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Archer Antenna Wingtip Install Questions

azflyer21

Well Known Member
I can sure use a little guidance on installing the Archer antenna in the wingtip.

-How did you mount the antenna?
-How is it connected to the coax?
-Once the wing is installed is it difficult to route the coax thru the fuselage?

Thanks!
 
Not flying yet, but...

I glassed the antenna strips to the inside of the wingtip. I screwed a clamp inside the antenna for the coax. Then I ran the coax along spanwise through the rib lightening holes, secured with Adel clamps. My wings were off, and in fact had a skin panel yet to be installed.
 
I can sure use a little guidance on installing the Archer antenna in the wingtip.

-How did you mount the antenna?
-How is it connected to the coax?
-Once the wing is installed is it difficult to route the coax thru the fuselage?

Thanks!

Identify the "radiating leg" (diagonal piece, which then turns and runs back); the "ground leg" (straight piece parallel the the backwards running radiating leg); and the "feeder/matching network leg" (short diagonal piece, with a parallel capacitor built into it.
The ground leg needs to be mounted, physically and electrically, as close as possible to the end rib. Method (1): Before mounting nut plates to the wingtip (or remove them if already done), place the ground leg between the wing tip and the nut plates; match drill wingtip and antenna ground leg at all places. Rivet wingtip - ground leg- nut plate. Remove all paint from the wing under the attaching screws, so there is a good ground leg to wing metal to end rib electrical connection, at many places along the ground leg. Method (2): Rivet an "L" shaped piece of aluminum to the end rib, as long as the ground leg of the antenna. Rivet the ground leg to the L shaped aluminum, at numerous points along the leg. I oriented this stuff to put the leading edge of the antenna behind the landing and nav/strobe lights, and aft of the aluminum foil heat shielding - maybe 8" or so back from the front. All of the lighting wires ran well forward of the antenna. With method (1) the antenna comes of with the wingtip - I left enough slack in the coax so I flip the wingtip over onto the top of the wing. With method (2) the wingtip will stay on the wing when you remove the tip - probably a bit better.
Connecting coax: follow Archer instructions. Center conductor goes to the parallel plate capacitor (electrically dc isolated from everything); braid/shield goes further inboard on the matching leg, to the piece that is electrically connected to the ground leg.
I have a -10 so cannot comment on cable routing, but had no problem with the -10.
 
Photos here:https://turnerb14a.blogspot.com/2018/10/installed-archer-vorils-antenna-in.html

I used a solder sleeve to connect shielding to the antenna, some strips of glass/epoxy to stabilize the antenna. Since I have to run a cable all the way out to wingtip at a later date, I used a BNC connector at the wingtip and ran cable in fuselage with enough length to run out to wingtip. I followed instructions that came with antenna very closely, replaced some of the original wingtip nutplates after match-drilling holes to the antenna. If you don't have instructions, you can find them here: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pdf/SA001.pdf
 
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+1 for a good ground

The ground leg needs to be mounted, physically and electrically, as close as possible to the end rib. Method (1): Before mounting nut plates to the wingtip (or remove them if already done), place the ground leg between the wing tip and the nut plates; match drill wingtip and antenna ground leg at all places. Rivet wingtip - ground leg- nut plate. Remove all paint from the wing under the attaching screws, so there is a good ground leg to wing metal to end rib electrical connection, at many places along the ground leg.

Like Bob mentioned, a good ground is key and having the full length of the antenna base leg sandwiched with the nutplates makes that happen. I attached the other legs of the antenna to the inner wingtip surface using several Clickbond base screws as well as installing a WDG clamp for the coax cable to a Clckbond screw. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/clickbondstuds.php?clickkey=9826

Routinely get 120nm plus lock on any VOR.
 
How long does the coax need to be? I'm still building my wings...just trying to figure out how much to coil up to be pulled through the fuselage.
 
Only you can decide this - where will your nav radio be, how/ where will you run the coax, do you need extra at the end to allow the wongtip to be easily removed, etc.? Measure the actual layout with some string or wire, add a few extra feet ‘just to be sure’.
 
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