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NAV Antenna Choices and Range

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Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:30 pm Post subject: NAV Antenna Choices and Range

Here's another Tidbit I learned from this trip...



I know that lots of people say the Bob Archer Nav antenna

is a fantastic piece of gear, and I have one in my left wingtip

and like it as well.  I'm not a fan of splitting a NAV signal

and losing 50% of your signal trying to share it between receivers.



My NAV1 is an SL30 tied to my cat whiskers Comant antenna under

the tail, mounted backwards, incorrectly, but it looks ok.



My NAV2 is a GNS480 tied to my Bob Archer wingtip NAV on the

Left wing.  It's invisible, so it looks great.  It's harder

to mount than the tail mounted one, but not anything super

tough.

Well, on the way home today I tuned in a station 125 miles away with

both radios.  I was at 6500', where ground is about 1000' MSL.

My NAV1 picked it up and displayed the radial reliably about 80

miles away.   My NAV2, Archer wingtip Nav, picked it up about

20 miles closer.



I just had to post this because all you ever hear is "It works

great", or "It works better than anything else".  What people

really need to know is, what kind of range are you really seeing.

This proved to me that I chose well when I set my cat whiskers

to be my main NAV1, integrated into my EFIS...which I'll use

more than the other NAV.  Not knocking the archer Nav, and this

is only one datapoint, but I know some will appreciate some

hard numbers.  To me, the most important thing about an antenna

is how it works, not how it looks, or if it saves me a knot or two.



Tim

-- 

Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

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dmasys(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject: NAV Antenna Choices and Range

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Here's another Tidbit I learned from this trip...

 


	


 	  Quote: 	
		   My NAV1 picked it up and displayed the radial reliably about 80

 miles away.   My NAV2, Archer wingtip Nav, picked it up about

 20 miles closer.


	


Sounds like you have a wing root inline BNC on your Archer antenna, and a straight run to your Commant.  Each time you put a BNC connection in a line, there is a 3-4 dB insertion loss (if you're lucky; can be worse).  Am trying my best to avoid putting a connector in the line to my Archer antenna way out there on that wingtip; will see if it can be done.



-Dan Masys

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Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject: NAV Antenna Choices and Range

Nope, no wing root connectors on anything, and all antennas are

direct runs from the radio.  I left just enough antenna wire

at the tip so I can lay the tip on the wing.  Hopefully

I won't have the tip off too often though.

Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

do not archive

Dan Masys wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

> 

> 

> Here's another Tidbit I learned from this trip...

> 

> My NAV1 picked it up and displayed the radial reliably about 80 

> miles away.   My NAV2, Archer wingtip Nav, picked it up about 20

> miles closer.

 Sounds like you have a wing root inline BNC on your Archer antenna,

 and a straight run to your Commant.  Each time you put a BNC

 connection in a line, there is a 3-4 dB insertion loss (if you're

 lucky; can be worse).  Am trying my best to avoid putting a connector

 in the line to my Archer antenna way out there on that wingtip; will

 see if it can be done.

 -Dan Masys

- The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum -

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Ray.R.Doerr(at)sprint.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 11:02 am Post subject: NAV Antenna Choices and Range

Tim, this is good info but somewhat subjective because they are

two different radio's as well.  What would be interesting is if you

could switch the antennas to the opposite radios's and try this same

test again.  This will tell us if it is the antenna or the radio's that

are performing better.



Thank You

Ray Doerr

40250

First flight scheduled for May 26th.





--

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Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:38 pm Post subject: NAV Antenna Choices and Range

You are very correct.  I would hope they would both be good, but it

could be the radio as well.  I'll have to swap them and see and

will report back at a later date.



Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

do not archive

Doerr, Ray R [NTK] wrote:

[quote] 

 

 	Tim, this is good info but somewhat subjective because they are

 two different radio's as well.  What would be interesting is if you

 could switch the antennas to the opposite radios's and try this same

 test again.  This will tell us if it is the antenna or the radio's that

 are performing better.

 

 

 

 Thank You

 Ray Doerr

 40250

 First flight scheduled for May 26th.

 

 

 

 

 --

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