I am installing an AM/FM/XM/Video in my RV10 and am wondering what antenna is best for receiving AM/FM signal. Also any location and interference concerns.
I installed a standard auto replacement type antenna in my wing tip. Actually I drilled hole and mounted it in the end rib. The antenna was designed to mount on the sid of a car / truck so the antenna mast sets horizontally along the chord of the last wing rib. I added a nylon wire clip on the antenna tip to anchor it and keep it somewhat stationary. The antenna extends the full chord of the wing and is hidden from view by the wing tip. I used regular coax from the radio out to the antenna, I had to buy an adapter to convert the antenna fitting to a regular coax RG type fitting. I have not used the radio in the air yet but on the ground it works very well. Sorry I don't have any pictures but I think you get the idea.
That's probably true for X-country flying but a lot of my flying will be somewhat local (weekends around the patch) and I should be able to listen to the same station as long as I stay within a 60 mile radius more or less.
My first 25 hours of flying (starting this weekend hopefully) will definitely be within a 25 mile radius so I should not have any problems. My main reason for installing the Radio / CD player was for the MP3 CD player rather than the radio but since the radio was included I thought I would at least add an antenna and see how well it might work.
I really doubt you'll use the am/fm once you figure out a handful of XM stations you like. Unless you just REALLY love a local station I'd pass on it. Or if you're not going to subscribe to XM for long periods of time. Other than that you're paying for the XM which will almost always come in regardless of how far from home you get.
Less weight, drag, and complexity if you just ignore the am/fm capability
I've seen an installation where he simply fished a wire down the gear leg fairing. It reportedly worked well. Cheap, easy, light weight, and no extra drag. Might be worth a try? It shouldn't take much; for FM you're listening to a 100,000 watt signal that you have line of sight to.
If you already have a VOR antenna of any sort (whiskers, internal or whatever) you can use a diplexer, which is intended to drive 2 VOR receivers from the same antenna. Just feed the FM radio with the 2nd output. The VOR freq range is close enough to FM radio that the reception is very good.
I have this setup with an Archer wingtip antenna and get great FM reception. Satellite radio might be cool, but FM is free, and for local flights it is nice to be able to listen to the familiar local stations.
Still haven't found a solution for AM radio though.
I connected my AM/FM antenna lead to the top of the hinge pin for the main gear leg fairing where it protrudes through the bottom fuse skin, making the pin and hinge my antenna. No additional cost and it seems to work great. If I'm flying up high, I can keep a signal in range for quite a ways. YMMV...
I connected my AM/FM antenna lead to the top of the hinge pin for the main gear leg fairing where it protrudes through the bottom fuse skin, making the pin and hinge my antenna. No additional cost and it seems to work great. If I'm flying up high, I can keep a signal in range for quite a ways. YMMV...
I laid a thin copper foil antenna inside the glass lay up in the windshield/canopy fairing. It works great. I also installed an XM radio and stuck the small antenna on the fuselage behind the rear seat with Velcro. It works great cross country as you never fly away from the station. It won't work while flying inverted!
