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pangaia

(24,324 posts)

26. Transposer? What's that? :>)

Sun Mar 9, 2014, 06:40 PM

Mar 2014

Every aircraft has a transponder tuned to a specific radio frequency..known as a squawk code..even the lowly Cessna 150..
This is how ATC knows which aircraft they see on radar screens. If the aircraft blew up-- no transponder signal.

Many aircraft, including all commercial aircraft, also have an ELT - Emergency Locator Transmitter. When manually activated, or when it activates automatically in a crash, whether on land or in water, it sends out a satellite signal.

Commercial aircraft also have, or SHOULD have, an EPIRB -Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon -intended for use under water. I don't know from how deep their signal can be pick up by satellite.

From what I have read elsewhere, the waters where it is suspected the plane may have gone down are very shallow- just several hundred feet. If the ELT or EPIRB were still functioning, it would be possible to pick up its signal at this depth.

Other than that, I don't know squat about what happened..

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Exclusive: Malaysia plane probe narrows on mid-air disintegration -source [View all] alp227 Mar 2014 OP

For the victims' sakes, I pray that it happened instantaneously LiberalEsto Mar 2014 #1

This story is sounding more and more like a Bermuda Triangle type of incident - too weird, Hestia Mar 2014 #2

More likely a terrorist bomb! LongTomH Mar 2014 #6

Yes, but they will find them through the stolen passports, and photos they have of them lostincalifornia Mar 2014 #27

I don't understand this.... Uben Mar 2014 #3

there was something posted yesterday about the limitations of the beacons ladywnch Mar 2014 #7

That's what's had me puzzled. And the black box can take almost anything. Should be able to find it. freshwest Mar 2014 #8

I read somewhere that one of the passenger's cell phone rings Uben Mar 2014 #10

Well, they short out if they get wet. Being unable to get through would mean the passenger is sadly, freshwest Mar 2014 #18

The transposer signal has distance limits... brooklynite Mar 2014 #13

Well, there was this that I'd hoped would narrow the area: freshwest Mar 2014 #19

That made it worse... brooklynite Mar 2014 #33

I've seen video at air shows where planes can do amazing things. Like this one in Afghanistan: freshwest Mar 2014 #34

Transposer? What's that? :>) pangaia Mar 2014 #26

really Jeneral2885 Mar 2014 #11

Just heard on tv.... Uben Mar 2014 #17

EVERY commercial plane in the world has a transponder. pangaia Mar 2014 #28

I heard on CNN.... CherokeeDem Mar 2014 #15

Black boxes and ELTs... ewagner Mar 2014 #24

Yes, they work under water. pangaia Mar 2014 #30

Wouldn't that leave a very large debris field? B2G Mar 2014 #4

Ripping apart at 35,000 feet at 500mph go west young man Mar 2014 #5

The Challenger 'disintegrated' & some pieces recovered were large. Sunlei Mar 2014 #21

Demonstrably incorrect Bosonic Mar 2014 #31

That's what it sounds like. They were at 35,000 feet, so if a fire started, or a piece of the jtuck004 Mar 2014 #22

Ugh...another incident to add to incidents that stick in my brain to this day. SoapBox Mar 2014 #9

The Vietnamese think they've found some wreckage in the vicinity of the oil slicks. ColesCountyDem Mar 2014 #12

Like a cabin door floating... SoapBox Mar 2014 #14

NPR says the debris was not a match to the plane. Agschmid Mar 2014 #36

What if it was successfully hijacked.??? If the cell phone story is true its location Gin Mar 2014 #16

expected a couple seconds contact from the crew if it went down even partly intact. Sunlei Mar 2014 #20

That's my thinking, too. Gumboot Mar 2014 #23

The lack of mass debris is odd... SoapBox Mar 2014 #25

That has me puzzled, too. Something 840high Mar 2014 #29

Not necessarily... brooklynite Mar 2014 #37

So as it entered the 35,000 range the plane lost structural integrity? freshwest Mar 2014 #32

Hope everyone's safe on The Island and Hugo just failed to enter 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 ... brett_jv Mar 2014 #35