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Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:50:45 -0400
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From: "Clark Still" <clarkstill@netzero.net>
Subject: LIV Tail Com Antenna
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Gentlemen - Like many with LIVs, I have the Lancair-provided Bob Archer =
folded dipole antenna in my vertical stabilizer.  And though it's SWR is=
 admirably low, it's performance is less than wonderful.  Here's an indi=
cation of it's performance as originally installed and after a modificat=
ion that added two additional ground plane elements made (mostly) of con=
ductive paint.  The mod improved performance significantly.
Original installation* performance:  I flew to a point 30 miles from my =
airport and orbited there at ~10,000 msl.  I tuned in my airport's ATIS =
and turned off the squelch on the radio connected to the tail antenna so=
 I could hear even weak reception.  When I was flying at right angles to=
 the course to my airport (airport off either wing), I got perfectly rea=
dable reception though the signal strength was not strong enough to comp=
letely surpress the background hiss.  However, when the plane was pointe=
d directly to or directly away from the airport, I could not detect any =
ATIS signal at all.
Ground plane mod** performance:  Same experiment but now I get approxima=
tely the same perfectly readable ATIS reception when I am flying to, fro=
m or at right angles to the airport.  Between those four cardinal points=
, the signal strength is less but the readability is still good enough t=
o copy the ATIS in one pass.
This is a big improvement for me as a common time to use COM2 is when I'=
m nearing my destination and need their weather.   ...Clark Still (LIVPT=
 N750S, KPOU)
Original installation:  Pretty much as described in the manual but I did=
 position the coax attachment point to the antenna close enough to the v=
ertical access panels to be reached.  This resulted in a less vertical a=
rrangement of the ground side of the antenna (the lower side, connected =
to the shield of the coax) and likely had something to do with the high =
directional sensitivity of my antenna.  So, be sure you have a direction=
al problem like I did before considering the mod.
The mod:  Basically, I attached two 23" conductors (new ground planes) t=
o the shield side of the coax at the antenna attachment point and mounte=
d them along the inboard right and left, lower trailing edges of the hor=
izontal stabilizer.  I had Brad Simmons (Airframes, Inc, Milan, TN) pain=
t 14" strips of conductive paint along both inboard, lower trailing edge=
s of horizontal and then connected them using 9" wires (conductive epoxy=
 to the painted ground planes) to the antenna.  He then painted the colo=
r coats over the conductive paint so the mod is invisible.  If you'd lik=
e to test this mod on your plane and can get at the antenna cable or tai=
l antenna connection point, try connecting the shield side of the coax t=
o a couple of ~12" lengths of copper foil tape firmly adhered to the inb=
oard, lower trailing edge (outside) of your horizontal stabilizer.  You =
may have to adjust the lengths for the best result (in principle, the to=
tal length of the wire + conductive strip should be ~23").
____________________________________________________________
Click for information on obtaining a VA loan.
http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/Ioyw6i4tzApxgYm8gwE07tim8=
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<html><P>Gentlemen - Like many with LIVs, I have the Lancair-provided Bo=
b Archer folded dipole antenna in my vertical stabilizer.&nbsp; And thou=
gh it's SWR is admirably low, it's performance is less than wonderful.&n=
bsp; Here's an indication of it's performance as originally installed an=
d after a modification&nbsp;that added two&nbsp;additional ground plane =
elements made (mostly) of conductive paint.&nbsp; The mod improved perfo=
rmance significantly.</P>
<P>Original installation* performance:&nbsp; I flew to a point 30 miles =
from my airport and orbited there at ~10,000 msl.&nbsp; I tuned in my ai=
rport's ATIS and turned off the squelch on&nbsp;the radio connected to t=
he tail antenna so I&nbsp;could hear even weak reception.&nbsp; When I&n=
bsp;was flying&nbsp;at right angles to the course to my airport (airport=
 off either&nbsp;wing), I got perfectly readable reception though the si=
gnal strength was not strong enough to completely surpress the backgroun=
d hiss.&nbsp; However, when the plane was pointed directly to or directl=
y away from the airport, I could not detect&nbsp;any ATIS&nbsp;signal at=
 all.</P>
<P>Ground plane mod** performance:&nbsp; Same experiment but now I get a=
pproximately the same perfectly readable&nbsp;ATIS reception when I am f=
lying to, from or at right angles to the airport.&nbsp; Between those fo=
ur cardinal points, the signal strength is less&nbsp;but the readability=
 is still good enough to copy the ATIS in one pass.</P>
<P>This is a big improvement for me as a common time to use COM2 is when=
 I'm&nbsp;nearing my destination&nbsp;and need their weather.&nbsp;&nbsp=
; ...Clark Still (LIVPT N750S, KPOU)</P>
<P>Original installation:&nbsp; Pretty much as described in the manual b=
ut I did position the&nbsp;coax attachment point to the antenna&nbsp;clo=
se enough to the vertical access panels to be reached.&nbsp; This result=
ed in a less vertical arrangement of the ground side of the antenna (the=
 lower side, connected to the shield of the coax) and likely had somethi=
ng to do with the high directional sensitivity of my antenna.&nbsp; So, =
be sure you have&nbsp;a directional problem like I did before&nbsp;consi=
dering the mod.</P>
<P>The mod:&nbsp; Basically, I attached two 23" conductors (new ground p=
lanes)&nbsp;to the shield side of the coax at the antenna attachment poi=
nt and mounted them along the inboard&nbsp;right and left,&nbsp;lower tr=
ailing edges of the horizontal stabilizer.&nbsp; I had Brad Simmons (Air=
frames, Inc, Milan, TN) paint 14" strips of conductive paint along both&=
nbsp;inboard, lower trailing edges of horizontal and then connected them=
 using 9" wires (conductive epoxy to the painted ground planes) to the a=
ntenna.&nbsp; He then painted the color coats over the conductive paint =
so the mod is invisible.&nbsp; If you'd like to test this mod&nbsp;on yo=
ur plane&nbsp;and can get at the antenna cable or tail antenna connectio=
n point, try connecting the&nbsp;shield side of the coax to a couple of =
~12" lengths of copper foil tape firmly adhered to the inboard, lower tr=
ailing edge (outside)&nbsp;of your horizontal stabilizer.&nbsp; You may =
have to&nbsp;adjust the lengths for the best result (in principle, the t=
otal length of the wire + conductive strip should be ~23").</P></html>

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______________________________________
<br><a href=3Dhttp://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2242/fc/Ioyw6i4tzAp=
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 information on obtaining a VA loan.</font></a><br>
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