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 Sailplane Construction Project Session #31

Futaba has three requirements to "maximize" the 2.4 gHz receiver's reception performance, They are as follows:
(1) The two antennae are to be 90 degrees to each other.
(2) The locations of the two antennae are to be as far apart as practical in the model's fuselage.
(3) The two antennae are to lie in different planes.
 
The configuration I chose to satisfy these three requirements is shown in the picture below. I elected to use the standard Sullivan Gold-N-Rod, which is yellow in color. It has a large enough hole in the center to accommodate the FASST antenna diameter and can be bent to hold its shape. A piece of 1/4" balsa and a piece of 1/8" balsa are used to join the two antennae into an assembly, which will be CA'd together later.
 
 
Here is a great tip if you have not already discovered it.
Gently heat the Gold-N-Rod with a heat gun and begin to bend it into the shape you want. Holding the shape you want and while it is still warm, dip the bend in cold water and this will instantly set the angle of the bend. If you miss the angle a little, reheat the bend and it will start to release or unbend. Again, hold in the angle you want and while it is still warm and dip it in cold water. This will again setting the angle of the bend that you want.
 
The picture below shows the antenna guide assembly glued in place inside the Sailplane fuselage structure.
 
 
In the picture below, you can see that first the piece of 1/4" balsa  is glued into the frame work next to the receiver. Then the 1/8" balsa spacer is adjusted out so as to fit against a 1/4" block glued to the 1/16" X 1/4" cross member push rod guide. Once the spacer is properly aligned, it is glued to the 1/4" block as shown below. Once the spacer is dry, I will CA the Gold-N Rod  tubes to both pieces of balsa.............................Tandy 
 


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