REFLECTOR:Foil Tape Antennas
Chris Martin
reflector@tvbf.org
Sat, 3 May 2003 10:00:03 -0700
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<DIV>This note is for those of you that are using the foil tape antennas as designed by Jim Weir. This is the standard antenna system in the Velocities and I am sure all of you are using them in some form. I have always been unhappy with the performance of my VOR antennas mounted on my fuselage floor and finally wrote to Jim Weir to seek his advice. I wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV>"Jim, my question is this. The two VOR antennas in question are mounted on the floor of the fiberglass fuselage. Over the floor I have I have laid sound insulation and carpet. The sound insulation has a aluminum foil layer on each side. Is the foil the probable source of the antenna failure?<SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff> "</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Jim's response was "Without a doubt!"</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>I wonder how many of you have made the same mistake I made in diligently building your antennas to Jim Weir's plans and then mistakenly covering them with a foil backed sound insulation. The foil backed sound insulation was the one recommended by Velocity when I installed my interiors in 2000.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Hope this helps some of you.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Chris Martin</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Velocity XL RG</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=561123006-30042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>330 hours flying</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV>--- </DIV>
<DIV>--- <A href="mailto:christophercmartin@earthlink.net">christophercmartin@earthlink.net</A></DIV>
<DIV>--- EarthLink: It's your Internet.</DIV>
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