Stormovic

My Feedback: (29)

Any suggestions as to where to run this ? I sure dont want it running out of the tailpipe.

Bucshot

My Feedback: (16)

Run an tube up each side of the fuselage from the radio compartment to the front of the wing compartment. Feed the wire up one side and then back down the other. Should be completely contained. Worked for me!

larrwill

My Feedback: (3)

I like this idea. Does this have any effect on the range of the receiver?

Bucshot

My Feedback: (16)

I've done this for years and have never had a problem. Forgot one thing. Don't use this method if you are covering with "chrome" monokote. The chrome acts like a shield.

NitroWoman

It is never a good idea to fold an antenna back on itself. Range will suffer. You may be lucky and have no problem but it is way better to be safe than sorry, especially on extreme speed planes. Use a loaded antenna that all fits inside or let it trail behind full length (with proper stress relieving). I'm an RF electronic technician and I work with this type of stuff daily.

Bucshot

My Feedback: (16)

Nitrowoman,
I'm not suggesting to fold it back on it's self, I'm suggesting running the antenna up one side, then cross over the fuselage (about 4"), then down the other side. As long as you keep the antenna at least one inch away from itself, there will be no ill effects. I too work with RF products.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

You sure about that?

Rudeboy

If you fold the antenna in a U shape like Bucshot said, range will suffer... but only when one leg of the U blanks out the other leg in a certain attitude... and it will still be minimal...

What do you think happens to your range when you have your antenna routed completely straight and your fly in such a direction that the antenna is pointing straight at your tranny...? Or even worse, when your receiver and transmitter antenna are pointing straight at each other!? (it happens)

My advice is: don't worry too much about it. In ideal circumstances you will have several miles of reach... a little less will still be plenty IMO...
If your radio system (rx and tx) is in good condition, range will very rarely be a problem.

Perhaps the fact that I have never had range problems in my 15 years of flying contributes to the fact that I don't worry about range...

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

I understand the concepts very well, the statement was that as long as the loopback section is 1 inch away it does not have an affect.

As you noted, when the antennas are optimally aligned, this loopback will reduce the maximum range. But again as you noted, when poorly oriented, you will have the least range. when the antenna is perfectly straight.

I think having a section of antenna 90 degrees to the other is a decent compromise. But not this looping back stuff

Rudeboy

I agree on both accounts... the 90° setup, and it always being a compromise

Skribnod

I have been running my reciever wire in the same way bucshot has said for quite some time. I have had probably 75 flights without a glitch. Maybe I should move mine? Thanks

Rudeboy

Why tinker with something that works? If it works fine, leave it that way...

NitroWoman

HEAVY SIGH [&o] Do what you want, just don't do it around me.

Q-Ball

My Feedback: (1)

Why not just run the wire out the hatch along the bottom of the fuse towards the front. You'll have maybe four inches that goes past the nosewheel. I put a landing gear strap just behind the nosewheel and the four inches is free to move and naturally the wind carries it rearward but only slightly. I've had mine this way and it works.
Walt

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

I've got several different anten installs on patriots. One of the more intresting is in the forward compartment, I wound the ant in coil fasion around a dowel from one side of the fuse to the other (what's that about 3 inches?) I got that tip from a guy at my field that did it in his twin star. 30 flights or so and no problems. I ended up selling that patriot, or I'd show a pic, but it was just coiled around.

I've owned over 10 patriots. I've done whip antenaes. Looped it out the top of the fuse near the wings and straight back towards the vertical fin and tack ca'd it to the top of the fuse. One time I had one with a tube installed in the wing, but you had to leave the wings on all the time or you had to fish it back in there everytime you put it back together. That was a pita.

I've looped 180 on this plane several times with no ill effect on range. In fact the three I have running right now are done like this.

The deans antennae one I have is inside the fuse of the airplane totally enclosed.

Good Luck,

Sean

js3

My Feedback: (3)

A word of warning... If you're going to use the coil method on your antenna, make sure you don't cross the coils. When I do this I even make sure that the coils don't touch each other.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

YIKES!

No offense but some of this stuff reminds me of a funny Chris Rock line.

"There are a lot of things you COULD do....you could probably drive a car with your feet if you WANTED to, but that does not make it a good idea though!"


Why don't you guys ask the radio manufacturers if it is a good idea to coil your RX antenna!

js3

My Feedback: (3)

mr_matt,

Of course the manufacturers won't tell you coiling the antenna is a good idea.

I acknowledge that having your rx antenna configured in any way other than a straight line will affect the range. However using the coil method, or the horseshoe method (running the antenna up one side of the fuse and down the other) will still provide ADEQUATE control--the radio will still retain control after you have lost sight of the model. Don't fly that far away . In my opinion, both the coil and horseshoe methods provide better range than using a base loaded antenna like the Deans.

My expertise, such as it is, is pylon racing. With pylon racing planes it is imperative that the rx antenna be hidden inside the airplane. The reason for this is that we fly four-plane heats and the action is often close with planes changing positions for the lead several times. The last thing you want is to have your antenna hanging out in the breeze where it can be snipped by the propeller of the guy on your tail.

When I use the coil method I keep as much of the antenna straight. I only coil the slack.

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

Well, to each his own, I just offered it as I've done the coil (didn't know it was a method) but it worked as far as I fly and made the 50 paces with my JR10x with no antenae on the transmitter so I flew it. No issues.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Range should not be thought of as an "on or off" proposition. What we are really talking about here is the antenna gain on the reciever.

Usually, the better antenna gain you have, then the more margin you will have in the face of noise or interfereance. 50 paces with the antenna off is not so great in my book, especially with a 10x. I have seen a guy with a 10x get 400 feet of range with the antenna off....gotta be over 100-120 paces

So if you have a coiled antenna that decreases your antenna gain by -3 dB, that might be fine, but you are much more likely to loose control, all things being equal, in the face of some splattering transmitter or other noise source. Pylon and helis are pretty exceptional cases, as you do not get that far away. Jets are a whole different ball game. You might be flying for years on the ragged edge of loosing control and not know it, and just uncoiling the antenna would add 1000 feet to your range.

The only caveat I add is that I think the completely straight installation is not the best, as you will get such a massive reduction in gain when looking into the "end" of the rx antenna. I like to have a straight antenna, with about the last 3-4 inches bent 90 degrees. This at least offers some increased gain when looking into the long "end" of the receiving antenna.

But to each his own I guess

Kaos1

Has anyone tried spiraling the antenna tube down the fuse? One or two revolutions would take care of several inches of length. Seems like the best compromise.

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

I never tried it any other way than coiling it very closely. You could try it, it only takes a few minutes, let us know what you find out. I'm always up for something new.

Tonight I learned that if you take a spoon, put it in the microwave and run it, after two minutes it just gets hot. Won't blow up or cause a problem as is a common myth indicates. This is all according to myth busters. But unless they fudged something, I saw it with my own two eyes!

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

Why not ?....that's the way most Guys run 'em....

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

i am going to use this Revolution base loaded whip antenna in my Patriot:

http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=RVO1010

jet guys use it all the time, you can hide it inside the fuse (horizontal position)- works just fine [8D]

to me its well worth the 10 $!!!!!


P.S. don't forget to cut the orig. wire ant. to 4 " from the receiver before you install the whip!

Rudeboy

I used to do something like this in my competition funfly planes, because these things were stuffed with CF... I just ran the antenne tube in such a way that it could never end up being parallel to a CF spar... I sorta spiralled the tube down the wing and let the rest exit out of the wingtip... worked fine...