PowerFLARM updates and installation notes

Hi All - I've posted some notes about
PowerFLARM at Mifflin, and encourage
pilots to post their experiences he
http://powerflarm.us/2012/05/powerfl...and-elswehere/

Also, I posted some notes on installations,
including the "Hall of Shame" which you may
find entertaiing. Hopefully this will answer
some of the ~100 emailed questions I have been
unable to personally respond to yet...
http://powerflarm.us/powerflarm-installation-notes/

Hope you find these helpful,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

Good news !!
And good initiative about the "Hall of Shame". It cannot be expected
that everybody has a reasonable understanding of radio wave
propagation. So, the illustrations of "How Not To" are very usefull.

Now the most important question: What about Brick delivery schedule
(for non-contest folks that often fly together in close proximity on
convergence lines) ?

3U

On May 31, 2:50*pm, Three Uniform wrote:
Good news !!
And good initiative about the "Hall of Shame". It cannot be expected
that everybody has a reasonable understanding of radio wave
propagation. So, the illustrations of "How Not To" are very usefull.

Now the most important question: What about Brick delivery schedule
(for non-contest folks that often fly together in close proximity on
convergence lines) ?

3U

It looks to me that we're about 6 weeks or more from delivery. My
vendor
just sent out a note to his customers confirming which display they
were
ordering, but he hasn't asked for the up-front payment yet.

I've got a question. It looks like the top of the glare shield is the
best spot.
However, in my plane (ASW-19) the glare shield ejects with the canopy.
If I ever have to bail out installing the antenna up there will keep
the canopy
from coming loose. Is there some kind of breakaway connector I can
use in the antenna cable? Alternately, is there a rubber duck kind of
antenna I can use instead that would poke through a hole in the glare
shield, like Bill Elliot did in this install: http://www.gliderpilot.org/FlarmInstallation

Thanks,
-- Matt

On May 31, 1:32*pm, Matt McKrell wrote:
On May 31, 2:50*pm, Three Uniform wrote:

Good news !!
And good initiative about the "Hall of Shame". It cannot be expected
that everybody has a reasonable understanding of radio wave
propagation. So, the illustrations of "How Not To" are very usefull.

Now the most important question: What about Brick delivery schedule
(for non-contest folks that often fly together in close proximity on
convergence lines) ?

3U

It looks to me that we're about 6 weeks or more from delivery. *My
vendor
just sent out a note to his customers confirming which display they
were
ordering, but he hasn't asked for the up-front payment yet.

I've got a question. *It looks like the top of the glare shield is the
best spot.
However, in my plane (ASW-19) the glare shield ejects with the canopy.
If I ever have to bail out installing the antenna up there will keep
the canopy
from coming loose. *Is there some kind of breakaway connector I can
use in the antenna cable? *Alternately, is there a rubber duck kind of
antenna I can use instead that would poke through a hole in the glare
shield, like Bill Elliot did in this install:http://www.gliderpilot.org/FlarmInstallation

Thanks,
-- Matt

Matt,

I helped install many different FLARM units at Mifflin. On the AS and
LS planes we would attach the antenna from under the glare screen and
use Velcro or similar so that it would pull loose if you need to
eject. There should be no metal interference under the glare screen
like in a SH, so you can just put the top half of the antenna up
through the screen and have the wire just below. We did this on an
LS-6 and I believe it worked fine. The alternative is to cut a hole
large enough for the entire antenna to come through but still attach
it on the underside so it will pull loose.

On May 31, 4:04*pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
On May 31, 1:32*pm, Matt McKrell wrote:









On May 31, 2:50*pm, Three Uniform wrote:

Good news !!
And good initiative about the "Hall of Shame". It cannot be expected
that everybody has a reasonable understanding of radio wave
propagation. So, the illustrations of "How Not To" are very usefull.

Now the most important question: What about Brick delivery schedule
(for non-contest folks that often fly together in close proximity on
convergence lines) ?

3U

It looks to me that we're about 6 weeks or more from delivery. *My
vendor
just sent out a note to his customers confirming which display they
were
ordering, but he hasn't asked for the up-front payment yet.

I've got a question. *It looks like the top of the glare shield is the
best spot.
However, in my plane (ASW-19) the glare shield ejects with the canopy.
If I ever have to bail out installing the antenna up there will keep
the canopy
from coming loose. *Is there some kind of breakaway connector I can
use in the antenna cable? *Alternately, is there a rubber duck kind of
antenna I can use instead that would poke through a hole in the glare
shield, like Bill Elliot did in this install:http://www.gliderpilot.org/FlarmInstallation

Thanks,
-- Matt

Matt,

I helped install many different FLARM units at Mifflin. *On the AS and
LS planes we would attach the antenna from under the glare screen and
use Velcro or similar so that it would pull loose if you need to
eject. *There should be no metal interference under the glare screen
like in a SH, so you can just put the top half of the antenna up
through the screen and have the wire just below. *We did this on an
LS-6 and I believe it worked fine. *The alternative is to cut a hole
large enough for the entire antenna to come through but still attach
it on the underside so it will pull loose.

For Schleicher (I'm not familiar with LS gliders), I strongly
recommend supporting the antenna from something other than the glare
shield. I suggest a non-conductive (plastic, G-10, phenolic
laminate...) rail mounted to the canopy/instrument panel supporting
structure below the glare shield, with a hole in the glare shield that
allows positioning the tip of the dipole antenna close to but not
touching the canopy. I did this on my ASW-20 such that I can easily
remove and replace the canopy without disturbing the flarm antenna.
I'd go nuts if I had to mess with that antenna every time I pulled the
canopy off... and even more so if I forgot about the antenna and
damaged something.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

On May 31, 11:07*am, Dave Nadler wrote:
Hi All - I've posted some notes about
PowerFLARM at Mifflin, and encourage
pilots to post their experiences hehttp://powerflarm.us/2012/05/powerfl...fflin-and-elsw...

Also, I posted some notes on installations,
including the "Hall of Shame" which you may
find entertaiing. Hopefully this will answer
some of the ~100 emailed questions I have been
unable to personally respond to yet...http://powerflarm.us/powerflarm-installation-notes/

Hope you find these helpful,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

You have to admit that the huge honking dipole antenna, coax cable,
and mount, right in the middle of where you want to look on the
glareshield amounts to Chinese torture. Or at least will not make for
any cool industrial design awards.

http://powerflarm.us/wp-content/uplo..._dipole_SH.jpg

I hope to heaven you guys can work out a prettier antenna and
installation.

On Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:17:17 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:

You have to admit that the huge honking dipole antenna, coax cable,
and mount, right in the middle of where you want to look on the
glareshield amounts to Chinese torture. Or at least will not make for
any cool industrial design awards.

http://powerflarm.us/wp-content/uplo..._dipole_SH.jpg

I hope to heaven you guys can work out a prettier antenna and
installation.


Thanks to Dave and PowerFLARM US for the hard work at Perry and Mifflin to improve the PowerFLARM range issue. However I totally agree with John regarding the uglyness and size of the dipole antenna in the above URL. Forgive me for being reckless with my opinion but that installation sucks and is just not acceptable in the middle of one's vision field. My PowerFLARM order is "on hold" until a "no restricted vision" antenna is available. Please, please come up with something better.

On Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:47:46 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:17:17 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:

You have to admit that the huge honking dipole antenna, coax cable,
and mount, right in the middle of where you want to look on the
glareshield amounts to Chinese torture. Or at least will not make for
any cool industrial design awards.

http://powerflarm.us/wp-content/uplo..._dipole_SH.jpg

I hope to heaven you guys can work out a prettier antenna and
installation.


Thanks to Dave and PowerFLARM US for the hard work at Perry and Mifflin to improve the PowerFLARM range issue. However I totally agree with John regarding the uglyness and size of the dipole antenna in the above URL. Forgive me for being reckless with my opinion but that installation sucks and is just not acceptable in the middle of one's vision field. My PowerFLARM order is "on hold" until a "no restricted vision" antenna is available. Please, please come up with something better.

I second that. As much as I am advocating for powerflarm, I did not envision having to look through something like that, nor even through 2 rubber duckies that going all the way to the canopy. I sure hope there is less intrusive solution, even if it will reduce the range a little. BTW, I flew with my MRX PCAS antenna horizontally for years from the same reason and there was no noticable reduction in range, but I understand that powerflarm is much more sensitive to antenna installation. I sure hope a clean installation which does not interfere with visibility is available. After all, a powerflarm is no good if it reduces forward visibility.

Ramy

On May 31, 6:21*pm, Ramy wrote:
On Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:47:46 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:17:17 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:

You have to admit that the huge honking dipole antenna, coax cable,
and mount, right in the middle of where you want to look on the
glareshield amounts to Chinese torture. Or at least will not make for
any cool industrial design awards.

http://powerflarm.us/wp-content/uplo..._dipole_SH.jpg

I hope to heaven you guys can work out a prettier antenna and
installation.

Thanks to Dave and PowerFLARM US for the hard work at Perry and Mifflin to improve the PowerFLARM range issue. However I totally agree with John regarding the uglyness and size of the dipole antenna in the above URL. Forgive me for being reckless with my opinion but that installation sucks and is just not acceptable in the middle of one's vision field. My PowerFLARM order is "on hold" until a "no restricted vision" antenna is available. Please, please come up with something better.

I second that. As much as I am advocating for powerflarm, I did not envision having to look through something like that, nor even through 2 rubber duckies that going all the way to the canopy. I sure hope there is less intrusive solution, even if it will reduce the range a little. BTW, I flew with my MRX PCAS antenna horizontally for years from the same reason and there was no noticable reduction in range, but I understand that powerflarm is much more sensitive to antenna installation. I sure hope a clean installation which does not interfere with visibility is available. After all, a powerflarm is no good if it reduces forward visibility.

Ramy

I was involved with installing about seven units and all were much
more elegant than what you see on the web page. Mine is installed
about 4" in front on my compass that is on top of the glare screen. I
only see the top 1.5 inches of the antenna which is very small and
narrow. Many others put the bulk below the glare screen with only
the top 1.5 inches showing.

It would be nice to see the antenna have the cable come in from one
end rather than at the middle. Remember what you see so far were done
in a loaned hanger on a rainy day in the midst of a contest. Evan's
is installed below and mine is very unobtrusive in flight.

You guys are kidding, right? An antenna that size on your instrument panel is invisible when you are focused at infinity, where you have to be to see anything out the window!

Try holding up your finger (your choice of finger, I've got a suggestion...) at arm's length in front of your face, then look at something in the distance. If your finger blocks your vision, you are an alien!

Seriously, get the PF and mount the antennas as cleanly as you can (so it looks cool, of course) and I bet you won't even notice it inflight.

Kirk
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