Show me your antennas (esp. VOR and GPS)
 

My RV-14 fuselage kit will be here in the next couple of weeks, and my tail cone is taking shape. I figure that now is an appropriate time to think about adding doublers for antennas. The kit already seems to accommodate two comm antennas on the belly, a transponder/ADS-B antenna on the bottom of the tail, and the ELT antenna inside the baggage area.

I am planning to have a GTN 650, a GMA 245R, and a G3X Touch with SiriusXM. My understanding is that I will need the following antennas in addition to those that the kit provides for, as listed above:

1. VOR/LOC/GS
2. GPS for GTN 650 (GA 35)
3. GPS/XM for G3X Touch (GA 57X)

I'm not the first one doing this, by any stretch of the imagination. So, please show me where you mounted these antennas on your RV. Thanks!

I have not yet mounted my antennas, but I have them and I am about at that point. I will mount the GPS/XM antennas on top immediately behind the baggage bulkhead. I will use an Archer Nav antenna, and will mount it in the right wingtip. These are common locations for these antennas, but you have plenty of time to consider alternatives.

The 2 comm antenna mounts on the belly have doublers in the kit. The fwd and rear transponder/ads-b holes will need doublers fabricated as will the top mount location for the GA35. I am using an Archer wing tip nav antenna in the right tip - lots of documentation around on mounting it there. I have an extra GPS antenna on the front dash for a Garmin G5.

If you really want to, you can install the transponder doublers as you build the fuselage but in my case I only need a single antenna for transponder / ads-b so the fwd hole will have a plate over the holes. The top deck mounted GA35 you can reach any time but doing it before attaching the tail cone and fuselage will save a little bit of work later.

That's going to give you a pretty long coax length. IIRC, the installation instructions on my GTX-327 read "11' max".

I did not realize that there was a transponder antenna location designed into the plans other than the UAT located in the tail cone.

There is one, mid fuselage. Look for three small holes, little off center and away from the bottom ribs.

Transponder/ADS-B out under the baggage area because of cable run length as noted above. ADS-B in in the tailcone.

This is how mine is set up.

If you're using the Garmin remote xpdr 45R or the 345 no seperate ADS-B/UAT in antenna is required.

Since the holes for a transponder antenna are already drilled below the baggage compartment and not required for ADSB, I will install a dummy transponder antenna. Seems better than installing a plate.

This is great to hear. I'm thinking of mounting VOR/NAV antenna in the tailcone and ADS-B / transponder mid-fuse.