CoAx disconnect - Advice please

tomcostanza · #1 01-26-2007, 10:53 AM

I'm mounting 2 Bob Archer nav antennas in the wingtips. I'd like to do as much wiring as possible before I move the plane to the airport. My plan is to mount BNC (or TNC) bulkhead connectors at each wing root (unless someone talks me out of it). It isn't my first choice, but I want to minimize my build time away from home.

Any comments or 1st hand experiences?

jcoloccia · #2 01-26-2007, 11:09 AM

You could wire the fuselage (instead of the wing) and thread it through the conduit at the airport. It's only one crimp when it gets to the wingtip.

pierre smith · #3 01-26-2007, 11:10 AM

Hi Tom,
We started to do that too but thought, how often am I going to be removing the wings? So we just pulled the nav light/landing light wires and the coax through a 1/2" PVC water piping that fit tightly in factory holes in the ribs as we slid the wings in.

Just use a plain BNC connector at the wing root and save money and tie wrap it to a hole or similar........it's your call.

Regards,

painless · #4 01-26-2007, 11:17 AM

Tom:

I have two archer antennas (nav and com, one in each wingtip) and I followed the KISS principle.

Make your connections at your panel and route the cable to where it will exit the fuselage. Leave enough cable there to allow you to fish it through the wings when you mount them. I have the corregated wiring runs that Van's sells for running wires through the wing. Fish a wire (I used picture hanging steel wire) through the tubes in the wing and then hook up to this pull-wire whatwever wire or cable you need to pull through the wings when they are mounted.

In doing this you won't slow yourself down at all with build time, plus you will eliminate any uneeded connectors that would increase your "points of failure".

Regards

tomcostanza · #5 01-26-2007, 11:57 AM

All good ideas, thanks. But I have already wired the wings. I used the corregated conduit, and there is so much wire in there I'll be lucky to get airborne (nav coax, MB antenna coax, position lights, landing light, taxi light, strobe, auto-pilot servo, pitot heat). So it wasn't just fish one or two strands through. I did that before riveting the bottom skins, and I'm glad I did, because I never would have got all that wire in there without being able to massage the conduit. I left plenty of wire at the wing root so I could finish THAT once I mated the wings, but now I'm re-thinking that plan. I don't have a problem butt splicing the D.C. wires, and I really don't want to put a connector in the coax, but it's a compromise I may have to make. You pay your money and you make your choice.

Thanks again...

SHORTRV7 · #6 02-26-2007, 05:41 PM

What if you wanted to put a connector for the Stobes at the fuss/wing, what do you do about the shield at the connector???

Ironflight · #7 02-26-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHORTRV7

What if you wanted to put a connector for the Stobes at the fuss/wing, what do you do about the shield at the connector???

I just put the same type of connector at the wing root as at the tip, where the flash tube plugs in to the cable. I figured that if it was good at one end, it would work at the other...

Paul

RV7Guy · #8 02-27-2007, 08:34 AM

Hi All,

I have two Archer antennas in one tip, an one in the other. Also have Aeroflash power packs mounted on the tip rib of each wing. All electrical stuff is locally grounded at the tip rib after consultation with 'Lectric Bob.' Power leads have connectors.

I also used BnC connectors at the tip and the root for the coax and connectors for the other stuff at the root as well. I asked Bob about this as well. He said the short runs of coax in an RV will not be affected with a couple of connectors.

The connectors were wrapped with the silicon tape stuff for protection and to prevent any disconnects. The wires were secured and the tip attached. Same with the root connections. After wrapping I pulled some excess coax into the fuselage and secured.

Quick and easy to assemble. This is important at the root rib since there is litte to no working room.

Performance is excellent. My Archer Nav antenna works great as does the Comm. Radios are crystal clear and there are no negative affects of locally grounding at the tip rib.

Work smarter not harder!!!!!