My EZ connector for GP Patch antenna
10-24-2004, 11:19 PM
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My EZ connector for GP Patch antenna
When I first started considering building a GP Patch, it appeared to have one drawback, IMHO. It would be kind of hard to attach and unattach often, especially if you do a lot of flying and you don't want to leave it connected.
My receiver came with a hard wired antenna, so first I dissected an old vcr and took out a cable connector. I carefully clipped the antenna cable in the receiver and seperated away the sheild, till I had a length I could twist up a bit for the ground. Then I stripped the center antenna wire and soldered it onto the center post of the cable connector. I then soldered the sheild wire to the sheild of the connector.
Next, I got one of these adapters that you screw onto a cable, so that you can push the lead onto your vcr or tv cable input instead of having to screw it together.
I drilled large enough hole to slip just the very tip of the threaded portion through the back sheet of my patch antenna. Then I proceeded to solder the connector into place on the sheet. Next I got a piece of solid copper wire from a telephone cable I had in the shop and bottomed it out in the center of the connector. It's a bit larger in diameter than cable wire and fits the socket of the connector tightly. Then I guide the driven element down over the copper wire, and after the cya glue sets in, I cut the wire just above the driven element and soldered it into place.
Now I have a GP Patch that is very easy to connect and tear down and I don't have to worry about tearing the antenna up while transporting my helmet mounted receiver.
My receiver came with a hard wired antenna, so first I dissected an old vcr and took out a cable connector. I carefully clipped the antenna cable in the receiver and seperated away the sheild, till I had a length I could twist up a bit for the ground. Then I stripped the center antenna wire and soldered it onto the center post of the cable connector. I then soldered the sheild wire to the sheild of the connector.
Next, I got one of these adapters that you screw onto a cable, so that you can push the lead onto your vcr or tv cable input instead of having to screw it together.
I drilled large enough hole to slip just the very tip of the threaded portion through the back sheet of my patch antenna. Then I proceeded to solder the connector into place on the sheet. Next I got a piece of solid copper wire from a telephone cable I had in the shop and bottomed it out in the center of the connector. It's a bit larger in diameter than cable wire and fits the socket of the connector tightly. Then I guide the driven element down over the copper wire, and after the cya glue sets in, I cut the wire just above the driven element and soldered it into place.
Now I have a GP Patch that is very easy to connect and tear down and I don't have to worry about tearing the antenna up while transporting my helmet mounted receiver.
10-25-2004, 11:43 AM
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RE: My EZ connector for GP Patch antenna
The F-series TV connector that you show is fine for the 900Mhz to 1.2Ghz systems. However, at 2.4Ghz it is very lossy. An SMA series connector should be used instead if you expect full performance from the antenna.
RC-CAM
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10-26-2004, 10:29 AM
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RE: My EZ connector for GP Patch antenna
It might be rather lossy, but I'm still getting much better results with that setup than I was with the stock whip antenna. My main problem wasn't range so much as it was altitude problems. If I tried to fly at a high angle from the receiver it would blank out and break up. With the patch and my receiver mounted on an old helmet, I can now point the antenna directly at the plane all the time and it works great. I rarely do video at more than 1000 feet up and maybe a half mile away so it's working really well. I think the glitches I was getting in past videos, were because of outside interference and the patch basically eliminated that completely. Thanx for the design Mr RC CAM 
It really works very well, even with the tv connector.
If I do go with an sma connector, I'll have to redo the receiver as well and radio shack just gives me this deer in the headlights look when I ask for things like that. I guess they're more into stereos and tv's and not so much into home brewed projects. I normally have to just dig through the bins myself till I'm lucky enough to find something without going blind......
It really works very well, even with the tv connector. If I do go with an sma connector, I'll have to redo the receiver as well and radio shack just gives me this deer in the headlights look when I ask for things like that. I guess they're more into stereos and tv's and not so much into home brewed projects. I normally have to just dig through the bins myself till I'm lucky enough to find something without going blind......
