Up Your Antenna
The mysteries of the lowly boat antenna - or, if you ain't got no antenna, you most likely ain't got no boat!
Standard Installation - The RC Laser comes with a strange antenna system. I say "strange" because that is what I call something that I don't think is quite right. I even refer to myself as strange sometimes.
Before the designer of this antenna system bashes my head in, let me say that, for simplicity, this is a great piece of work, but I think there may be a better way.
When you get the RC Laser, you will find a little plastic tube surrounding the end of your antenna wire - with a cap on the top end. It will be lying quietly, taped to the deck next to the antenna wire deck exit hole.
The idea is that you remove the tape (forever) and stick the plastic tube into the deck mounting. The tube fits tightly into the deck mount making it waterproof. So far, so good.
You throw the boat in the water and the boat controls beautifully and you are all smiles. Isn't that special.
Gybe Ho - Then one day you come proudly into the dock and you look down at your pathetic little antenna. The tube is broken in half and the top portion is just left swingin' in the wind. What happened? Well, the antenna tube just got sick of being whacked by the boom - especially if it is cold.
This antenna bashing is the result of having a bendy mast which, under certain conditions, allows the boom to be lower to the deck. So low in fact, that it hits the antenna as it travels by. This is especially fierce in a high wind gybe.
Limp Noodle Solution - Actually, you might notice that the boat still sails fine even with your limp noodle antenna - it just looks bad, I mean nasty! So let's examine a few solutions to the problem.
- Band-Aid Special - Put a splint on the tube and wrap it up in tape, ready to get whacked again. Or replace the tube. If you sail a lot, this can get old in a hurry.
- Stump and Run - I was taught by some seasoned racing sailors to throw away the broken off top part of the tube (making the tube only an inch or so tall). Then pull out about a 10" length of the antenna wire and tape it to the deck in a straight line forward from the antenna tube. Finally, seal the top of the stump tube with a little sealant.
This solution words really well - and IF you are aesthetically challenged already, the way it looks won't bother you.
- Stealth Antenna - My favorite solution is to chuck the tube altogether, seal up the antenna deck mount hole, and start over as follows: 1) Drill a 1/16" in the aft side of the "conning tower". Pic 2 - 2) Feed wire out through hole. Pic 3 & 4 - 3) Wrap wire around the outside of the conning tower without crossing the wire over itself. Pic 5 - 4) Either tape or silicon glue into place. 5) Seal hole where wire comes out. Pic 6 - 6)Make sure wire does not interfere with hatch installation.
Remove antenna from original mount, pull antenna wire below, seal up old deck antenna mount hole.
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Drill a 1/16" in the aft side of the "conning tower" right at the bottom of the groove.
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| Feed all the wire out through the hole |
Wrap wire around the outside of the conning tower without crossing the wire over itself. It should lie flat in bottom of groove. If you have a 75 mhz radio, it will go around just once. A 27 mhz wire will go around more than once. Either tape or silicon glue into place.
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Make sure wire does not interfere with hatch installation.
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- Neat Freak! - Many of us "neat-freaks" want to tidy up all the loose wires below. "Ah, here is some extra antenna wire, guess I will just coil it up and stow it over here." Uh-Oh, not good. Part of the problem with antenna wires is that they should never be crossed over themselves. In the solutions given above - always make sure that any spare wire is not waded up as it may diminish the strength of the signal getting through.
Your Solutions Solicited- These are a few ideas for you to consider. Let's hear your success stories.
This article was written by Steve Lang at the Model Sailing Center. Your comments, corrections, and additions are always welcome. Please email Steve at Steve@RCLaser.com 4/15/01
Content by Steve
Site function by Sue
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