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Will steel affect antenna operation?

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rparigor(at)SUFFOLK.LIB.N
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 8:22 pm Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

We are doing battle with filling pinholes and small sand marks in Europa

fiberglass fuse. After trying several methods, Dolphin Glaze thick and

thin, Expancel and Aeropoxy (plastic micro) and Q-Cel and Aeropoxy (glass

micro), I tried JB Weld Kwik.



Seems the JB Weld Kwik is the hands down winner. It is very thick (thicker

than JB Weld) and very sticky. Can squeegee it in place with a razor

blade, and get off 99% and it fills everything and does not shrink or

allow trapped air to force it into a pimple. Sets up in 4 minutes, full

cured pretty hard.



JB Kwik uses steel as a filler. I don't think it is conductive. I tried

putting a magnet on cured sample and tubes and it does not appear to be

conductive.



I will have a Com, a Nav/Com and a Transponder Antenna in the fuse and

rudder. 



Think there is a chance that JB Kwik filling small pinholes and very fine

scratches, and lets say some areas with one or 2 ten/thousands" skim on it

will degrade antenna performance to the point that I should not consider

using it?



Thanking in advance

Ron Parigoris

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mprather(at)spro.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

My WAG is that the amount/coverage of JB Weld left on the skin will not

have any effect on antenna performance.



I do, however, wonder about your problems with using epoxy for filling

pinholes.  I know the EZ builders have had good success filling everything

with micro, sanding to 36 grit contour, and then using pure resin to fill

pinholes and sanding scratches - squeegee'ed on in multiple coats without

sanding between.  I could imagine that cabosil might be used used to make

the resin less runny, which might help the resin fill better.



Cory Bird's description of the process is here:



http://www.sportsmanpilot.com/AL/articles/spr2003/Spring2003.htm



"Next came what Cory calls a resin wipe. After going over the surfaces

with 36 grit sandpaper he spread on a coat of pure resin, then immediately

began squeegeeing it all off. With a little time for cure between

applications, this process was repeated five times, leaving just a film of

resin maybe two or three thousandths thick, filling every 36 grit scratch

and all the pin holes. That was followed by wet sanding with 150 grit,

then a coat of DP-48 epoxy primer and a guide coat of some color - just

enough to see when

it is sanded off."

Matt-

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 We are doing battle with filling pinholes and small sand marks in Europa

 fiberglass fuse. After trying several methods, Dolphin Glaze thick and

 thin, Expancel and Aeropoxy (plastic micro) and Q-Cel and Aeropoxy (glass

 micro), I tried JB Weld Kwik.



 Seems the JB Weld Kwik is the hands down winner. It is very thick (thicker

 than JB Weld) and very sticky. Can squeegee it in place with a razor

 blade, and get off 99% and it fills everything and does not shrink or

 allow trapped air to force it into a pimple. Sets up in 4 minutes, full

 cured pretty hard.



 JB Kwik uses steel as a filler. I don't think it is conductive. I tried

 putting a magnet on cured sample and tubes and it does not appear to be

 conductive.



 I will have a Com, a Nav/Com and a Transponder Antenna in the fuse and

 rudder.



 Think there is a chance that JB Kwik filling small pinholes and very fine

 scratches, and lets say some areas with one or 2 ten/thousands" skim on it

 will degrade antenna performance to the point that I should not consider

 using it?



 Thanking in advance

 Ron Parigoris

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nuckollsr(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:41 am Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

At 04:21 AM 3/19/2007 +0000, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



We are doing battle with filling pinholes and small sand marks in Europa

fiberglass fuse. After trying several methods, Dolphin Glaze thick and

thin, Expancel and Aeropoxy (plastic micro) and Q-Cel and Aeropoxy (glass

micro), I tried JB Weld Kwik.



Seems the JB Weld Kwik is the hands down winner. It is very thick (thicker

than JB Weld) and very sticky. Can squeegee it in place with a razor

blade, and get off 99% and it fills everything and does not shrink or

allow trapped air to force it into a pimple. Sets up in 4 minutes, full

cured pretty hard.



JB Kwik uses steel as a filler. I don't think it is conductive. I tried

putting a magnet on cured sample and tubes and it does not appear to be

conductive.



I will have a Com, a Nav/Com and a Transponder Antenna in the fuse and

rudder.



Think there is a chance that JB Kwik filling small pinholes and very fine

scratches, and lets say some areas with one or 2 ten/thousands" skim on it

will degrade antenna performance to the point that I should not consider

using it?


	


   The filler will have no effect upon your embedded atennas.

        Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------

        ( IF one aspires to be "world class",  )

        ( what ever you do must be exercised   )

        ( EVERY day . . .                      )

        (                  R. L. Nuckolls III  )

        ----------------------------------------

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jaybrinkmeyer(at)yahoo.co
Guest

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:00 am Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

 	  Quote: 	
		  JB Kwik uses steel as a filler. I don't think it is conductive. I tried

putting a magnet on cured sample and tubes and it does not appear to be

conductive.


	


It’s been a while since my days as a struggling student…  How do magnetic

properties of a material intersect with the desired electrical conductivity

characteristics of antenna operation? Maybe I missed something?



Jay



 

Get your own web address.  

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL

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nuckollsr(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:23 am Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

At 08:00 AM 3/20/2007 -0700, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  

<jaybrinkmeyer(at)yahoo.com>



 >JB Kwik uses steel as a filler. I don't think it is conductive. I tried

 >putting a magnet on cured sample and tubes and it does not appear to be

 >conductive.



It’s been a while since my days as a struggling student…  How do magnetic

properties of a material intersect with the desired electrical conductivity

characteristics of antenna operation? Maybe I missed something?



Jay


	


    Influence due to magnetic properties is not so strong

    as conductivity, i.e. sheet resistance of the material

    in question. For single, relatively thin conductors

    like antenna elements, resistive losses of say stainless

    steel versus copper can be easily measured but not

    terribly significant in terms of overall performance

    on airplanes (we talk line-of-sight and can tolerate

    rather poor antenna performance).



    For ground planes, you have an infinite number of

    radials all operating in parallel such that effects

    of sheet resistance variability for copper versus aluminum

    versus stainless under the antenna would be exceedingly

    difficult to measure in the lab.



    I can't think of any reason that magnetic properties

    of the material being considered would offer an effect

    worth considering beyond that of it's heating losses due

    to inability to perfectly conduct a current.

    Bob . . .

        ----------------------------------------

        ( IF one aspires to be "world class",  )

        ( what ever you do must be exercised   )

        ( EVERY day . . .                      )

        (                  R. L. Nuckolls III  )

        ----------------------------------------

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rparigor(at)SUFFOLK.LIB.N
Guest

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:29 am Post subject: Will steel affect antenna operation?

"I can't think of any reason that magnetic properties of the material

being considered would offer an effect worth considering beyond that of

it's heating losses due to inability to perfectly conduct a current."



I was trying to beat up use, and putting something magnetic near remote

magnetometer for Dynon D10A was a passing thought. 



When the extra turbulence on the right side of the aeroplane due to

P-Factor temporarily were to put a magnetic charge on the JB Weld, then

slip to landing took it off................. White elephant attack I know,

but I mentioned that if it is magnetic, I could not detect any force

change with a powerful magnet. I figured I would mention in case someone

had same thought that it mat interfere with compass/s



Ron Parigoris

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