Cruisair GPS antenna location?

N

ninepilot

New member
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a GPS antenna on my Cruisair. I just got a slide in replacement for my Apollo LORAN, and the GPS antenna should match the mounting plate for my LORAN antenna. Unfortuneately, that plate is located inside my baggage compartment, and I don't think the GPS signals will penetrate. Is there a popular location for GPS antennae on the Cruisair??
Thanks for your ideas,
Scott
N74445
 
I use a handheld Lowrance with the (portable) antenna just sitting on the glare shield atop the instrument panel -- inside the windshield. Works great. It's obviously "seeing" the satellites through the windshield. An antenna inside the fabric skin of the airplane might just work too. It would be easy to find out -- without drilling any holes
 
hi guys!
i just finished a garmin 430 installation in N522A, a 1951 14-19. the gps antenna is installed just aft and above the baggage compartment and just below the skin on an 12" x 12" aluminum bracket secured to the structural tubes with adel cushioned clamps and screws. the faa bought it with no problems. i had first checked with garmin about the antenna performance issue; they said "...if it aquires the satellites, it must work!" (i love practical engineers! :lol: ) the feds initially had some concerns about the structural integrity, but after they looked at it, they realized that it was more than adequate. i had also done this in my stinson with a garmin 100avd 10 years ago and it worked great. and no holes in the skin to leak water/dirt.
if anyone needs copies of the 337's i'd be happy to provide them for the cost of a SASE. contact me offline at: trombair@yaoo.com
hope this helps!
blue skies,
vic & N522A
 
I mounted my GPS antenna on the cabin roof 6' back from the windshield. It is mounted to aplate I installed up thru where the elevator trim works. It's an UPSSAT SL50 and works great. LYNN N9818B I too have the 337 for an SASE. :roll:
 
On a related note, I use that Anywhere Map and WX system from Control Vision. The nice part of fabric covered airplanes is that you don't have to stick all that damned sat phone gear and antenna on the glareshield to get the WX uplink and download.

I hate the fact that Garmin swallowed UPS/II Morrow. They're discontinuing the UPS GPS and GPS/Com line of panel mounted navigators, though I imagine they'll continue to support the ones in the field for awhile. Competition in this field had been a great thing, and Bendix/King had not been going great guns to keep up, alas.

Jonathan
 
guys!
sorry, i had a case of "dumb thumbs" this morning. my e-mail address is trombair@yahoo.com if anyone wants copies of the garmin 430 337's.
blue skies,
vic steelhammer & N522A
 
The GPS antennae must be located on the top surface of the airplanein order to receive a clear signal from the satellites.

John Morrison
N8856R
 
hey john!
well, on an all aluminum airplane you are absolutely correct: the antenna MUST be on top of the airplane and outside the skin with an unobstructed FOV (field of view). however, the fabric, paint and even the silver dope of our fabric covered airplanes is transparent to the high frequency radio signals of GPS. so, the antenna can sit under the skin of the upper surface of the airplane and still "see" the satellites. as i said, it worked great on my old stinson and now works equally well on the bellanca. plus, that's 5 fewer holes for water/dirt/stuff to get thru to the insides of the fuselage.
i suppose you could also mount the GPS antenna in the wing out towards the wingtip. the wooden wing is also transparent to the RF signals. however, if you got too close to the fuselage the FOV would be blocked by the fuel tanks, doors, and stuctural tubes.
blue skies to all,
vic & N522A
 
If I mount a handheld at the bottom of the panel, (like the Garmen GPS map 295), will that little antenna STILL pick up a good signal?
I figured it would be an easy way to utilize that portion of the panel that's ordinarily off limits because of the control yoke behind there.
 
I'm not sure I fully understand, DD. If you're thinking of stowing the remote antenna down low on the panel you'd still have the problem of metal potentially shielding it from the signal. What Vic was referring to was mounting a GPS antenna in a place where the only thing above it was the fabric covering.

Jonathan
 
I just needed a little advice about the handhelds and signal interference. Sounds like the panel would still block it too much despite being open in all directions except forward.

I like Vic's idea. Hopefully I can save up and buy a panel mount GPS. I have a perfect way to mount the antenna up through my baggage compartment. There's already an offset hole for it!

Originally I'd thought about mounting it outside the fabric where the old VHF wire aerial connected right above the cockpit. No sense in that if I can hide it.
 
Hey, give it a try, DD - you can experiment with your handheld even if your Cruisair isn't flying. BTW, if you haven't purchased your handheld yet, keep in mind that Garmin is discontining the 295. Once you see the 296....oh...my....God, you'll understand why. Problem is the price, of course.

And, yeah, I don't think any of us would mind having a Garmin 430 in our aircraft, to understate things. :lol:

Jonathan
 
I have a 295 and a 300 in my plane Acorrding to Garmin last month they said they will still build and sell the 295 for awhile. I have not seen the 296 but have seen the 196. It is really nice. My 300 has the antenia mounted on the top side because the installer could not get the (Freindly) FAA to sign off on it inside the fabric. I have the 295 antenia on the pannel and the ONLY difference in the 2 is the altutude read out. :lol: :lol:
 
All Of Garmin Handhelds have a remote antenna. If your buying, you might want to look at the Garmin 296. I have had only a few problems in the last 3 years and they have bent over backwards to help. :lol: :lol:
 
I'm looking seriously at the 296- it's pretty darn neat!

The way I redesigned my panel, it would have installed in a slot at the bottom right above the engine controls. Right now I have an old King 170B and a Narco XPDR in the top part with the unusable space in between occupied by switches, fuel gauge, and suction gauge. The new panel itself is in two pieces- the main panel in a streched upside down "U" shape and the center panel (copied after the original) in roughly a "T" shape stood off by Cessna panel shock mounts. The whole new panel was sprayed with Eastwood's Wrinkle Paint (Black). It looks good if I do say so myself!
Right now I'm going to install a blank in the bottom slot that will double as a portable GPS mount.
Still wish I had the coin for a panel-mounted GPS though. It would look so cool.
Two new digital radios would be great too along with a digital XPDR. Last count that setup would cost about $15,000! :shock: Ouch! That would be more than I'll have in the entire airframe AFTER overhauling the Franklin! Makes me slightly sick :roll:
 
You can buy a Garmin 300xl reconditioned with a new data base for $2500 . That will give you a GPS and a digital radio. Put a Michels digatal under that for $700. and a Garmin digital Transponder for $1600. Now you have it all. Don't foget the four place stero intercom with sterio input for $300. Pick up 2 Lightspeed 20 or 30 head sets and you will be very happy. total $5900. My next purchase is a digital Transponder. The only thing I can't install is the extra radio, I have a 14-13-2 and have no more room for radios. :D :D :D
 
That works Randy, if you own a radio shop :)

For the rest of us installation will run 2-3 grand. For IFR you'd also need....oops....that's another thread.

Jonathan
 
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