Comm Antenna

In an effort to clean up the airframe I am considering going to,

ADVANCED AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS HIGH GAIN ANTENNA (VHF-5)

In the wing tips of my 8.

Anybody using them?

Good, Bad?

Jim Wilson

Jim,

I have 1 in each wing tip.

I tried to install them on a very slight angle so they would not be parallel to the metal wing.

In my left wing I put my COM 2 antenna and in the right wing I put my NAV.

I do have a standard Whip antenna under the belly for COM 1.

I do get "Good" reception from both, but as you know we use GPS for everything these days and I don't use my NAV much. It does VOR and GS/LOC good and it does work good for ATIS.

But the COM 2 wing mounted antenna doesn't have the range the whip under the belly does.

I would say 30NM out is about the limit on range.

Again, on a scale of 1-10 it is a 5 for reception.

Good luck!

That they work at all in this application is a tribute to the sensitivity and low S:N ratio of modern receivers. These antennas are designed for all fiberglass (or wood) aircraft. AAE web site says "not recommended for Vans aircraft". For the com to work well you've got to get it as vertical as possible.
The Archer antenna is designed to be placed next to a metal rib. Most report the nav antenna as almost as good as an external one, the com less so.

Thanks for the input!

Can the archer 1 & 2 com antennas be mounted next to each other in the same wing tip or next to the nav antenna?
Does anybody have any pics that you can share?

Theoretically, no. They will mess with each others' reception/transmission patterns. But if you want to try it...

"In theory, there is no difference between practice and theory. In practice, there is."
Yogi Berra (or an unnamed computer geek, depending on who you ask)

I wouldn't do it, because I have two wingtips. And a half wave nav antenna can be fabbed into the canopy.

Charlie