Van's Air Force
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Wing Tip Antenna
- Thread starter N787R
- Start date
az_gila
Well Known Member
VOR is OK...
Unless you use the wingtip VOR antenna to Bob Archer's basic design....
Info. right here on Van's Airforce....
http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/vorwingtipantenna/wingtip_vor_antenna.htm
gil in Tucson
Unless you use the wingtip VOR antenna to Bob Archer's basic design....
Info. right here on Van's Airforce....
http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/vorwingtipantenna/wingtip_vor_antenna.htm
gil in Tucson
kentb
Well Known Member
NAV=OK; COMM=BAD.
I have both Archer Nav and comm antenna's. The Nav work great and only cost about $70.00. The Comm is so poor that I will be removing it and using a second bent whip on the belly.
Kent
I have both Archer Nav and comm antenna's. The Nav work great and only cost about $70.00. The Comm is so poor that I will be removing it and using a second bent whip on the belly.
Kent
Sam Buchanan
been here awhile
Ben, there is lots of good info in the archives on this subject in you want to use the "Search" feature.
Wingtip nav antennae work quite nicely but not so for the comm. Here is some info on my site about the Bob Archer antenna:
http://thervjournal.com/sportcraft.htm
His antenna is proven in the field and since the price is so reasonable, it is hard to justify building your own.
Nav ok, Comm sucks
Subject says it all. I have archer antennae in each wingtip. NAV works like a champ, COM is weak and directional. I will be adding a belly antenna for my COM unit sometime soon.
JP
Subject says it all. I have archer antennae in each wingtip. NAV works like a champ, COM is weak and directional. I will be adding a belly antenna for my COM unit sometime soon.
JP
gmcjetpilot
Well Known Member
Why?
My main comment WHY? To save the whole 1/4th or 1/3rd mph drag (at top speed) for a com antenna?
(double comm drag for a VOR whiskers.)
Consider the weight and pain of coax runs out to the wing tip.
Looks? You can hardly see a belly VHF Comm under the cockpit and coax run is short. Also you can make
it so there's inflight access to the antenna BNC connector, which could be disconnect for handheld use
if needed.
I like the VOR/LOC/ILS whiskers on the belly under the horz tail. Almost invisible if plane is white and you
use white fiberglass whips.
Performance of wingtip Com ant are poor, Nav fair, but external is going to be better any day (or night).
center line? I'd put the transponder just aft of the fire wall on center line or just off center. Two com's on
opposite left/right side of belly fwd of spar and VOR whiskers under the tail, also on the belly, but with a
big trike like the -10 that you wannabe, in the tip of vert stab is fine. I don't like that location for tail
draggers because of eye poke danger.
Ditto, but gil is right the NAV is not too bad but don't count on max VOR range. LOC/ILS OK I guess.
My main comment WHY? To save the whole 1/4th or 1/3rd mph drag (at top speed) for a com antenna?
(double comm drag for a VOR whiskers.)
Consider the weight and pain of coax runs out to the wing tip.
Looks? You can hardly see a belly VHF Comm under the cockpit and coax run is short. Also you can make
it so there's inflight access to the antenna BNC connector, which could be disconnect for handheld use
if needed.
I like the VOR/LOC/ILS whiskers on the belly under the horz tail. Almost invisible if plane is white and you
use white fiberglass whips.
Performance of wingtip Com ant are poor, Nav fair, but external is going to be better any day (or night
).You are suppose to have about three feet, but that's ideal. You can get away with much less. Why all on
center line? I'd put the transponder just aft of the fire wall on center line or just off center. Two com's on
opposite left/right side of belly fwd of spar and VOR whiskers under the tail, also on the belly, but with a
big trike like the -10 that you wannabe, in the tip of vert stab is fine. I don't like that location for tail
draggers because of eye poke danger.
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