Radio system and wooden airplanes....

[1600vw]

I have done a lot of reading on everything needed to do a proper installation of a radio system in a wooden airplane. They offer all sorts of different equipment to hook up a handheld. I believe most of us in these little airplanes use handhelds.

When running or flying a ultralight with a two stroke I never had a problem. Now that I have gone to a wooden airframe with a 4 stroke engine that has a mag I can not even use my radio for feedback or something. I can hear just fine but as soon as I push the button to talk it makes all sorts of noise.

I mounted my antenna all the way back by the tail feathers, on a piece of metal that covers the joint between the horizontal and vertical fin.

What do I need to do to make this work, and when they say shield your ignition wires just how do you go about doing this? Does the P-lead from the mag need to be shielded?

I did own one other wooden plane but it was a two stroke and that handheld worked great. I could talk to people 30 miles away. I was using what looked to be an antenna made to mounted on a car. No ground plane, I mounted this antenna to a piece of plex-a-glass that was a small window in the top of this Bushstyle airplane. If interested here is a video of this plane. If you look you wil see the antenna mounted on the top. That is a cover for a recovery chute to deploy out of. No chute so I mounted my antenna to it and screwed it shut so it would never open.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBGro7gJfy8

The system I use today is that same system, I left the antenna on that bird when I sold it but the radio and PTT button and helmet are now in the plane I fly today, and it works like crap and use to work so good.

H.A.S.

[WLIU]

Is your current airplane uses the same sort of antenna as the one in the video, that I see mounted above the cabin, it won't work without a larger metal ground plane. You would be best served by using one of the dipole antennas like the Bob Archer or Advanced Aircraft Electronics ones. If the article here -> http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles...r_Aircraft.pdf has not been on your reading list, it may offer the solution to your problem.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[1600vw]

Wes the system in the plane you see had no ground plane and that radio worked great in that airplane. I could hear people from 30 miles away and I had no problem talking to anyone. I talked with one friend in his 172 and he was 15 miles out. He said I was loud and clear.

I wish I would have kept that antenna. I kept everything but the antenna. I am the one who installed that system. When I purchased that plane it had no radio. Same style plane made of wood the only difference is one had a two stroke and one has a 4 stroke and that antenna.

[rwanttaja]

Does the noise occur when you transmit with the engine off?

Ron Wanttaja

[1600vw]

Does the noise occur when you transmit with the engine off?

Ron Wanttaja

You know Ron I have never tried this. I will try this and get back with you. My plane is in the shop for condition inspection and some upgrades but I believe I can do this with her in the metal hangar, but then again maybe not but I will try.

Thanks for this advice, no idea why I did not think of this.