Antenna Repair

[mkiv_bldr]

Hi, Guys.

 

Last night when cutting the hole in the fusalage bottom for the landing light I took out a three inch section of one leg of my nav antenna. Is it worth trying to repair by soldering a wire in to connect the two pieces? Should I try to use more copper tape to make to connection?

 

Thanks !

[dust]

I would start the fuselodge over, it's no longer perfect.

 

 

 

Why not just put it in the main wing?

 

Mike

[Paul Kuntz]

A call or e-mail to RST might get a quick, technically credible answer to the question of whether or not your antenna is salvageable. If my objective were salvage, I'd replace the plug cut out for the landing light, remove the outer skin from the plug, then enough skin to expose about a half inch of each severed segment, bridge the antenna gap with copper foil soldered between the severed segments, then repair the inner and outer fuselage skins per plans. And, of course, move the landing light somewhere else.

 

If your canard or wings are not yet built, I'd abandon the severed antenna and put a replacement elsewhere. I put two VOR/glideslope antennas in my canard, one on each side of the fuselage. I also put a broadcast FM antenna in one wing, which would be an equally good location for a VOR antenna.

 

If your canard and wings are done, others have put copper foil antennas on top of existing glassed surfaces. They describe putting the foil down, then covering it with one layer of BID (and, I assume, peel ply to get it as smooth and thin as possible). I don't know how they deal with the coax and toroids, but it shouldn't be too difficult to do with only one or two easily-repaired holes in the surface.

[Jim Sower]

My recommendation would turn on which 3" section of the antenna you cut out ~ end, middle, first? 3" off he end shouldn't hurt much ~ just make it your Nav-2 or something. Your primary is GPS anyway isn't it? ) If it's a critical section, you might want to bury a new antenna under one ply of glass.

Now I've already told you more than I know ... Jim

[steve]

My recommendation would turn on which 3" section of the antenna you cut out ~ end, middle, first? 3" off he end shouldn't hurt much ~ just make it your Nav-2 or something. Your primary is GPS anyway isn't it? ) If it's a critical section, you might want to bury a new antenna under one ply of glass.

Now I've already told you more than I know ... Jim

RST reading said to soder a 14(romex) gage down the foil to complete it.

[Kent Ashton]

You could put a couple of nav antennas in the wings or canard and use the cut one for a marker beacon or AM/FM radio antenna. It doesn't take much antenna to pick up a marker beacon.