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09-26-2013, 07:18 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Posts: 133
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VOR/ILS Antena
Looking for inputs on type and location of NAV antenna (vor/ILS)
__________________
Bob Collins
ATP, CFI, CFII/MEI
RV-7A (sold)
Now Flying P337
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09-26-2013, 07:40 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast
Posts: 569
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I can't say enough positives about my Archer antenna in the right wingtip of my -7A. Entirely reliable with great range (60 - 80 nm) with my SL-30. ILS reception (localizer & glide slope) equally reliable.
Mike
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09-26-2013, 08:51 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Posts: 133
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Thanks Mike
Does the ILS signal get blanketed in a turn
Bob
__________________
Bob Collins
ATP, CFI, CFII/MEI
RV-7A (sold)
Now Flying P337
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09-27-2013, 03:36 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Hobe Sound, Florida
Posts: 292
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We have an Archer in the left wing of our 7a. We were flying the melbourne iLS from the south and had very intermittent reception. Once the controller gave us the final heading to intercept it was rock solid. I really thought something was wrong until we figured the signal was blanked by the fuselage. With a moving map this never presents a problem. VOR reception is well over 100 mm at 6k.
Phelps
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Kevin Phelps
Paid thru Dec 2020
RV-7A flying N782WP
Stuart, Fl
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09-27-2013, 06:43 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia
Posts: 315
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Just one guys opinion...
I'll probably get blasted for saying this... But I'm a bit of a safety nut of sorts. If you are planing on IFR in your experimental, you will probably have a *Ceritified* Garmin 430 or 650. True it, basically loses it cert when installed in an experimental BUT why break the tried & true system by connecting an archer or any other "cheap" antenna to a precision NAV? I'm going with a Comant CI-215 which meets the TSO's out lined in the Garmin GTN 650 Manual (TSO C40,C36 & C34)... Yeah, I'm sure there are non-cert / experimental antennas that "perform" the same. BUT having mating equipement gives me a little more peace of mind. Keep in mind if you install an antenna & your nav checks dont check out, you'll probably end up replacing the el' cheapo. Me & my families butts cruising down an ILS to minimums are worth WAY more to me than saving a few bucks on an antenna or vanity of having a hidden antenna... This is just my opinion & my plan. We're all building experimentals to get what the certified world doesn't provide and forging the way for the certified world. I'm all about experimenting! But with some things, I simply wont. There is a reason that it is required to have a certified nav / gps if filing IFR.
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09-27-2013, 07:22 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Posts: 133
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I am planing to use the cat whisker type NAV antenna but debating its location, either underneath by the tail or on top of the vertical stab.
__________________
Bob Collins
ATP, CFI, CFII/MEI
RV-7A (sold)
Now Flying P337
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09-27-2013, 07:30 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1,565
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I have the Archer antenna, and I can report it works great. Flying circles to check reception from the Nodine (ODI) VOR, I get reception in all orientations out to 50+ nm, and head-on/tail-on orientations provide reception to about 85nm from 7500 feet. This is well outside the normal service volume for the VOR, so things are good there.
Localizer and glideslope reception has been excellent as well; I've shot a number of these approaches in both simulated and actual conditions without any reception problems whatsoever. As you know, the localizer isn't as powerful of a signal as a VOR, but I've still have great reception all tested orientations out to about 25 nm at 3000 feet as tested on the KOWA Runway 30 ILS. Head-on reception was good to 35nm.
My testing methodology was to fly a circle centered at the test range at an altitude of 7500ft, checking reception every 45º. For VOR, I started at 100nm and headed directly towards the station until the CDI flag disappeared. At that time, I marked the test point and flew the circle and noted reception every 45º. I then flew 5nm towards the VOR and repeated the test, recording the results on my test card. I repeated this process until I had solid reception for each test heading.
Localizer testing was similar, but done at 3000ft and starting 50nm out.
That said, the installation is key as the instructions state. Follow the directions exactly, and I find it hard to believe you'd have a problem.
__________________
Brad Benson, Maplewood MN.
RV-6A N164BL, Flying since Nov 2012!
If you're not making mistakes, you're probably not making anything
Last edited by ChiefPilot : 09-27-2013 at 09:04 AM.
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09-27-2013, 07:35 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1,565
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel S.
BUT having mating equipement gives me a little more peace of mind.
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Certified or not, make sure you thoroughly test it. If it doesn't work predictably and reliably, the certified or TSO status of the installation doesn't really matter.
__________________
Brad Benson, Maplewood MN.
RV-6A N164BL, Flying since Nov 2012!
If you're not making mistakes, you're probably not making anything
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09-27-2013, 07:57 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia
Posts: 315
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobCollins(AA)
I am planing to use the cat whisker type NAV antenna but debating its location, either underneath by the tail or on top of the vertical stab.
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Bob- I see you're building a 7A also  .. I originally made provisions to put the antenna on the top of the VS but I'm still in limbo about the placement simply due to VORs being on their way out. Heck who knows, by they time I'm done with my build, they could be completely extinct & I won't need a VOR/ ILS / GS anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiefPilot
Certified or not, make sure you thoroughly test it. If it doesn't work predictably and reliably, the certified or TSO status of the installation doesn't really matter.
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Absolutely! I could not agree more!!! 
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09-27-2013, 08:44 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California
Posts: 652
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Another opinion
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel S.
True it, basically loses it cert when installed in an experimental BUT why break the tried & true system by connecting an archer or any other "cheap" antenna to a precision NAV?.
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There is nothing "cheap" about an Archer antenna. Mr. Archer is an antenna design engineer and has gone to great lengths to make his antenna perform as well as can be expected. A cheap antenna is one such as a single whip with no antenna impedance matching. You can take all the certified equipment you can find, and if you place it in the wrong place, or have too long a wire run, or make the connections poorly, or use cheap "certified" coax you overcome all that certification testing. Any antenna placed anywhere can be subject to blanking under the proper conditions.
Performance depends upon range, transmitter power, and polarization of the transmitting and receiving antennas. The Archer wingtip nav antenna works well because it is horizontally polarized as nav transmitters are. Altitude helps negate blanking of the antenna when it is on the opposite side of the transmitter (the structure is not in the way). Localizer and glideslope signals are strong at the close ranges involved.
Having said all that, the greatest problem with the Archer Comm antenna is one of polarization. Comm signals are vertically polarized and the Archer antenna is constrained in that dimension by the wingtip height.
For any installation, certified equipment or not, it is a matter of testing and experimentation to expose weaknesses before you need it in a critical situation.
Don
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RV-8 QB Titan ECi 191HP XIO-360
WW200RV Dynon D180 HS34 AP74
GNS430 SL30 GTX327 PS8000B Uavionix Echouat
"Pilots are alchemists... we turn gold into lead."
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