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archer com antenna

The general feeling seems to be that these antennas are "pretty good" for nav, and "pretty poor" for com. The issue is that VOR/ILS uses horizontal polarization, which is fine for an antenna laying in the wing tip. But com uses vertical polarization, not so fine. I have a -10 (larger wingtip than -7 or -9) and have bent the leading edge of the Archer's radiator down (mounted on top of rib) as much as possible, to get as much vertical polarization as possible. I think it's okay as a backup, I'd want (and have) something else on my primary com. But on the ground, the tower is never more than a mile away, so it works just fine. In fact, sometimes better than my vertical but under the fuselage whip, if I happen to be oriented in a way that the whip is blocked by the fuselage.
 
Anyone have experience with using these antennas when using the hinge wingtip mounting method? I already have the hinges mounted so I may be further along than I should be in that respect.
 
Hinge ok with nav ant.

I have hinges holding my wing tips on and I use an Archer Nav ant. and it works great!

Got a bent whip for com on the bottom and it works great!
COMANT VHF COMMUNICATIONS (CI-292-2)
 
Had to scrap the comm antenna in the -10

The nav antenna "worked" ok, but the comm antenna was inadequate --- had to go external on the comms.

R.
 
Archer Wingtip Comm Antenna

15 years ago when I built my RV-8 I installed an Archer Nav antenna in my right wingtip and an Archer Comm antenna in the left. I installed it on the rising bottom side of the wingtip with the top blade of the antenna bent to vertical position. It is my comm antenna for Comm2, an SL30.

For 15 years it has been a good antenna for its purpose, secondary comm used mostly for comm within the formation of aircraft I am normally flying with and for monitoring AWOS as I proceed along the route. As a primary it does suffer from its position in the wingtip because of range. It normally works well out to about 30 miles, sometimes much further. But reception can be affected according to position and elevation from the wingtip. I have talked with joining aircraft 70-90 miles out if they are lower than me and more off my left wingtip, but as they get more level with me or off my right side, reception range reduces until they get within about 30 miles, then reception all good.
 
Let me elaborate on my original question.

I have the hinges riveted onto my wingtip. Everything looks good in that respect. I just started thinking about the Archer Antenna as I was starting to surface finish the wingtips. I currently don't have a NAV radio in my initial panel, but I was planning to use the Archer antenna for NAV only when I got one. I could install it now if it makes sense give they are around a hundred bucks. Thoughts?

Given I haven't purchased the Archer antenna yet so I don't have the installation instructions. Am I going to have to remove rivets to mount the antenna? If so, I would prefer to do that before I get the wingtips all ready for paint.
 
Still way early in my build, just starting wings... But thought of a question that y'all might be able to answer about this.

If the problem is the orientation within the wingtip, is there any bad reason to not find a way to install the antenna in the top of the vertical stab? Might cause a problem due to access or available space, that I can't think of right now. But it would solve this problem.

The general feeling seems to be that these antennas are "pretty good" for nav, and "pretty poor" for com. The issue is that VOR/ILS uses horizontal polarization, which is fine for an antenna laying in the wing tip. But com uses vertical polarization, not so fine. I have a -10 (larger wingtip than -7 or -9) and have bent the leading edge of the Archer's radiator down (mounted on top of rib) as much as possible, to get as much vertical polarization as possible. I think it's okay as a backup, I'd want (and have) something else on my primary com. But on the ground, the tower is never more than a mile away, so it works just fine. In fact, sometimes better than my vertical but under the fuselage whip, if I happen to be oriented in a way that the whip is blocked by the fuselage.
 
Archer VOR Antenna

As I previously stated, I put an Archer Nav (VOR) antenna in my right wingtip. The VOR antenna is supposed to be mounted horizontally, so it is mounted horizontally on the top inner surface of the wingtip. It has always given me excellent range for VOR reception according to altitude, normally 90-100 miles at about 8K', and ILS reception never a problem.

So if you wish to use VOR/ILS and plan to have the radio, I would install the Archer antenna now. I also suggest the SL30 as it gives you a second radio and it internally splits appropriately the VOR and ILS reception signals for display.
 
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Only one side

I'm planning also to use a Archer VOR antenna and I couldn't found for sur if you need to install only one antenna in one wingtip; if yes is there a recommended side?
 
Ray,

You can support the Archer with a few strips of fiberglass plus epoxy, so all you need is a good electrical connection between the ground leg of the Archer and the hinge. Putting the Archer under the hinge would look clean, but you'd have to shim the mating hinge, too. I'd just put a jog in the Archer's ground leg, so it went smoothly from the wingtip up onto the hinge. Drill holes in that leg so they clear most of the rivet tails; remove and replace a few of the rivets to hold the Archer in contact with the hinge (or install a few additional rivets).

Victor,

Excellent idea for the Archer com. You need to mount it inside the fiberglass cap, on top of a horizontal rib which can serve as a ground plane. So it looks like a bent whip. The only issue is, on RV's, the fiberglass cap is nowhere near large enough.
 
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I'm planning also to use a Archer VOR antenna and I couldn't found for sur if you need to install only one antenna in one wingtip; if yes is there a recommended side?

Most people install just one, and use a splitter(s) if you have two nav's and/or need a separate input for glide slope. If you have two navs you can use two antennas if you wish, but under no cirumstances should you combine two antennas to feed one radio. That doesn't work.

Archer sells two antennas, with the coax connections on one side or the other. One is for top left or bottom right wingtip; the other for bottom left or top right use.
 
For two airplanes now I built my own wingtip VOR antenna following the general design from the AeroElectric book using scrap pieces of aluminum and some thin fiberglass to make the matching network. I modify the AeroElectric dimensions to have it extend further out into the wingtip (just keep the angles and the matching network the same - as well as the overall dimension). While these antennas have work very well, I warn others that if you do not have access to a simple antenna analyzer you can not be assured of performance. Find a Ham Radio guy to help - give them a ride and they will be happy to make the antenna sing. While you have him let him check all of the other antennas and cabling. I've found a lot of friends' "my radio is weak" problems using an antenna analyzer to find bad BNC connectors.

If you have a local EAA chapter or such, invest in a shared antenna analyzer like this: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-259C It will pay for itself many times over.

It makes little difference on which side you mount it, and no need for more than one.

To the how to mount it question, I have my attached to the end rib with a piece of light aluminum angle. This allows the wingtip to be removed without taking off the antenna. I also recommend people to mount the antenna as far aft as practical to gain distance between it and the wingtip nav/strobe.

Based on many years of experience, I see no advantage of the traditional out in the breeze VOR antenna on top of the VS, and a lot of advantage over the "blind the pilot/kid/dog" antenna mounted under the tail.

Carl
 
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