Antenna

[flyguy]

Re: Antenna

The whip/groundplane I described will load and radiate more efficiently than anything else you would care to put on an airplane.
If one is on a budget the entire thing can be made from welding rod and a bulkhead type N connector from radio shack. Measure someone's com whip and make it that length. Buy the connector and take it to a welding supply or your local welder and get a piece of rod that fits into the female pin in the connector. Get rod with copper plating. Solder it in, or wait and solder it in after you have installed the plate with the connector in the airplane. Bakelite insulation will resist the heat better
No reason you can't do it behind the headliner if it screws things up to put it under the liner. I would use contact cement (sparingly) and you can just press it into place.
End of problem.
Now if you want to fool with a real problem, try to select a cam for a 1974 Z28 Chevy Camaro engine that will give low end drivibility and some kind efficiency and still produce gobs of power at the top end.
That is what I've been trying to find for the last few days.
Darryl

[lktiller]

Re: Antenna

Mike, Using a whip antenna, the coax shield must be attached to the mounting lug of the antenna or the nearest spot on the ground plane. The whip antenna is electrically isolated from the ground plane.

If the ground plane is electrically isolated from the cowling and you are using a battery powered handheld radio, a separate wire from the coax shield to the cowling is not necessary unless there is excessive ignition noise.
If you do run a wire to the cowling, be sure the engine, the engine mount, the magneto cases and the cowling are electrically connected.

If you are trying the dipole arrangement, then the coax shield attaches to one leg of the dipole, the center conductor to the other leg.

Larry Tillery

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Antenna

My Dad , Al Barber used to dope a piece of screen usually used from an old screen door under the fabric aft of the baggage sling up at the top and a mounting plate of aluminum between the tubes and we would then have a "ground plane" to mount the antenna either up and away on the outside or inside the fuselage vertical I never really noticied much difference.
MY own BC12D has a Radio shack antenna for a car aimed down from the boot cowl. I use it for an older Loran & the Comm radio too.
Try it you might like it. We "trimmed" it with a meter and diagonal pliers.

BOY am I glad a lot of folks are using this discussion group for good stuff. Remember WE were here before the factory JUST trying to find sources for parts ( new, used , fabricated, JUST PARTS!!) I am getting a wee bit tired of some of the "bashing" . Rev. Forest Yoder is down at Leesburg trying to extract his new ( Merton Meade's old one) BC12D. WE HAve been very busy getting ready for our "FunDay" here Sat at 2D1 . Any tribe members going to make it??? Young Eagles too!

[mhorowit]

Re: Antenna

Merton decided to sell?
He was my first choice as an instructor, but he was too busy with his bagpipes - MIke

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Antenna

Yep he was always very selective, had I known you then I could have recommended you!! I was with him down there two weeks ago.... nice ship , hope we get her back here okay.