Why the rudder and not just the vertical stabilizer? Would eliminate the need to have moving wires and a failure point.
Why the rudder and not just the vertical stabilizer? Would eliminate the need to have moving wires and a failure point.
I built my own dipole's out of copper tubing and replaced the Archer wingtip
antennas I had previously been using for my VOR, and GS antennas, and my
range is significantly better.
The ground side of the dipole is between the spars, and the other end stretches
out into the tip.
I had wondered myself for a long time how they would work, and tried it one
day and was quite surprised how much better they work.
Jeff
I mounted an ACS di-pole in the VS yesterday and hooked up a handheld to make sure it had a chance of working. (Although others have said the surrounding metal framework won't bother it . . . . . well, you might say seeing is believing.) It picked up Dulles/Potomac approach control!! The airport is 34 miles away and approach is located about 15 miles away. I'm in the hills and there are lots of them between me and approach - not to mention the aluminum garage door. Bottom line - I'm pleased and impressed. The only downside with putting it in the VS - the bottom end will have to be moved (i.e., bent a bit) to get the HS in. I moved it thru what I think will be the required range and it was no big deal - no permanent deformation at all.
See my build log at:http://www.mykitlog.com/lowandslow/
Hi Darrel
Don't want you to get into a corner, I put my ELT in a very similar location but slightly further toward the rear. I have room to get the connectors in and out but Im still a bit cramped. Your ELT is closer to the header tank. Are you going to be able to make your connections?
Eddie Forward
Flying
SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X
Opps - you might be right and before I forget, thanks for speaking up. I forgot that I had removed the header tank and was looking at clearance to seat only. I'll bet that target fixation got to me - - - - again. Guess what I'll be checking on first thing tomorrow?
See my build log at:http://www.mykitlog.com/lowandslow/
Eddie - morning UPDATE: good catch!! Hopefully we'll meet up in person someday and the first and second beers are on me. It looks like it should fit fine on the pilots side - unless there is something that I haven't seen that goes there as well. Cheers, Darrel
See my build log at:http://www.mykitlog.com/lowandslow/
Eh, that's how the forum works. Glad to be able to help.
Eddie Forward
Flying
SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X
For those wondering about the dipole antenna pictured below it is found on the Aircraft Spruce website under the title "Advanced Aircraft Electronics High Gain VHF Antenna". The one pictured is the model 5T.
Larry Olson
Kitfox Series 6 - 1st Flight Oct 2021
Tri-gear, smooth cowl
912 ULS
A dipole is one of the best omnidirectional antennas available. Mounting it as close to vertical as possible is best, but even at an angle, the toroidal radiation pattern should work well for airplane use. Radiation is weakest off the ends of the antenna so you might have trouble receiving a station directly below you or an airplane directly above, but this likely will not be an issue as those transmitters are also closest to you so that mitigates the relative weakness of the pattern in those directions.
Definitely will outperform almost any monopole unless you have a fantastic ground plane.
Delta Whiskey, Great pictures on your builders log. Thanks for posting the link to your log - pictures are usually worth a thousand words. When you cover the HS will you leave a hole through it for the bottom of the dipole to go through? Or are you planning to not cover the middle section of the HS, which I assume will be completely hidden by the side covers? Or are you planning to bend it forward or aft over the top of the covered HS?
Larry Olson
Kitfox Series 6 - 1st Flight Oct 2021
Tri-gear, smooth cowl
912 ULS