REFLECTOR:Stormscope antennae
Wayne Lanza
reflector@tvbf.org
Mon, 9 Jun 2003 20:04:26 -0400
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Hi Paul,
Regarding the storm scope antennas, I have installed all (7) of the =20=
WX500 systems at the factory.
The connector at the wing/strake junction is accomplished with a metal =20=
connector (Amp) and is a
bit pricey due to the cost of the connector and the labor involved. In =20=
addition to preparing the SS
cable, you will need to add a braided metal shield over the strobe =20
wires in the same wing.
After discussions with BF Goodrich and several installations here are =20=
the proven procedures for
the WX500. First of all the thing in the wing is NOT an antenna, it is =20=
technically a DVDT probe that
senses energy spikes. The cable is shielded but is not an RF assembly, =20=
the wires are for a simple
data link (about 12Khz). The shielding is to protect data integrity =20
from outside influences like the
strobe wires... Understanding this should assure you that the connector =20=
will have little effect. We
are convinced that the best place to mount the receiver is under the =20
pilot side wing about 3 feet
out from the wing/strake junction. In the belly won't work! The cable =20=
can be in the chase along
with the wing lighting and coax wires.
There are two ways to run the cable - one is to have the connector and =
=20
the other is to bore a hole
in the wing from the root to the base plate for the receiver (sensor, =20=
antenna...). To bore the hole is
not too bad a job, I took a long piece of 1.5" aluminum tubing and cut =20=
teeth on the end with a saw.
Then I alternately bent the teeth to the inside and outside about 1/16" =20=
to enlarge the cut kerf in the
foam. The builder eyeballed my aim with the tube and I started twisting =20=
the tube. We hit the mark
dead on and it only took about 15 minutes to do.
The biggest problem as far as we're concerned is the application of =20=
the required ground plane.
It has to be at least 10 square feet! It can be a fine mesh or thin =20
metal and it is not necessary that
the receiver be centered on the gnd plane. One thing that must be =20
observed is that the receiver's
backing plate must be in intimate contact with the gnd plane. The =20
ground plane must NOT be in
between the foam and wing glass - don't even consider it! Laminate the =20=
plane to the bottom of the
wing and fine bid over it after it has been securely glued down.
As with all aircraft (from Velocities to King Air's) you will probably =
=20
see a lot of strikes off the wing tips
even in clear weather. Not to worry, it ain't judgement day, just your =20=
strobes faking out the storm scope.
The best and only way to fix this problem is to - you guessed it - shut =20=
off the strobes. Goodrich has been
really good to deal with, their field service guys are most helpful and =20=
willing to work with us.
Hope this helps -
Wayne Lanza
(Velocity contractor & electrical weenie)
Composite Design, Inc.
visit our web site at: http://www.CompositeDesignInc.com
________________________________________________________________________=20=
_________
On Monday, June 9, 2003, at 06:33 PM, Paul Calhoun wrote:
> The last issue of Velocity Views had an article from Scot Baker about =20=
> Stormscope antennae installation on the underside of the pilot side =20=
> wing. It was suggested that the antennae cable would have to be cut =20=
> and spliced if one wanted removable wings. Because there is two =20
> separate layers of shielding in the cable, only a pro can do the job. =20=
> The factory will=A0splice it for $300 if one sends in the cut cable =20=
> after going to the trouble to disconnect it from the control unit. =20
> Will a spliced cable ever work as well?
> =A0
> I wondered if there weren't a better way. Here is another option. =20
> Simply enlarge the wire channel 31" into the wing from the inboard end =
=20
> of the wing so that the cable can be passed in and out of the wing to =20=
> the antennae . After getting a blessing from the factory, I employed =20=
> the following process:
> =A0
> =A0=A0=A0 1. Open=A0the=A0hole for the antennae=A0into the channel as =
instructed =20
> in the Views. (I was relieved that the channel was where it was =20
> supposed to be 31" from the inboard edge and 4" toward the TE from the =
=20
> center spar. To double check this location I noted that the drill =20
> point was right on a straight=A0line from the entrance of the channel =
on =20
> the inboard side to the outlet of the channel at the strobe light on =20=
> the other end.)
> =A0=A0=A0 2. Fish out the strobe light, nav and com wires through the =
newly =20
> cut hole so they won't be in the way. the later step of trying to cut =20=
> through the foam around the wires doesn't work. Don't ask how I know.
> =A0=A0=A0 3.Enlarge the inboard fiberglass opening of the channel to =
1.75 "
> =A0=A0=A0=A04. Sharpen the end of a 1.75 OD X 40" aluminum tube and =
pass it up =20
> the foam surrounding the channel. It helped to re-sharpen the tube =20
> every 10"=A0of foam cutting=A0since the aluminum doesn't hold an edge.
> =A0=A0=A0 5. Pass the com/strobe wires back out the channel.
> =A0=A0=A0 6. One could leave the tube in place for ease of passage of =
the =20
> cable. I am trying it without the tube first.
> =A0
> Paul Calhoun
> =A0
> Medical Ambassadors International
> Transforming nations through the seamless combination of disease =20
> prevention, evangelism, and community development.
> =A0
--Apple-Mail-20--413144388
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/enriched;
charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi Paul,
Regarding the storm scope antennas, I have installed all (7) of the
WX500 systems at the factory.
The connector at the wing/strake junction is accomplished with a metal
connector (Amp) and is a
bit pricey due to the cost of the connector and the labor involved. In
addition to preparing the SS
cable, you will need to add a braided metal shield over the strobe
wires in the same wing.
After discussions with BF Goodrich and several installations here are
the proven procedures for
the WX500. First of all the thing in the wing is NOT an antenna, it is
technically a DVDT probe that
senses energy spikes. The cable is shielded but is not an RF assembly,
the wires are for a simple
data link (about 12Khz). The shielding is to protect data integrity
from outside influences like the
strobe wires... Understanding this should assure you that the
connector will have little effect. We
are convinced that the best place to mount the receiver is under the
pilot side wing about 3 feet
out from the wing/strake junction. In the belly won't work! The cable
can be in the chase along
with the wing lighting and coax wires.
There are two ways to run the cable - one is to have the connector
and the other is to bore a hole
in the wing from the root to the base plate for the receiver (sensor,
antenna...). To bore the hole is
not too bad a job, I took a long piece of 1.5" aluminum tubing and cut
teeth on the end with a saw.
Then I alternately bent the teeth to the inside and outside about
1/16" to enlarge the cut kerf in the
foam. The builder eyeballed my aim with the tube and I started
twisting the tube. We hit the mark
dead on and it only took about 15 minutes to do.
The biggest problem as far as we're concerned is the application of
the required ground plane.
It has to be at least 10 square feet! It can be a fine mesh or thin
metal and it is not necessary that
the receiver be centered on the gnd plane. One thing that must be
observed is that the receiver's
backing plate must be in intimate contact with the gnd plane. The
ground plane must NOT be in
between the foam and wing glass - don't even consider it! Laminate the
plane to the bottom of the
wing and fine bid over it after it has been securely glued down.
As with all aircraft (from Velocities to King Air's) you will
probably see a lot of strikes off the wing tips
even in clear weather. Not to worry, it ain't judgement day, just your
strobes faking out the storm scope.
The best and only way to fix this problem is to - you guessed it -
shut off the strobes. Goodrich has been
really good to deal with, their field service guys are most helpful
and willing to work with us.
Hope this helps -
Wayne Lanza
(Velocity contractor & electrical weenie)
Composite Design, Inc.
visit our web site at: http://www.CompositeDesignInc.com
=
__________________________________________________________________________=
_______
On Monday, June 9, 2003, at 06:33 PM, Paul Calhoun wrote:
<excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>The last issue of
Velocity Views had an article from Scot Baker about Stormscope
antennae installation on the underside of the pilot side wing. It was
suggested that the antennae cable would have to be cut and spliced if
one wanted removable wings. Because there is two separate layers of
shielding in the cable, only a pro can do the job. The factory
will=A0splice it for $300 if one sends in the cut cable after going to
the trouble to disconnect it from the control unit. Will a spliced
cable ever work as well?</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>I wondered if there weren't a
better way. Here is another option. Simply enlarge the wire channel
31" into the wing from the inboard end of the wing so that the cable
can be passed in and out of the wing to the antennae . After getting a
blessing from the factory, I employed the following =
process:</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>=A0=A0=A0 1. Open=A0the=A0hole =
for the
antennae=A0into the channel as instructed in the Views. (I was relieved
that the channel was where it was supposed to be 31" from the inboard
edge and 4" toward the TE from the center spar. To double check this
location I noted that the drill point was right on a straight=A0line
from the entrance of the channel on the inboard side to the outlet of
the channel at the strobe light on the other =
end.)</smaller></fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>=A0=A0=A0 2. Fish out the =
strobe
light, nav and com wires through the newly cut hole so they won't be
in the way. the later step of trying to cut through the foam around
the wires doesn't work. Don't ask how I know.</smaller></fontfamily>
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>=A0=A0=A0 3.Enlarge the inboard
fiberglass opening of the channel to 1.75 "</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0=A0=A0=A0<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>4. Sharpen the end =
of a
1.75 OD X 40" aluminum tube and pass it up the foam surrounding the
channel. It helped to re-sharpen the tube every 10"=A0of foam
cutting=A0since the aluminum doesn't hold an =
edge.</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0=A0=A0 <fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>5. Pass the =
com/strobe
wires back out the channel.</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0=A0=A0 <fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>6. One could leave =
the
tube in place for ease of passage of the cable. I am trying it without
the tube first.</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Paul =
Calhoun</smaller></fontfamily>
=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Medical Ambassadors
International</smaller></fontfamily>
<italic><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Transforming nations
through the seamless combination of disease prevention, evangelism,
and community development.</smaller></fontfamily></italic>
=A0
</excerpt>=
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