FrSky Rx Antenna Mounting ?

[BieneFlyer]

Hey guys,

How do you all mount the FrSky style dual antenna wires in your plane ?

With my heli I plan to tape each antenna wire to the boom supports.

With a plane, can I just tape them to the insides of the fuslage, say one each side or should they be routed to the outside of the plane somehow?

(Sorry, to ask such a basic Qs, but I'm a long time user of the old fashioned full length antennas & Spektrum gear in Helis).

Cheers,

BF:)

[Rob Thomson]

Treat them in exactly the same way as the old style.

[MrClean]

Ha! Well, as I'm flying them in my SPAD's I drill a hole in the PVC going out the side and the bottom and stick the wires out. My bigger plane I have one going down the bottom and I have a piece of nyrod pointed straight up that I thread the other up for that 90 degree stuff.

[Flaps 30]

Keep the last 29mm or so clear of any other cables or metal objects including flight batteries and any carbon fibre. if your aircraft happens to be made of carbon fibre or metal, you will have to fit them so that they are outside of the body. It is preferable to have the antennas at right angles to each other or in a 'V' formation.

If your aircraft is made of wood or polystyrene foam or some other plastic, there is no need to have them outside of the model. Don't fly in the rain or fit the antennas in a way on say a flying boat, where the antenna is shielded by a film of water. That will stop the signal getting through to the receiver.

[ShowMaster]

My antenna mounting ideas.
Feel free to comment or add to them.
So far is 3 years of flying Frsky I've never had loss of control or a serious RSSI issue for line of sight flying (up to 1000 ft). Because of that I feel confident sharing my ideas.

I use polystyrene tubing from the hobby shop but there's many small diameter tubings. I pick one that I can CA glue and never carbon fiber!
If the plane has bulkheads and is tight on space I use my heat gun to bend the tubing piece into a curved L. That way I can make a hole in the bulkhead that is a tight fit for the tubing and push the tubing through it with a mark telling me where up is. I then CA the tubing in place. After that I just push the antenna wire into the tubing and it's protected and vertical. I CA another piece of tubing to mount the other antenna lead the same way horizontal. This moves the antennas out of the radio/servo mounting area and avoids clutter.
In my other planes depending on space I usually glue the tubing to the fuselage sides to not run close to parallel wiring and they're separated from each other. One can always cut the tubing short so the antenna coax ends are exposed when in the tubing. None of my planes are made of material that shield the RF so I don't run the antennas outside the plane .
With Easystar type planes I just poke holes in the meaty plastic part of the fuselage cockpit area and stick the antenna wires in the foam holes. Out of the way and after all it's not seen so why use tubing?

One mistake I see see at the field with questionable fuselage planes is running the antenna to the outside and then taping it flat to the fuselage. It should be in free air, sticking out.

Because of the great Frsky real time RSSI reporting I'm able to brainstorm my antenna mounting and very quickly tell in flight if it's good or bad. Setting your RSSI alarm to 45 or higher will give an alarm long before link loss and control loss. I fly my normal area and see what readings I get. That's the real answer to antenna mounting and can be different for each plane for so many reasons, electrical and mechanical (construction material).

Keep the antennas separated. A "V" separation at least.
Never bundle them with other wiring or run them parallel with other wiring.
When possible try and get one horizontal and one vertical.
If the fuselage is composite carbon fibre poke the antennas out of it and don't tape them flat to it.
Run the antennas in some small plastic tubing to keep them from being damaged and out of the way observing the above recommendations.
When I flew Spektrum the antenna mounting was tested by link loss in flight , or landing and plugging in some little box that told me how good or bad the reboots or frame losses were. Kind of late to find out!
Love the Frsky RSSI feature.
SM

[Flaps 30]

All good stuff Showmaster.

One mistake I see see at the field with questionable fuselage planes is running the antenna to the outside and then taping it flat to the fuselage. It should be in free air, sticking out.

I don't see that as being any problem, unless you are thinking along the lines that the fuselage would act as some sort of dielectric that would alter the velocity factor of the antenna itself. If that was so, then we would be a deep trouble with virtually every mounting system/antenna construction that we have.

[ShowMaster]

Just guessing from my ham antenna experiences?

If the material was let's say metallic in nature laying flat against it could detune the antenna and raise the SWR or make it directional? White foam, a non issue.
If its carbon fiber it could absorb the rf (this is a 2 way protocol) and again make it more directional.
Sticking out it may actually use the fuselage as a counterpoise (ground plane).

Again, the Frsky RSSI feedback is the best decision maker for any installation.

Within a several hundred meter distance I think any install works. I just worry about the antenna installation when the planes fly close to the ready line going over 100mph at head level when it's not Frsky.
Now the important question, what's the best color duct tape to use to repair a broken off antenna?

[Flaps 30]

Yes it is essential to keep the antenna away from anything like metal, wire or carbon fibre, as they will have an adverse effect on the antenna.

Now the important question, what's the best color duct tape to use to repair a broken off antenna?

Anything other than yellow, as that colour attracts Hornets and Wasps. Nasty things they are.

[BieneFlyer]

Thanks to all.

I'll route them inside the plane. (Balsa/Ply).