Europa-List Digest Archive

Thu 07/28/05


Total Messages Posted: 7



Today's Message Index:
----------------------
 
     1. 12:55 AM - Rudder pedal bent tubes (Ronald J. Parigoris)
     2. 08:18 AM - Re: Radio reception problems (Fred Fillinger)
     3. 09:03 AM - Re: Re: Radio reception problems ()
     4. 09:49 AM - europa club subs unpaid (Rowland Carson)
     5. 09:53 AM - RE : DV Panels (mau11)
     6. 01:40 PM - Re: Re: Radio reception problems (Fred Fillinger)
     7. 08:53 PM - Monopole Antenna for Troubleshooting (Fred Fillinger)
 
 
 


Message 1


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    Time: 12:55:32 AM PST US
    From: "Ronald J. Parigoris" <rparigor@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
    Subject: Rudder pedal bent tubes
    --> Europa-List message posted by: "Ronald J. Parigoris" <rparigor@suffolk.lib.ny.us> If you did not bond in your floors yet, I suggest you assemble rudder pedals first, then mount the side with 2 tufnal bushings to a piece of rigid plywood or something, and leave the side with just 1 bushing free. Now rotate pedals in 2 bushings and make sure the free end is straight, inline and tracks true. If not you can easily bend it to do so. I did not check check this and bonded in my floors, with both my pedals not tracking exact and thus setting the tufnal bushings in not ideal locations. After a night of shimming, sanding, bending and fiddling with different orientations of bushings, things are OK. A 5 minute exercise to check, bend straight and make sure it tracks would have saved a lot of hassle. Ron Parigoris


    Message 2


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    Time: 08:18:10 AM PST US
    From: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net>
    Subject: Re: Radio reception problems
    --> Europa-List message posted by: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net> > --> Europa-List message posted by: "Bryan Allsop" > Perhaps we could focus on the antenna. What design shortcoming would > cause a weak receive in this specific frequency range. It is not there at > less than 120MHz, and it is not there at more than 124MHz. Indeed! It's not design shortcomings, but installation issues. A dipole is an actual reference antenna, as a baseline to publish specifications for any antenna (the spec is "dBd"). Ergo, you don't need an RF test chamber to market one. Build it, and it will work! This then means that any issue is installation location in the airframe, which may require experimentation in different locations. An antenna analyzer looking at any antenna expected to receive a band of freqs shows what's happening. Suspend the test item well out in the open and introduce like a long metal ruler near to it in various orientations. Some locations are harmless; others cause bad behavior which is frequency dependent...or not. Try different lengths of stuff, as it can be a tuned element like the antenna. The analyzer cannot detect radiation pattern problems which don't affect its "reactance." That's a separate test, but implies also we can compound our troubles where reactance is affected too. A virtually complete null in a swath of direction can be demonstrated. The condition/quality of the receiver is then important, if it's expected to deal with common conditions affecting input signal strength. If they say "2.0 microvolt sensitivity," that means nothing (besides being a bit on the high side for Icom A-200 sales literature, where they won't say "min" or "hard"). It seems like a tiny number for just fringe reception purposes, but the actual tested number of a given box dominoes upward to how well automatic squelch will work on weaker signals, and requires auto squelch be well-designed, unless maybe it actually can pull in .5uV at "6 dB S/N." I've had breakfast every Tuesday since 1997 with a group which includes a retired, aircraft antenna engineer. If I were to ask Bill why something doesn't work -- sketch it out on a napkin, here's a long control tube, here's a strobe wire -- he will say, "Because I guess it doesn't!" Reg, Fred F.


    Message 3


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    Time: 09:03:15 AM PST US
    From: <peter.rees05@ntlworld.com>
    Subject: Re: Radio reception problems
    --> Europa-List message posted by: <peter.rees05@ntlworld.com> So whats the answer??? Is it the Aerial, poor squlch or local interference? ----------------------------------------- Email sent from http://www.ntlworld.com/ Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information


    Message 4


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    Time: 09:49:48 AM PST US
    From: Rowland Carson <rowil@clara.net>
    Subject: europa club subs unpaid
    --> Europa-List message posted by: Rowland Carson <rowil@clara.net> I have today printed the address labels for despatch of The Europa Flyer #45. A number of members have not yet paid their subscriptions for 2005/2006, so their memberships were lapsed before the labels were printed. Here's a list in alphabetical order by surname of the folk who won't be receiving EF45 (including the factory tech talk) or any future issues unless and until their subs are paid: name kit Tony Burbidge 039 Carl Busuttil-Reynaud 159 Tim Butterworth 263 Terry Clark 583 Alan Day 298 Dave DeFord A135 Klaus Dietrich 132 Scott Dingman A226 Dennis Gerow A169 Dave Glowa 522 Nigel Graham 147 Phil Hall 010 John Hanna A128 Keith Hartley 548 Paul Hawkins 354 Nigel Henry 117 Malcolm Hexley 061 Norbert Hoffmann 271 Rupert Holdsworth 527 Gerry Holland 384 Paul Johnson 499 John Lambert 475 Richard Lamprey 168 Doug Lawton A244 Roger Lloyd 006 Stef Loup 123 Bruce Ludeman A142 Miles McCallum 251 Franz Muggli 294 Chris Napier 482 Simon Nash 495 John Phillingham 256 Ben Price 373 Jim Punter 052 James Riley 579 Brian Robshaw 492 Gert Rohrer 248 Michael Scherf 257 Ursula Schliessler 105 Tom Sinclair 050 Henry Smolarek 079 Doug Steven 165 Martin Stevens 186 Tony Wakefield 042 Thomas Walt 214 Rob Waters 437 Richard Winkler A195 Peter Wood 561 Craig Wright 592 A few people who don't at present have a Europa were also lapsed; but I guess they have transferred allegiance to another design. Some of the people above said they would be setting up a Standing Order with their bank for payment of subs, but nothing has yet been received from them by our bank. If your name is on the list above, and you wish to continue your membership of The Europa Club, please contact the membership secretary off-list at <memsec@europaclub.org.uk> to arrange payment. If you have a Sterling bank account, please consider setting up a Standing Order so that the new Membership Secretary doesn't have to chase you like this next year! I expect that the first copies of EF45 will be sent out next week; if you don't receive yours in a reasonable time thereafter, please contact the membership secretary off-list at <memsec@europaclub.org.uk>. And to all you folk who pay on time every year - thanks for your punctuality and apologies for taking up your time with this message. regards Rowland -- | Rowland Carson (retiring) Europa Club Membership Secretary - email for info! | Europa 435 G-ROWI (750 hours building) PFA #16532 | e-mail <memsec@europaclub.org.uk> website <www.europaclub.org.uk>


    Message 5


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    Time: 09:53:42 AM PST US
    From: "mau11" <mau11@free.fr>
    Subject: DV Panels
    --> Europa-List message posted by: "mau11" <mau11@free.fr> Hello, For the same price you have Mountain micro efis. Very small volume (80mm diameter). He made all functions of Denon GR and others suppliers, but in addition there is full GPS, HSI, auto pilot and much others functions for the same price. Have a good day -----Message d'origine----- De : owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] De la part de Bill and Sue Envoy=C3=A9 : mercredi 27 juillet 2005 16:54 =C3=80 : europa-list@matronics.com Objet : Europa-List: DV Panels --> Europa-List message posted by: "Bill and Sue" <billandsue@billbell.co.uk> Sue and I are approaching time to bond the windows in (which probably means we're no where near it, but just haven't realised how much more there is to do first!) It would seem like a good time to get some DV panels fitted. I'm a bit nervous about attacking the perspex - anyone got any advice on how to go about it and/or useful contacts for parts please? Incidentally, if you haven't already spotted it, Grand Rapids have announced a "sport" version of their EFIS at $2795, it sounds wonderful from their website and I reckon the prospective cost of the panel falls at around the same rate as the firewall forward rises... I suppose there is some compensation for building slowly. Bill 465 -beginning to look like a plane, even to the non aviator. Just ascending the foothills of sanding (but deep in the mountains of dust).


    Message 6


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    Time: 01:40:54 PM PST US
    From: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net>
    Subject: Re: Radio reception problems
    --> Europa-List message posted by: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net> > --> Europa-List message posted by: <peter.rees05@ntlworld.com> > > So whats the answer??? Is it the Aerial, poor squelch or local interference? There's something radically wrong with either the antenna, the receiver, or both. The crudest squelch circuitry shouldn't matter if all else is OK. If you can't hear ATC in conditions others can or you know you should by experience, that could be a loss somewhere in your system of -24dB. What it truly is doesn't matter, and it's one reason why they speak in nondimensional decibels. To simulate that same -24dB loss in another way, with a good system, requires you go out 1500 miles from ATC at sufficient altitude. Even at 1,000 miles for real-world path loss, something is then very radically wrong. There's only two things to check. The 360-deg pattern by listening to a continuous broadcast at a distance where it's weak. Check receiver performance and coax loss by going up to 4,000, 85nm from a busy airport. You have to be able to hear the airliners talking to Approach. That's still 24dB to the good at 85nm assuming 25W transmitters. Or a small airport at 85nm; you may not hear someone putting out 2W and not know it, but the math says you have to hear people with working 8-10W boxes and a few dB of loss in their system pointed in your direction. In theory, they should be picking up a few dB with a top mounted antenna. Reg, Fred F.


    Message 7


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    Time: 08:53:28 PM PST US
    From: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net>
    Subject: Monopole Antenna for Troubleshooting
    --> Europa-List message posted by: "Fred Fillinger" <n3eu@comcast.net> I've done this many times, for freqs other than VHF comm. Real slap-dash affairs with cardboard, wire, and duck tape. A few dB of antenna abuse is no problem if the avionics sitting on the right seat hot-wired to the cig lighter can still be adequately tested. Below is a more careful effort, and it should isolate antenna vs. receiver problems. It will be useful also to see if a 1/4-wave bent whip, pointed up or down, will work somewhere back in the fuselage. If it does, don't buy an actual aircraft antenna. Take foam blocks and gobs of RTV back there and permanently install! Go to a home improvement place or a good hdwe and buy solid copper wire; if insulated we can remove for soldering in a few places. #6 wire works real well; #8 OK; even #10, but #6 is more wideband, roughly doubly better. The stiffness will help keep it seated in the right-seat pax area. Cut 5 lengths of the stuff to 21.5 inches each. A soldering pencil on the vertical element will show what a heat sink does, so hit the end of that good with a blue-flame torch and then melt a blob of solder onto it. The center conductor of RG-58 coax will go there. A blob you can solder to, not just a coating. Check it by glomping with pliers to see if it pops off easily. That means a cold joint. Take 1/2" or 3/4" wood stock, and cut a 1.5"-2" block. Drill a perpendicular hole in the center. At each corner, drill (by eye is OK) 45-deg holes for the ground plane legs. Angled inward toward the center hole. What we want is a ground plane of 4 equally spaced legs, angled 45-deg downward. 5-minute epoxy the legs in the block. Take a few feet of RG-58 terminated in a male BNC. "Pre-tin" the center conductor and solder it to the blob of solder of the prepared element. Feed this element into the center hole of the block and epoxy in place. To electrically connect the ground plane legs, strip insulation off about 12" of solid wire. Or strip common zip cord. On the bottom of the block, scrape the base of the 4 fence posts of copper for good electrical bond. Wind this wire tightly several times on each leg, and continue similarly around the fence posts. This wire is where the shield of the coax is soldered. Note, if to be permanently installed as mentioned, these junctions must be soldered. Blob silicone RTV to secure the center conductor, but not the solder joint, so usage of the contraption doesn't break the connection. Straighten all elements and adjust for about 45-deg on the ground plane legs. At a halfway point in the vertical element, bent it back only as needed so it fits in the airplane. It affects radiation pattern only, probably in a beneficial way. Incidentally, the 45-deg droop of the legs takes an antenna with a natural impedance of 37 ohms and makes it 50, which we want. However, it doesn't do that across the full band of interest, 118-137 MHz. So where a ground plane on a monopole antenna is constructed as a flat ground plane, 90-deg to the vertical element, it doesn't matter much. This is true also of a dipole, but there's no easy fix either. However, if #6 wire, this antenna could show "zero reactance" from about 120-130MHz, rather preferable in testing. When the receiver looks down the coax, it wants to see 50 ohms of any kind of resistor. A 50-ohm resistor which won't transmit squat, but merely get hot, will do. It has no clue as to an actual resonant antenna, or a combination of resistances. When reactance = 0, and SWR is minimal, virtually all electrons are sent heading for the hills. The remaining issue is interference with the antenna. An analyzer will report almost nothing by introducing any metal in the vicinity of the legs in the horizontal plane. There will be metal in the central tunnel, an you'll be sitting next to it, to unknown effect on radiation pattern, but hopefully not as bad as an installed antenna allegedly not working so good. You can also freely transmit on it, as there will be more radiation received by talking on a 3W handheld, due to distance, or on a cell phone for an hour for that matter. So all we need is to bring the comm receiver antenna coax out to a BNC in the cockpit. Re-route the existing antenna to cockpit. BNC/RG58 patch cables are available cheap from allelectronics.com. Buy a female-female BNC coupler (Radio Shack in the States) to mate either your anorexic passenger or your recalcitrant dipole to the comm, and go test fly. Doesn't take long to build, and I'd be curious what results come back if someone so ventures. Can even be fun! Reg, Fred F.




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