Where can I find Bakelite

[unitink72]

I'm giving the home brew archer nav antenna a try. It calls for a small strip of Bakelite,also known as phenolic. Where do folks get this from? I can find sheets on eBay but it's way more than I need and cost ends up around $25. Not that much but takes a big chunk of the cost savings from rolling my own.

[Zero4Zulu]

McMaster.com Has Garolite.

[Carl Froehlich]

A scrap piece of fiberglass works fine as well. If not thick enough, stack a couple together. You can adjust the gamma match by making this dialecgric thicher (less capacitance) or thinner (more capacitance). Same for the price of aluminum coupling the antenna to the feed line. More aluminum (more capacitance), etc.

The best way to tune this antenna is to use an antenna analyzer like this one:https://www.amazon.com/SWR-Antenna-A...tenna+analyzer

First adjust the antenna over all length for the center of nav band (about 113 MHz). Longer is lower frequency. Leave it a little long for this first adjustment. Now adjust the gamma match to achieve the lowest SWR. Then go back and trim the antenna to resonate at 113mhz.

I also suggest you modify the dimensions so that the antenna extends as far out from the rib as it can go into the wingtip. The over all length from wing rib to antenna tip will remain about the same. Mounting the antenna on a 0.032? angle attached to the wing rib instead on glassing it into the wingtip makes like a lot easier as well.

Carl

[JonJay]

How are they using it? Bakelite was popular as it could be molded into shapes. If all you need is some flat stock, almost any insulating material would probably work. You might consider tempered Masonite which you can get at any big box store. Not as brittle and easier to work with. Not sure if they sell smaller than a sheet though. That is as close to Bakelite as you can probably get in density.

[Charles in SC]

Try Radio Shack for a small piece of phenelic if you have one near you or most any electronic supply house. A piece of circuit board will probably do the same thing. I doubt if you will fing any genuine Bakelite that is not in an antique shop.

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by Charles in SC

Try Radio Shack for a small piece of phenelic if you have one near you or most any electronic supply house. A piece of circuit board will probably do the same thing. I doubt if you will fing any genuine Bakelite that is not in an antique shop.

All of our local Radio Shacks went belly up. Isn't that true across the whole country?

[Plummit]

You might try JK Electronics in Westminster, CA. They probably have it.

http://jkelectronics.com/home.html

~Marc

[RV6_flyer]

Originally Posted by Carl Froehlich

The best way to tune this antenna is to use an antenna analyzer like this one:https://www.amazon.com/SWR-Antenna-A...tenna+analyzer



Carl

Some of the local EAA guys that are HAMS (like me) may have one you can borrow.

Originally Posted by az_gila

All of our local Radio Shacks went belly up. Isn't that true across the whole country?

I thought so too till I met a guy last year that owns several.
https://www.radioshack.com/

[BobTurner]

Virtually any electronic hobby store will sell you this stuff, it's used to make printed circuit boards. Or, use fiberglass or whatever. BUT, as Carl said above, unless you are able to exactly duplicate (material, thickness, area, of) the capacitor, you will need some test equipment to tune the antenna to resonance and the capacitor to proper phase match.

I like Carl's idea of mounting it to an aluminum angle attached to the rib, although I captured mine under the wingtip nut plate rivets, and left enough slack in the coax to allow removal and laying the tip on top of the wing.

I suspect most reports of poor performance come from people who did not do proper tuning. (Not counting the grossly incorrect installations!)

[Ironflight]

Not withstanding the excellent discussions above, Aircraft Spruce does offers phenolic sheet in various thicknesses.....