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VOR/LOC/GS antenna

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
I know that this has probably been talked about a lot, but I am trying to figure out what antenna configuration to go with and am debating wing tip versus whiskers.

I am leaning towards whiskers. If I go that way, which would be the best to install. See that there are plenty to chose from.

would this one be OK. It appears to be the cheapest and has a cable.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/av532L.php

thanks
ken
 
Antenna

I know that this has probably been talked about a lot, but I am trying to figure out what antenna configuration to go with and am debating wing tip versus whiskers.

I am leaning towards whiskers. If I go that way, which would be the best to install. See that there are plenty to chose from.

would this one be OK. It appears to be the cheapest and has a cable.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/av532L.php

thanks
ken

I have an Archer antenna in my wingtip, works flawlessly with my Garmin 430, and I don?t have to worry about walking into it.:D
 
Ken,

Just so you know, you can duplicate the performance of that antenna with a couple of pieces of stainless welding rod and some UHMW, but you would have to build it yourself.

Charlie
 
Wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Archer. Mine works great after I fixed a bad connector that was my fault. GTN 650 has plenty of range
 
I was not aware the archer antenna worked for glideslope too...at least Stein website only list it as Vor/nav.
 
Glideslope and VOR/ILS are on one antenna. I ordered Archer from Steinair. It’s easy to install (good instructions) especially if done before installing wingtip nut plates. (I did after and still wasn’t hard). Since I have a long run of coax from panel out to wingtip I put a female BNC connector on the wingtip to make the tip fully removable. Photos of my install here:

https://turnerb14a.blogspot.com/2018/10/installed-archer-vorils-antenna-in.html
 
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Home spun archer

I made an archer type from scrap aluminum and put it in the wingtip. It works great on my 650 in both localizer and glideslope.
 
I built my own Archer-style and put one in each wingtip (one primary for use and a backup), through a VOR/GS splitter into my 430W, works like a charm.
 
Right vs Left Wingtip?

For the Archer antenna, I see some people putting in left, some in right. What considerations drive the choice of which wingtip?

Roll servo is in the right wing, heated pitot in left would appear to be the key differences.
 
For the Archer antenna, I see some people putting in left, some in right. What considerations drive the choice of which wingtip?

Roll servo is in the right wing, heated pitot in left would appear to be the key differences.

I don't know that it would make much difference, as long as quality coax was used (RG400 works great). I have my coax running in the same conduit from wing root all the way to the servo in the right, and heater on the left wing with everything else - and also with LED lights and nav lights in the wingtips, and power wires for my outboard wing fuel tank transfer pumps. I can't say for certain there is NO interference from those items, but I can say with certainty there is no interference noted, and I've flown approaches day and night with that setup, coupled and handflown, with and without pitot heat. If there is noise there, it is below the level of causing an issue, which is all I really care about.
 
For the Archer antenna, I see some people putting in left, some in right. What considerations drive the choice of which wingtip?

It depends to which side of the runway centerline you want to be displaced when following an ILS! :p

Honestly... the ILS is sensitive enough that you WILL be displaced from centerline when using a wingtip antenna. You just get used to it and make that few feet of correction once you've gone visual. I say this from the standpoint of being the safety pilot in a friend's RV9A with a wingtip nav antenna and having witnessed this offset.
 
Gary,

Does your RV-6 have the old or new style wing tips? If old, which side did you mount the Archer on, top or bottom?

John L. Walsh
Yulee, FL (83FL)

I have the original wingtips that Van's supplies many years ago. It was the only one Van's had so must be the old. There is one in each wingtip. It has been over 20-years but I believe that the one in the left wingtip is the one connected to the SL30.

I have one mounted in each wingtip on the top same way Sam did his.
 
I was not aware the archer antenna worked for glideslope too...at least Stein website only list it as Vor/nav.

Works great for GS with my Garmin GNC255 NAV/COMM (same as the SL30). GS frequency is 4x the ILS/VOR frequency so its a perfect match. No need for additional antennas IF your NAV radio has an internal splitter like the Garmin. This way it breaks out the LOC and GS signals separately.
 
Works great for GS with my Garmin GNC255 NAV/COMM (same as the SL30). GS frequency is 4x the ILS/VOR frequency so its a perfect match. No need for additional antennas IF your NAV radio has an internal splitter like the Garmin. This way it breaks out the LOC and GS signals separately.

GS is about 3x the LOC frequency. Resonant dipole (or quarter wave plus ground plane) antennas are also resonant at 3x, 5x, etc. the frequency. No need for a separate GS antenna. If your radio doesn?t have an internal splitter, add an external one.
I need to think some more, if the matching network is also proper at 3x the frequency. I think it is not ideal, but in practice works okay.
 
Just for clarification, both the GTN 650/750 and SL 30 have internal diplexers so an external one to separate the Nav and GS signals apart is never required. However, if you have 2 NAV radios but only one Nav antenna (eg I have a GTN 650 and an SL 30 feed by a single RAMI AV-12L) you need a splitter (not a diplexer).
 
For clarification on the difference between a diplexer and a splitter in our application (multi frequency input signal):

Splitter = Same input frequencies at both outputs, but at a lower input power.

Diplexer = One input frequency at one output port, different input frequency at the other output. Each output may be at "same" or lower input power. Don't confuse a diplexer with a duplexer, different animals.

:cool:
 
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Yeah, you certainly wouldn't want to scrimp by flying ifr in an experimental a/c...

;-)

Yeah, went from 50 yr old Mooney with ADF and dual VHF navcoms with old six pack to Dynon Skyview with GTN650 and SL30.
Archer antenna in each wingtip, one for each navcom.
BTW, unless you have noisy old zenon strobes and other RF noise, RG-400 is overkill for VHF nav. RG-58 works fine and is only around 1/6th price of RG-400. RG-400 is needed for transponder and GPS because of their higher freq and other issues.
 
If you?re building an airplane to fly IFR, be careful where you save pennies.

So, I see some people poking fun at Ed. But he does have a point. I have seen at least two unbelievably bad Archer installations that were actually flying around. If your system can?t receive VORs 40 miles away, do some trouble shooting and fix it. Probably goes for everything on an EAB but some owners seem to let these kinds of issues slide.
 
Galin,

My comment was in response to the apparent context of the choice a particular antenna design being called 'pinching pennies' and it therefore being less worthy of trust. If we buy into that, should we also ask what percentage of IFR fliers on this forum use non-certified (almost invariably read cheaper, as in pinching pennies) primary and backup flight instruments?

Even the a/c itself should be questioned, if pinching pennies is the context. I can't imagine how much you'd have to spend to find a 2 seat certified plane with RV performance, but as expensive as a -10 can be, it's certainly pinching pennies compared to equivalent performance in a certified a/c.

Wouldn't it be more productive to suggest care in installation and workmanship, instead of referencing the dollars (or pennies) spent/saved? Especially when all three examples of pinched pennies have proven to be perfectly acceptable when executed properly.

Charlie
 
Has anyone installed the wing tip antenna's with Zip Tips on an RV10? I'm planning on these tips and want to make a decision on wing tip or whiskers before I rivet the VS. I do plan to be IFR capable so need it to work well. Thanks
 
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