In a message dated 3/7/2005 4:10:32 AM Eastern Standard Time,
europa-list-digest@matronics.com writes:
> I have installed the antennas from Advanced Aircraft Electronics. Their ad
> reads
> good. Has anyone else used them?
Hi Vaughn,
I've installed an Advanced Aircraft Electronics Com and transponder antennas.
Preliminary range tests using my handheld com radio on the com antenna show
it works quite well, although I've yet to fly with it. Using my sweep generator
I've also done some crude range testing on the transponder antenna and it
appears to radiate well also, although I've only been able to test it at about
3
watts ERP because that is all my sweep generator is capable of producing.
The com is installed on the rear of the tailpost and I cut about a 1" square
hole in the tailpost to allow the connector housing on the antenna to pass
through the tailpost. This way if it ever fails all I'll need to do is remove
the
rudder to get at it. The transponder antenna is installed on the side of the
fuselage about 2 feet in front of the rear bulkhead on the right side. Both
antennae are vertically polarized, so they both are installed vertically. I
reduxed the transponder antenna to a piece of balsa wood, then sanded the balsa
to
fit the curve of the side of the fuselage and reduxed it in place. The com
antenna is stuck on with silicone.
I've performed sweep testing on both antennae and the VSWR is pretty flat on
the com antenna across the com band and averages 1.8 across the band. The
transponder antenna shows a VSWR of 1.2 at 1090 Mhz, so it should work well
also.
The big problem with the transponder was the cable requirement for my Garmin
transponder. They require that the line loss not be more than 1.5 dB at 1090
Mhz. I found a company who would make a low loss phased cable, but it wasn't
cheap.
The quality of the Advanced Aircraft products is excellent and I originally
ordered a com antenna with a 90 degree connector on it, but later realized that
I needed the straight connector version. They swapped it out at no charge and
even paid the return shipping. Nice folks to deal with!
Regards,
John Lawton
Dunlap, TN
A-245 (Soon to be N245E. Working on installing heat shielding on the firewall
and footwells today.)
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