Odyssey panel changes

[wsweidemann]

I am making some panel changes and am almost done. The biggest improvement is that now I have a panel mounted XCOM 760 communications radio with a really good built in intercom. In order to make room I re-located the compass (formerly in the top right) to on top of the pedestal, inserted a miniature VSI where the compass was and installed the small round radio in the lower center console (where the full size VSI formerly was). The last bit of work was to fabricate a set of jacks & a switch in a generic box at the very bottom of the pedestal. I have some experience with this radio because I have had one in another aircraft and am impressed with its features, such as light weight, small size, active & standby (with simultaneous audio monitoring of both channels), excellent VOX intercom, channel memories and NOAA weather monitoring.

Skot Weidemann

HKS Odyssey N159BS

[blaswichk]

Ahhh, aircraft radio’s. I finally went to a panel mounted radio too after flying with a handheld on a bracket for years. I did this mostly to get better transmission as the handheld just didn’t have the power. I used the Val 2000, (in my Gull 2000!), which is the thinnest panel radio out there and has 8 watts of transmission power instead of a half a watt with the handheld. I also went with a GA type of antenna mounted on the top of the wing with the correct loading coil for a GA type radio. The Val has big easy to read numbers and two knobs, one of which makes switching from active to standby frequencies a breeze.
(Now where can I mount an I-Fly GPS?)

[wsweidemann]

I have a question about antennas.

I just installed a panel mounted XCOM 760 communications radio and am wondering if I can safely use the antenna that is already mounted on the plane? The antenna is probably stainless and has a slight bend in it and was previously being used successfully as the antenna for a ICOM handheld. My main concern is I do not want to damage the radio if the antenna and radio are not a good match. (I have heard of "tuning".

Skot

[blaswichk]

I had to change my antenna from our factory stainless steel whip to a standard GA type as I blew out the the new panel mount radio twice. The radio is a Val 2000, with 8 watts of output, and the factory in Oregon had a guy come up here and see why their radio kept failing. The whip in his opinion is ok for a 1/2 watt handheld, but couldn’t handle the extra watts that backed up and blew out the transmitter portion of the radio. the installation manual talked about correct antennas and the loading. I would say in your case if it’s not very clear in the installation manual, call the factory. It’s no fun blowing out your radio. Oh, and my old whip antenna lives on, installed on a Belite ultralight being used with an Icom hand-held and is just fine. Watch your watts and you will be fine.

[mkoxxy]

I am using the "factory option" antenna with a FlightLine FL-760 radio,
which transmits 5W. Mark, is that antenna OK for that level of power? Seems
to work on my eGull.

Even though I'm sure everybody on this list knows by now that transmitting
into an open antenna will fry the amp, I'm repeating this for redundancy.
Most radio makers will not fix an amp under warranty if they can prove that
your antenna was disconnected.

Related: I had radio problems earlier, but it appears it was the gooseneck
mic's fault. I reverted to using a headset now, but I left the ceiling
speaker hooked up so that I can hear incoming calls even when I don't wear
the headset. (And yes, at anything less than full power, I can fly without
hearing protection.)

I am now looking for a really light-weight headset - don't need nearly as
much attenuation as non-electric airplanes.

[wsweidemann]

Regarding Antennas:

To my satisfaction I have communicated with Rocket Bob (familiar with XCOM radios) and he says my current antenna will likely destroy my radio. He recommended Delta Pop Aviation, where I ordered a non-TSO'd Red Tail antenna at significantly less than a Comant antenna I was about to order. It should be here in a few days. In the meantime I ordered a custom made coax cable with BNC ends from Spruce. So, we wil see.

Skot

[blaswichk]

There you go, I did the same with my install. Brand new bnc cable from Spruce, the only way to go as my original was open with a ring-tongue terminal at the antenna. Also what helped kill my radio was lack of a proper ground plane. The fiberglass eyebrow at the top of the windshield had a small aluminum plate that seemed to be attached to the wing actually wasn’t. My Rami sits on top of the wing right behind the spar, and I cut an inspection hole to easily connect the cable. The holes and bolts for the antenna fit perfectly on each side of the aileron torque tube and easy to get to. My radio just rocks now.

[rahulchoudhary73]

(general antenna q) living near the edge of suburbia of a small town, a state capital, there's this ten yr old <200' tower a couple hundred ft away, it has about 35 antennas now of all kinds. the one that's puzzling me one is a flat solid rectangle on the tower side at half it's height, ~3x6' with over a dozen palm sized diamond shaped sharp outward indentations (a geostationary cellular satelite project that i worked on, had a parabolic dish with 768 indentations that were called horns though i never saw them, was made by Hughes satellite systems corp. for thuraya)

when I noticed it the next morning papers carried an ad of an indigenous truck mounted SAM radar with a similar rectangle on the side; even airport radars have a third vertical omnidirectional antenna on the side too for side lobe suppression. It's a government telco tower, the other dishes are microwave links and mobile network antennas, marked jpur-enb-001. guess the proximity of an army command centre necessitates that many, though it's based in a civilian locality next door.

what's the purpose of that SAM radar like antenna? is it possible to use such a radar to monitor humans through Ashlar house walls 1' thick at that range? is it a radiation hazard to have that many this close, for years? seems like a 5kw genset at the site

some supplementary info, couple weeks a long winged white falcon (Elanus Ceruleus, that seems to know me) flew straight to it and perched on the lightning conductor on it, but it was kinda uncomfortable. Just prior to that I was reading about US navy SEALs and had noticed their logo of a red eagle clasping a trident. today I see it's got what looks like another lightning conductor close to it, that's shaped like a cross with smaller arms.

TIA,
rc

[wsweidemann]

Kess,

Thanks for sharing. Now my thoughts about location of the antenna are changing. From what I know about ground planes, anywhere there is a lot of metal at the base of the antenna is good (such as the top of the wing). I had thought about mounting on the center of the wing but since I didn't build this Odyssey myself, I am reluctant to go cutting holes into the wing since I'm not familiar with what's behind it. However, IF I can mount an antenna on the wing top (ahead of the engine) my guess it (the antenna) would perform better and be easier on the transmitter. So...can I mount my antenna on top like Kess?

Should I abandon putting a new antenna at the very top front metal piece just ahead of the leading edge of the wing and mount it on the big flat metal area behind the front spar?

Skot

[mark_drz]

Skot

You should be able to look up with a flashlight thru the hole in the wing for the aileron tube to see where to place the antenna on top.

//\\//\\ MARK D. || ))