N

nturner

Member
Hi
Could someone direct me to a site or pass on some information about the best place to locate the IFR aerials on an RV. Plus what aerials to use and how these should be mounted. Vans directed me here as they don't have any RV's set up with IFR. Someone may know of someone who sells these ready to install in an RV.

Thanks
Nigel
 
Nigel,

Tough question! Really depends on what instruments you plan on having. As Cam said, the Archer antenna has been pretty popular, but it is only for your NAV radio (including Glideslope and Localizer).

After that you need to decide what additional avionics your going to carry.

A marker beacon antenna can also go in the wing tip with the Archer antenna. A 40" piece of copper foil seems to work fairly well.

A panel mount GPS requires another antenna, is relatively easy to mount, just needs to point up (under the canopy bubble works fine). A handheld GPS will typically not need a external antenna, but then it isn't IFR legal either except for situational awareness.

An ADF (yeah, they still make them, but why anyone woud bother is beyond me) is at least one antenna mounted on the belly, and possibly another on top. Most NDB approaches have GPS overlays these days, and they are in fact starting to phase out some NDB approaches. Yeah, GPS needs to be certified to be legal.

Loran is still around, and probably will be for a while, but like the ADF, why bother? Needs an antenna that looks like a COMM antenna, can be mounted either on top or the belly.

A DME is a small antenna the same size as your transponder antenna, needs to be belly mounted. Absolutely needed if you want to fly above FL180, and for some approaches, but a GPS (Certified one, of course) can be substituted in most cases.

Don't forget that you also need to mount your COMM (a bent whip on the belly works well and is reasonably aerodynamic), transponder and ELT antenna somewhere before it's all over with! Then there's the XM radio, weather radar, strikefinder.......

Always a matter of choices!
 
Location of antennas

I have gone with Fabian Lefler at "Affordable Panels" http://www.affordablepanels.com/

Fabian has given me a lot of info and he responds rapidly.

or you might try Stark Avionics http://www.starkavionics.com/index.htm

Here are several links http://www.matronics.com/YellerPages/

and more: http://exp-aircraft.com/vendors/pagesVen/

As far as placement:
VOR/LOC the cats whiskers have been placed successfully under the horizontal stabilizer. The signal has a clear shot at the antenna there and it is somewhat protected from being bent by someone walking by (except for dogs etc.). On the top of the tail is ok too but kind of ugly.

The GPS is tested to 180 degrees F. and some have put it under the cowling. (I worry about it getting above 180 degrees personally but it has been done successfully). On the top of the fuselage is the most common for the GPS either centered between the windows and the vertical Stabilizer or in front of the windscreen (nice short run to the receiver). The GPS antenna also has been successfully tucked up in the windows of the baggage area. The ELT is usually on the top where it hopefully will not get scraped off in a crunch.
The COM and transponder are usually placed on the bottom of the fuselage under the pilot.
You will see several threads about placing antennas in the wing tips. I have strobes out there so even though I like the idea I don't want to fight the potential noise.
The GS antenna has been hidden in the wing tip, behind the llight lense or taking the signal off of the VOR/LOC antenna I believe.

Reading Bob Nuckolls Aeroelectric Connection might be of help too. http://www.aeroelectric.com/

Now that I have written this several people with more knowledge than I will probably jump in and give you some really good ideas! :) while correcting my errors :eek:
 
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