> I'm looking for recommendations on the COM, NAV
> and Transponder antenna's made by Advanced Aircraft
> compared to Bob Archer designs when used in a
> composite aircraft.
>
> Anyone with real life experience or opinion?
>
As long as you included the magic word "opinion" [!] the
Advanced Aircraft antennas are rather obviously dipoles
encased in plastic, using flat strips for elements. There
would be nothing inherent in that design for better
performance, so for $125 you save the bother of constructing
one and fussing over tuning it.
For both brand of xponder dipoles you cited, a dipole wastes
energy in a direction of no use to you. Although there's
enough "slop" in the xponder/FAA system so as not to be
noticed, a 1/4-wave stub antenna and a small ground plane
should work better.
Most of Archer's designs appear to be modifications of
designs other than a dipole (Meander line, or J-Pole). What
they likely do, besides more compactness to maybe cause less
installation grief from nearby metal, is likely mitigate
comparatively minor issues (the balun; impedance match). So
if they perform noticeably better in a given installation,
that's why.
Reg,
Fred F.
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