Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #5031
From: dfs <dfs@gateway.net>
Subject: Wing antennae
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 22:53:23 -0800
To: Lancair List <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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Here's one answer to Curtis Krouse's questions. Of course, there probably as
many workable placements for all the antennas as there are Lancairs and I
don't claim to have the best formula - only that mine work well for me.

First, my airplane is an early 235 and as such, the only carbon/graphite in
the whole airframe is the spar caps and maybe a couple pencils in the tray.
If you're building a graphite airframe, all bets are off on the following
locations.

Com 1 is a Bob Archer unit that was added as sort of an afterthought. It's
wrapped inside the fuselage behind the battery tray and stuck in with "Goop"
from the local hardware store. (Hey! it's almost impossible to get back
there, let alone doing a real neat-o installation). Works wonderfully with
very low VSWR but looks awful.

Com 2 is the original unit bought from Lancair and installed in the vertical
stab. Works OK, moderate to high VSWR on parts of the band. Wouldn't use it
on a second airplane.

NAV (VOR) is built into the horizontal stab. It's the copper tape
do-it-yourself from RST (see Marv's note on Curtis' email). It is what I
would characterize as a "Hot" antenna - will pick up a station a lot further
out than I've ever seen in a spam can.

Glide slope is also from RST copper tape kit. It's in the left wing tip (I
also do not have fuel in the outer bays). Works fine.

Marker Beacon antenna is in the left side of the belly (it's fairly long)
and is also from the RST kit. It may be too good as I'll occasionally be
startled by the MB audio going off when overflying an airport at altitude
(drives my wife nuts - thinks it's some kind of warning horn, I guess).

Transponder Is a RST kit (aluminum spike and backplane and connectors)
located in the right wing tip. Works perfectly as I am usually seen by ATC
at distances that say it's doing as good or better than a commercial spike.

GPS antenna is the one that came with my KLX-135A King and that's mounted
just behind the rollover bulkhead and just below the inner skin. Never a
problem.

All in all, I am convinced that my anntenna suite works as well as any I've
ever used.

Dan Schaefer


LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.

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