Antenna placement

[Bryan Cotton]

What model antennas do people recommend? Or, just as important, what is junk and should be avoided?

[fastj22]

I've had really good results with the DPA Red tail mounted on the turtle deck.
http://www.deltapopaviation.com/VHF_Com_Antennas.html

[rizzz]

I've got the stainless steel "el cheapo" antenna from spruce:
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... ntenna.php

Here's how I installed it:
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 107&row=25

Works great for me.

[wlarson861]

I used the same as Rizz but due to my swing back I mounted it to the belly. I used the 45 bend but it needs to be a little closer to the belly skin. At Oshkosh while pushing the plane back into a parking spot I caught it in the deep grass and bent it and evidently cracked the steel at the threads as I lost the antenna last week,( About 40 to 50 hours flight time later). The insulators were still attached. I bought a piece of plated steel and threaded it with 10 32 threads. This time I bent it a little sharper so it won't be so close to the ground. The previous antenna got great reception and never had a problem talking to towers or flight following. The only controller who couldn't hear me was a ground controller at a fly in. Never had any problem at Oshkosh or at home.

[Bryan Cotton]

Thanks for the info guys!
Now this is a stretch- but has anybody ever put a VOR antenna on their Waiex? I am thinking about building one.
http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/BA ... ation.html
I know old school nav is silly for us, but 1) the boy needs to learn it and demonstrate it on the checkride and 2) I have the radio and CDI.

[fastj22]

Is VOR navigation still part of the PPL test? If so, does your check ride aircraft need to be equipped with one?

[gammaxy]

I did my checkride in an airplane without a VOR 6 years ago.

It seems there is room for someone to make a modern VOR using one of those inexpensive SDR radios that could have interesting capabilities like automatically keeping track of all the VOR stations in range, triangulating a position fix, etc.

[Bryan Cotton]

The PTS leaves some room for interpretation:
https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/te ... 81-14b.pdf

I think it is page 83, task F. I had discussions a few years ago with the examiner at Ithaca, NY. He was adamant that for the private rating you needed installed navigation for the checkride. Not so for sport pilot. Maybe it is different today or even at the local FSDO.

Either way, I have it and will install it.

[GordonTurner]

Hi Bryan

I'm planning to install vor as well. Interested to hear what you come up with for antenna on waiex. Had whiskers on the tail of my C-120, worked great. Maybe whiskers on the fuselage forward of the rudder?

Gordon

[gammaxy]

Has anyone considered the wingtip Bob Archer antenna design? It seems pretty popular in RVs.