from the view of most personnel and all passengers and guests. Suitable

locations include inside an equipment closet or cabinet, under the navigation bridge and inside a

closed equipment rack.

The bracket can be mounted in any orientation; however, the beacon controls and system

connections were designed for vertical installation. When selecting a mounting location the

following should be carefully considered:

• Routing of switch wires/cables. (Connects to top of mounting bracket.)

• Routing of RG-8U coaxial antenna cable. (Connects to top of beacon.)

• Routing of GPS interface cable. (Connects to top left part of beacon.)

• Accessibility to beacon control switch. (Top right part of beacon.)

• Visibility of Test and Xmit LED’s. (Top left part of beacon.)

3.1.3 Bracket Mounting

For flat surface mounting, three Stainless Steel Pan head fasteners are included. Alternatively,

size (3/16) bolts can be used. (Not Supplied)

For Rail mounting, one Stainless Steel Hose clamp (Not Supplied) is required. The size of the

hose clamps depends on the diameter of the rail. The rail can be horizontal or vertical. It is

recommended that the mounting point should be near a cross section on rails to prevent the

bracket from spinning. Position the V rail adapter between the rail and bracket. Hose clamp

should be fed through slots in bracket and around the rail. Tighten clamp securely.

3.1.4 Installing the Beacon in the Bracket

The mounting bracket is keyed to prevent the beacon from being installed backwards. Install the

ThunderBird S.S.A.S. with the front label facing out. The strap should be tightened to secure the

beacon snugly in the bracket. Connect the 2-Pin waterproof connector on the left side of the

beacon.