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GPS antenna under cowling

thompsonbr87

Well Known Member
For those who have mounted GPS antennas under the cowl, can you share some pics? Did you build a shelf on the firewall? Engine mounts?
 
Don?t know how to do pics but yes, mounted a shelf on the firewall for my GPS antenna for the GDL-82. Works flawlessly. If you send me an email address I can send pics that way
 
I did it on my -8. I used the F-01201R-1 shelf for the RV-12.

IMG_1972-L.jpg


IMG_2008-L.jpg
 
Here's mine:

IMG_0613-1024x768.jpg


Dynon and Garmin antennas mounted side by side. The Dynon antenna is less robust than the Garmin when it's hot under the cowl. It takes a few minutes to cool it off after a restart. The Garmin, so far, has been rock solid.
 
In case anyone cares, I will not to mount any IFR navigator GPS antenna under the cowl, bad environment for a critical device.
Personally I'll take function over looks any day of the week, but that's just me.
 
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In case anyone cares, I will not to mount any IFR navigator GPS antenna under the cowl, bad environment for a critical device.
Personally I'll take function over looks any day of the week, but that's just me.
Hey Walt, I care. And I will agree with you. A delicate electronic device should not live in a hot dirty environment.
 
GPS antenna's under the glass cowl have been working great for many proven years. If your cowl was painted with a highly metallic paint (fine aluminum powder), it might effect performance??
 
I put both Dynon and Garmin antennas under the cowl. I've got 26 hours flying and both working just fine. You can see it here. Note my shelf is removable.

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/displ...n&project=607&category=4646&log=255575&row=22

Almost identical solution. Fabbed up a bracket to attach the front of the shelf to the motor mount to keep it from bouncing around (can't tell if there's one in your pic...). Also mounted very high, but clear of the cowling, for max sky coverage.

Nearly 700 hours now and not a hint of any issues. Both Garmin and Dynon keep solid lock at all times (except when going inverted, then the Garmin will lose lock but most of the time the Dynon WAAS antenna stays solid :) ).
 
Here's mine:

IMG_0613-1024x768.jpg


Dynon and Garmin antennas mounted side by side. The Dynon antenna is less robust than the Garmin when it's hot under the cowl. It takes a few minutes to cool it off after a restart. The Garmin, so far, has been rock solid.

Might be because those are *way* close to the engine and the oil filter (filled with hot oil). Mounted on a shelf on the firewall you might not have any issues as they'd be further from a big ol' source of heat. (That's what I did...no problems knock on wood :) ).
 
RV-7A: Garmin and Dynon GPS receivers sit on bracket attached to firewall. Coming up just shy of 600 hours on the airframe. No problems.
 
In case anyone cares, I will not to mount any IFR navigator GPS antenna under the cowl, bad environment for a critical device.
Personally I'll take function over looks any day of the week, but that's just me.

While I agree this is a hot environment for gps antennas, the aircraft I purchased had two existing non-WAAS gps antennas located under the cowl mounted to the fire wall on brackets (one for each 430). Each antenna has air vent tubes directing intake air on them. The two antennas have been there now nine years and almost 400 hours without issue. Oklahoma gets rather hot in the summer.

When I installed my 335 transponder I mounted the new WAAS gps antenna between the existing two non-WAAS antennas since the under cowl position seemed to work okay. So far after two years and almost 120 hours that antenna seems to also work okay.

My aircraft has a lot of antennas. Two comm antennas (top and bottom) VOR antennae (top of vertical stabilizer), three gps antennas (under cowl), new ELT antenna (top behind cargo panel) and what appears to be a vhf blade antenna on the bottom. Plus the GRT WS EFIS VFR gps antenna on the top of the glare shield. Antennas everywhere and not a signal to miss! Of course radio calls are another matter.
 
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