PowerFLARM antenna mounts

Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

Having a glare-shield mounted antenna is like sitting behind a support column at a basketball game. No matter how hard you try, you are going to miss part of the game.

We seem content at compromising field-of-vision with cockpit reflections, compasses, PowerFlarm units and antennas, and multi-function displays. Yet, uncomprimised field-of-vision is our #1 accident preventer.

PowerFlarmUSA...please find a better antenna solution.





On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 11:50:53 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 12:16:38 PM UTC-7, (unknown) wrote:
Having a glare-shield mounted antenna is like sitting behind a support column at a basketball game.

Complete Nonsense. The antenna and any decent
mount are thin, and you won't notice them after
5 minutes. The angle blocked is only slightly
more than your yaw string.

Are you going to remove your yaw string too ?

Really now.

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 8:42:39 PM UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 12:16:38 PM UTC-7, (unknown) wrote:
Having a glare-shield mounted antenna is like sitting behind a support column at a basketball game.

Complete Nonsense. The antenna and any decent
mount are thin, and you won't notice them after
5 minutes. The angle blocked is only slightly
more than your yaw string.

Are you going to remove your yaw string too ?

Really now.

No doubt PowerFlarm USA can come up with more aesthetic antenna and solutions.
I will have to compromise meanwhile, but am expecting a better solution will followup shortly once they start shipping and have more time.
The pictures I saw so far hurt my eyes...

Ramy (who is eagerly waiting for his brick unit)

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 11:50:53 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

I'm not an antenna maven (certainly not at GHz frequencies, but we are talking about a device that operates at about the transponder frequencies. Transponder antennas are pieced of straight wire with a ground plane.

Seems to me that it should be possible to craft a very good antenna from a piece of piano wire (read so thin it is virtually invisible) and a (sloped down a bit) ground plane.

Any antenna geeks out there?

QT
Never confuse a graduate engineer with a competent technician...

On Thursday, July 5, 2012 7:48:21 AM UTC-4, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 11:50:53 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

I'm not an antenna maven (certainly not at GHz frequencies, but we are talking about a device that operates at about the transponder frequencies. Transponder antennas are pieced of straight wire with a ground plane.

Seems to me that it should be possible to craft a very good antenna from a piece of piano wire (read so thin it is virtually invisible) and a (sloped down a bit) ground plane.

Any antenna geeks out there?

QT
Never confuse a graduate engineer with a competent technician...

Antenna QT describes will work for areas above the ground plane.
I believe dipole is being used to provide a better transmission pattern both above and below the glider.
Another voice.
UH

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 11:50:53 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

Sloped groundplane (like base station antennas) should ensure propagation down to canopy rail angle. Need GHz antenna geek.

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 11:50:53 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS). The mount will featu
- mast sticks up above glare-shield
- base mounts underneath glare-shield with velcro
- anti-glare flat-black finish
This arrangement permits safe canopy jettison
and easy canopy removal.

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Cost guestimated at $75 including shipping.

Please send Rex an email if you're interested as
he needs to gauge interest; contact info he
http://www.williamssoaring.com

Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

PS: If you're interested in a mount for a flat-top
glare-shield (SH, etc) - send Rex a note.

End fed dipole could also be very thin.

On Jul 4, 10:50*am, Dave Nadler wrote:

Rex is looking into making glare-shield antenna mounts
for the PowerFLARM dipole antenna, especially for
gliders with glare-shields that jettison with the
canopy (Schleicher, LS).

If the proposed alternative glare screen antenna mount comes to
fruition, doesn't the coax between the unit and the antenna cause an
impediment to the jettisoning of the canopy? Or is there a breakaway
connection of some sort?

You'll cut a ~ 3-4" round hole in the glare-shield,
afix the velcro, then stick on the antenna so it
is vertical in flight attitude (with coax at
about 45 degrees away from the antenna).

Out of curiosity, why such a large 3-4" hole? Is that so both
antennas can stick through a single hole? Could you not drill two
smaller holes at the correct spacing? Or do the pictures of the
PowerFlarm I find at your site (which shows two small diameter
antennas) differ from reality and we are now only have one antenna?
Just don't want someone to needlessly emasculate their glare screen!

Thanks, John

Googling "PowerFlarm antenna" I see both two antenna (thin or thick)
and single antenna installations.
But I still don't get the 3-4" hole. Expiring minds want to know.

And then this rather interesting picture of a PowerFlarm "Perfect"
antenna location as mentioned by Craggy Aero. ;-)

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&b... r:0,s:0,i:73

Thanks, John