handheld antenna

[egp8111 7]

Looking for recommendations for an external antenna to use with a handheld radio. Where is the best place to mount it ?

thanks,

EG

[akflyer 1427]

Looking for recommendations for an external antenna to use with a handheld radio. Where is the best place to mount it ?

thanks,

EG

A hand held was in my original plans for my plane. My brother had one in his KitFox and swore by it. Once I flew his plane all I did was swear at it. I think it may have been a grounding issue because he had his mounted on the turtle deck. Mine had a mount for the antenna behind the turtle deck just infront of the vertical fin. That is where my antenna is mounted now, and my plan was to just hook that into the hand held. I have used the hand held with the little rubber ducky antenna in the plane and it seems to work just fine also.

[efil 01 74]

A hand held was in my original plans for my plane. My brother had one in his KitFox and swore by it. Once I flew his plane all I did was swear at it. I think it may have been a grounding issue because he had his mounted on the turtle deck. Mine had a mount for the antenna behind the turtle deck just infront of the vertical fin. That is where my antenna is mounted now, and my plan was to just hook that into the hand held. I have used the hand held with the little rubber ducky antenna in the plane and it seems to work just fine also.

I heard that the place of antena was turtle deck because it is by itself a big grounding plan.

An other thing i plan to do on mine is to put the alternat button just above the throttle on panel, this way, it's easy to press and one only is sufficient for both pilots without mounting two buttons and cables to the top of sticks.

[akflyer 1427]

I heard that the place of antena was turtle deck because it is by itself a big grounding plan.

An other thing i plan to do on mine is to put the alternat button just above the throttle on panel, this way, it's easy to press and one only is sufficient for both pilots without mounting two buttons and cables to the top of sticks.

While the turtle deck may be a big ground plane, I dont think it is bonded to the airframe well enough to ground out on the airframe. You could probably run a ground wire to the turtle deck and get everything bonded together well enough for it to work great.

[SuberAvid 617]

I use an Icom handheld plugged into airplane power and intercom with PTT switches in the stick grips (Allen multifuntion grips). I mounted the external antenna in the middle of the turtle deck and it seems to work pretty well. The antenna cable is connected to the internal part of the antenna and the external shield wrap is grounded to the mounting nut and contacts the turtle deck so it makes the ground connection there. I do not have an additional ground cable running just to the turtle deck but that might be a good belt and suspenders approach for peak performance.

The handheld does not have the power of the in panel units but it does pretty well for my flying. It picks up and transmits good within 50 miles at 1000' AGL and I have talked to towers at 150 miles at 2000' AGL.

[egp8111 7]

what type of antenna are you guys using ?

thanks,

EG

[SuberAvid 617]

My antenna is probably the most basic, sorry I don't have a catalog handy to give you a name and model, but it looks about like an 1/8" stainless steel rod about 2' long and angled back about 30 degrees. The base has a ceramic insulator cap on the top and bottom with a threaded rod that runs through them and a nut on the bottom, The turtle deck is sandwiched between the ceramic caps. The connecting cable has a quick connect on one end and the other has a larger brass washer connected to the ground shield tehat goes under the inside ceramic cap and a small wire connector on the center electrode that goes under the nut. Hope that is a good enough description to identify it in AC Spruce or other catalogs.

[akflyer 1427]

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/stainlessantenna.php < this is the type of antenna that Randy is using

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/av534.php

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/av10_ant.php < the antenna that I have on mine