PCM antenna

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harvknox

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
398
I'm building a T-6 Gas Scale,and the cowl has enougth room for a family of mice to take up residence.I use JR R-1 transmitters with R330 PCM receivers.I'm wondering if it works to have the antenna more or less horizontal under the cowl and about 2" from the pipe.The antenna will be more than 6" above the water.I am planning to take my Sport 40 to the lake this weekend and tape the antenna to the deck and close to the pipe to test.The antenna will be about 3" above the water.The JR R-1 has an excellent built in fail safe when in PCM mode, which I will check beore sending the boat out.Also,before we throw the boat in the water,we'll range check on land.

Even though my test may be successful,are there still some scarey things out there?Some of you may have tried this your self,and wonder if you could share your experience.

I've talked to Horizon about antennes before,and they pretty much give me the Company line.

I'd love to hide the antenna to improve the boat's look.The 1/8 scales with 2.4 look great with nothing showing.Hope to make my Gas Scale look as good,but with PCM.

Harvey Liberman
 
Straight up is the way to go. I run my 2.4 antennas this way also. Up and out of the radio box.
 
harvknox said:
I'm building a T-6 Gas Scale,and the cowl has enougth room for a family of mice to take up residence.I use JR R-1 transmitters with R330 PCM receivers.I'm wondering if it works to have the antenna more or less horizontal under the cowl and about 2" from the pipe.The antenna will be more than 6" above the water.I am planning to take my Sport 40 to the lake this weekend and tape the antenna to the deck and close to the pipe to test.The antenna will be about 3" above the water.The JR R-1 has an excellent built in fail safe when in PCM mode, which I will check beore sending the boat out.Also,before we throw the boat in the water,we'll range check on land.

Even though my test may be successful,are there still some scarey things out there?Some of you may have tried this your self,and wonder if you could share your experience.

I've talked to Horizon about antennes before,and they pretty much give me the Company line.

I'd love to hide the antenna to improve the boat's look.The 1/8 scales with 2.4 look great with nothing showing.Hope to make my Gas Scale look as good,but with PCM.

Harvey Liberman
Click to expand...
Harvey,

It should work ok if you have 3/4's of the antenne out of the radio box and running as high as you can in the boat and above the pipe. Years ago in airplanes we exit the antenne out the side of the fuselage and attached it to be back of the plane with a rubberband. I am sure that this is still common practice on airplanes today with PCM transmitters.
 
Mark,I was thinking the same thing regarding orientation in a model plane.The big difference is the plane is in the air and has a radiation pattern completely around the antenna,and the boat is on the water with a reduced radiation pattern with the antenna horizontal.As you mention I may be able to get the antenna sufficently above the water and away from the pipe with my large boat size.Our required range is so much less than a plane's requirements,I'm hoping that a strong transmitter signal will compensate for the loss in reception signal with antennas at 90* instead of both vertical.When I range check the boat on land,I'll place the boat on the ground to more closely simulate signal loss.I know that some 2.4 signals act differently over water and land,don't know about PCM,but I'll find out.

I think I may test with my Jersey Skiff(Mark calls it my Bathtub)since it it is tall and a gasser,instead of my Sport 40.

If anyone else has some ideas please chime in.

Harvey
 
harvknox said:
Mark,I was thinking the same thing regarding orientation in a model plane.The big difference is the plane is in the air and has a radiation pattern completely around the antenna,and the boat is on the water with a reduced radiation pattern with the antenna horizontal.As you mention I may be able to get the antenna sufficently above the water and away from the pipe with my large boat size.Our required range is so much less than a plane's requirements,I'm hoping that a strong transmitter signal will compensate for the loss in reception signal with antennas at 90* instead of both vertical.When I range check the boat on land,I'll place the boat on the ground to more closely simulate signal loss.I know that some 2.4 signals act differently over water and land,don't know about PCM,but I'll find out.

I think I may test with my Jersey Skiff(Mark calls it my Bathtub)since it it is tall and a gasser,instead of my Sport 40.

If anyone else has some ideas please chime in.

Harvey
Click to expand...
Ask for as I know 75mhz is like a bulldozer and should work ok. But I feel that a good range check with the boat on the ground would work very well.
 
Thanks for the info.Thought I could test this weekend,found I'm going to be out of town next two weekends.Probably test in three weeks.Will post results.

Harvey
 
The issue here is that Harvey is planning to cover the antenna under the cowl. That might bring problems.
 
Piston1 said:
The issue here is that Harvey is planning to cover the antenna under the cowl. That might bring problems.
Click to expand...
I understand that and don't think it would be a problem if the cowl is not metal. Have run antennas thru center of fuselage on planes with no problem years back when radios were not that good..
 
Got to do some testing today.Said I'd post results.

Put the Skiff on the ground with the normal vertical receiver antenna.Moved about one thousand feet away.With the transmitter antenna vertical,controls normal on the boat.Held the transmitter antenna horizontal,still normal reception.

Moved the receiver antenna under the fiberglass cowl and about 1" from the pipe.Moved back to my one thousand foot position and operated the transmitter with it's antenna vertical.The rudder servo worked normally.The throttle servo oscilated without my actuation.I use a digital servo on the rudder and an analog servo on the throttle.I don't know if this a factor,but I'll stick to the tried and true.

As they say on TV, don't try this at home.

I still have to resolve whether to use my existing equipment and a hole through the cowl for the antenna or buy a 2.4 system.

Harvey
 
Ray,you're about right.I got in my Ford F250 Powerstroke Diesel to drive the huge distance.

Harvey
 
Harvey buy a 2.4 system. Your boats are getting too big ie potentially dangerous, to not have one.
 

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