I took my broken 8U antenna, cut it off just above the
case exit point and than soldered a length of flexible
ext. cord wire to the inside of the antenna tube.
I cut it off at the original length of the fully extended
antenna, sweated the end than dipped the end in plastidip.
I used heat shrink to make a 3 layer strain relief where the flex wire
exits the old antenna shaft and added about 6" of .010 music wire under
the last 2 layers to stiffen the base a bit.
The antenna just hangs vertically (best orientation) and I wrap
it around the tx for storage. There is no range reduction, maybe an
improvement.
I have flown over a mile away with this rig and have never had
range issues. (I have stepped on it a few times though...)
MM
Aerofoam
- Original Message -
From: Robert Samuels
To: soaring@airage.com
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 2:40 PM
Subject: [RCSE] Antenna Follies
I had a transmitter antenna problem last year. My Futaba 8 U has a
Smiley Rubber Ducky antenna. This attaches by means of a spring loaded
bayonet mount. Due to the design the spring loading allows the mating pin
to flex back and fourth a bit. After years of use I found the pin had
broken off and that I had been flying with the antenna connection just
barely touching. I think that is what caused the crash of my Organic at
last years Nats.
So I bought a new Rubber Ducky antenna assuming I would get a few more
years of use before it failed. I was wrong. I just checked it and found it
had failed the same way. After only a few months of use. Probably due to
all the HL flying I've been doing which causes a lot of flexing of the
spring loaded mount back and fourth during the launching process with it's
attendant mating pin flexing.
Glad I caught it during a shop check.
Robert Samuels .. St. Louis
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