desmobob

I'm mounting the radio gear in my Great Planes 1/4-scale Giles 202. The model has two elevator and one rudder servos mounted in the tail of the airplane. I'm wondering about the best way to route the antenna.

In other models I've usually run it out of the fuse just behind the canopy and attached it to the top of the vertical stab. This model has a large counterbalance on the rudder so that eliminates that possibility. I figured I'd just run it through a piece of antenna tubing down the inside of the fuse. But I have three sets of servo leads running down through there already. I don't imagine it would be a good idea to run the antenna parallel and in close proximity to them.

Any hints, tips or ideas? Thanks very much for any information or insight.

Good flying,
Bob Scott

tommy157

My Feedback: (1)

The last time I run my antenna was in my Funtana..darn near lost it due to antenna interference..rerouted it outside and problem disapeared..other have had no problem..try it and see is the only way to know for sure..

DGrant

My Feedback: (4)

I usually exit my antenna near under the reciever, for that very reason. I teather it with a rubber-band, usually to the tail wheel. I have that very set-up in my Edge, as well as my Extra, with no prob whatsoever. The Extra though does have kevlar pull-pull system, but still there is extensions for rear servos housed in a tube within the fuse. Matter of fact, both planes have that tube installed come to think about it. I got it from Don's hobby in Salina Ks., for $10 you get lifetime supply(alot of it anyway). Or, you can fashion your own using about an 80#cover-weight paper stock. Go down to your local paper supply, or OfficeDepot and check that out too. Regardless, I would house the leads, and exit the bottom near the Rx. Good luck.

GunMoney

My Feedback: (2)

I have been trying to understand this problem myself and exactly WHAT the real problem is. My best guess at this point is that it really is not so much the location inside or outside the fuselage as it is the servo leads themselves. Monocote and balsa are not going to stop any kind of interference. As I understand it, the servo leads, if anywhere close to the length of the antennae itself, act like an antennae and pick up the signals from the transmitter directly. This interferes with the instructions that the receiver is trying to send to a servo, causing a "glitch" to occur due to a false signal being sent down the servo lead and into the receiver.

So, what I would like someone with experience to tell me, is:

Is it that the servo leads cause the antennae to be dysfunctional,

Or, the servo leads act like an antennae and "collect" false signals

Perry

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

I put my antenne in a push rod tube and extend it to the back of the model away from the servo wires. I have also used velcro to bundle the servo wires together.

GunMoney

My Feedback: (2)

I do the same thing to minimize the problem as much as possible, but I suspect that it is a proximity issue and anything within a 12" diameter (or some number of inches) around the fuse is impacted. Plastic tubes, monocote, or balsa will not shield the antenna.

I have been experimenting with Fiber Optic servo extensions. ( http://www.aerografixs.com/ ) It seems like the general consensus is to "protect the servo signal wire from glitches" rather than the antenna wire. They seem to be most concerned about unwanted pulses coming back down a servo lead and into the receiver?

Everybody will give you the same set of do's and don'ts on avoiding RF interference, but I have not been able to find anyone who can explain exactly why those steps reduce the danger. I think a lot of people are flying around with with a false sense of security because the followed the guidlines!

Perry

KW_Counter

I have heard not to put your antenna in a carbon fiber tube. This makes sense.
Why not put the servo wires in a carbon fiber tube?
KW_Counter

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

One of my ways to hook the antenna to the fin, especially on a fun fly plane with a counter balance is to drill and put a small dowel or toothpick in the leading edge of the fin. Let is stick out a half inch or so.

Run the antenna through a half inch long piece of fuel tubing.

Slip the fuel tubing with the antenna through it over the dowel or toothpick.

This holds the antenna, but lets it slip if it catches on anything.

The photos show my antenna on the fin of a Goldberg Extreme 330.

I, too, have had glitching when the antenna was routed near a servo lead. I never run it through the fuselage.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

ED, That is a good idea.
Can I use it on my site?

FlyingGreg

My Feedback: (4)

I lost a U Can Do 3D a week ago when it stopped responding to control input. About a 300' out and maybe 200' altitude, just started doing lazy, crooked loops. I tried turning radio off and on, about all I could think to do, and watched it get further and further away till it eventually went into death spiral. Took at least a minute. Recovered plane in nasty thistle infected field about 1000' away. Got back to pits and all control surfaces worked as they should. I suspected on board radio problem and this thread about antenna routing makes sense. My antenna is routed right down the fuse along with all the servo wires for the rear mounted servos.

Here are two pics--before and after. I can rebuild, just don't have the energy right now.

Greg

Jim Finn

My Feedback: (2)

I use a home made "loaded" antenna on all of my planes and they work great! They are six inches long ( take 10 min to make and cost less than $1) and give me better range than any stantard antenna has. I have used these on everything from ,60 sized warplanes to park flyers and gliders. I just lay it inside the fuselage but I have seen them used in the wing also. I always imagine an antenna of any type to be 3 inches in diameter and not let it be any closer than that (1 1/2") to any other wire or servo.

jetlag1

what is a super loaded antenna? would you kindly elaborate?
thanks

Jim Finn

My Feedback: (2)

almost everyone I know in the San Francisco bay area uses a "Loaded" antenna as I do. I have used them on planes up to 700 feet up and 1/4 mile away with no problems. You can make one for 35 cents. I place the receiver aft of the trailing edge and the 6 inch long antenna inside the fuslage. Get a 1.5 Microhenery Inducter and solder it to your receiver antenna cut to 2 inches long and solder 6 inches of any wire(I like stiff wire) to the other side and I heat shrink tubing over it . That's it! You can buy one for $12 at the LHS too. Jim Finn

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Looks like a great field, where do you fly and do you allow visitors??????

pt19 flyer

My Feedback: (1)

hi

been installing antenna inside plane for many years with absolutely no problem. this was in cubs extra 300, firefly, lanier caprice, etc. on low wing I mount the servos as high in cabin area as possible and run the antenna near bottom and out the rear using either nyrod or drinking straws as a tube. it sure keeps your antenna wire clean. have had no problem at all using this method. smaller model I try to fully enclose antenna with tubing, used flexible nyrod outer tube and brought out side of fuselage near stab and attached to from of stab.

good luck
joe

pt19 flyer

My Feedback: (1)

hi

addition to original rely...did not finish. on high wing mount servos as low as possible in cabin area and route antenna on upper fuselage using tubing method. I drop fishing line through tubing and attach to antenna to pull through tubing.

good luck
joe