PW_Plack
08-22-2005, 01:47 PM
Don Stuart of Salem, Oregon had his Sport Copter Vortex at this past weekend's NWAAC Fly-In at McMinnville, and I took the opportunity to get a couple of shots of his dipole antenna installation. It works great with his handheld radio, easily receiving pattern traffic from an airport 30 miles away while on the ground at McMinnville.
There are three shots here. The dipole is mounted along the inside of the right windscreen pillar which, in the Vortex, is all non-metallic. The antenna looks like a flat, black ribbon about an inch wide, and about four feet long. It's hard to see because the inside of the pod is also black, but the connector is where the center of the antenna is located. Don says this is the antenna's third aircraft - the dipole is mounted with velcro, so it's removeable.
Keep in mind that an installation like this will result in shadowing of coverage to the rear of the aircraft. If you have big chunks of metal too close to it, it may not work very well.
There are three shots here. The dipole is mounted along the inside of the right windscreen pillar which, in the Vortex, is all non-metallic. The antenna looks like a flat, black ribbon about an inch wide, and about four feet long. It's hard to see because the inside of the pod is also black, but the connector is where the center of the antenna is located. Don says this is the antenna's third aircraft - the dipole is mounted with velcro, so it's removeable.
Keep in mind that an installation like this will result in shadowing of coverage to the rear of the aircraft. If you have big chunks of metal too close to it, it may not work very well.