Factory A model VHF antenna location

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Considering moving my com antennas from elsewhere to the factory location shown in the A model IPC. Looking close it looks like they might have been just off the wing fairings on the fuselage itself. Can anyone confirm this. And maybe someone has them (or old holes) and they could measure from some known points to locate where they might have been point.

Factory A model VHF antenna location.png

[n2582d]

Bruce,
I'm surprised that in the early '50's Cessna would have been installing two VHF antennas. For what it's worth here's a copy of AK205-102D VHF Antenna Installation Kit. It appears that this kit places the antenna further apart than what your IPC picture depicts.

[hilltop170]

Bruce- My 170 has the old original antenna locations covered with patches. When I get home I can measure them for you.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Gary, yes they appear farther apart and more forward on the top cabin skin in front of the rear spar. I'd use this location except I'm also using the Narco V antenna and it's whips would probably touch the VHF antenna there.

Richard, that would be great and another little detail we are documenting. I had taken notice of this location before and did see for the first time a 170 with whip antenna in that location this past convention at Longmont.

[bsdunek]

Our 170 came from the factory with only the G.E. Model AS-2A LW communications radio. See pages 96-97 of the original 170A parts catalog. There was the insulator in front of the winshield, and the wire ran to the mast on top and back to a bracket on the top of the rudder. From there, a trailing wire quite long - maybe 20 feet. When Dad had the Omnigator put in in about 1952, the comm. antenna went in front of the windshield, in front of the LW insulator. I have seen others like that years ago (1950's), but not lately.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Bruce, my '49 170 is/was set up the same at yours. Actually over the years our has had eight different antenna systems on it and remnants of all of them either holes or masts existed til recently when we installed a new windshield and removed the little mast above the windshield. I'm thinking with that many holes already might as well make 2 more and put a matching set of VHF antenna I just traded for instead of the mismatched set I currently have.

[n2582d]

While I'm all for originality, it would be worth talking with an avionics guy about having two antenna so close together. Comant recommends having the antenna at least 36" apart, as does AC 43.13-2B, Chapter 3.

Antenna Placement.jpg

[blueldr]

For all you originallity guys when you're talking antennas, think about when VHF radios came into use in GA aircraft. When the Air Force transfrred me from Fairbanks, AK to Randolph AFB, TX, in May of 1951 I made the trip in my Stinson L-5G and we were still transmiting on 3105 kcs and listening on the four legged radio ranges utilizing the 200 to 400 kc band. Civilian VHF radios, and antennas, and the locations of same were not something that we were concerned with.
I really don't remember when the feds switched to VHF on civil aircraft. After I got to Texas, I was flying six hours a day, six days a week and I was so sick and
tired of flying that I sold my airplane and didn't fly civil aircraft again until 1964 on Guam.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't believe the factory would have had a location for a VHF antenna in 1951 when they built the last of the C-170A models.

[hilltop170]

BL- My 1951 170A came from the factory with some kind of 3 or 4 crystal VHF radio. I'm travelling right now or I'd look it up.

Bruce- I used the boot cowl antenna hole to mount a CB antenna back in the CB radio craze. I did a lot of night flying in west Texas back then and could not always talk to ATC on the 300 Nav-Com but I could always get someone with my 3000' CB antenna. Probably why the FCC banned their use in aircraft. The statute of limitations has run out on that by now, I hope!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

For all you originality guys when you're talking antennas, think about when VHF radios came into use in GA aircraft. ....I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't believe the factory would have had a location for a VHF antenna in 1951 when they built the last of the C-170A models.

BL see that drawing in my post above. That is from the A model IPC. #1 is pointing to two VHF antennas. My IPC was printed April 1950.

Yes it is surprising they had VHF antenna but to have two of them and a VOR antenna was truly a modern well equipped A model.

[blueldr]

Well, ... I never would have guessed.

I stand corrected. Thank you.

I sure don't remember anyone at Weeks Field in Fairbanks talking about VHF radios.

[mike roe]

Steve Jacobsons is pretty much original. I thought the long wire antenna, which he has, was a comm. I very well might be wrong.

[hilltop170]

Bruce- My 170 has the old original antenna locations covered with patches. When I get home I can measure them for you.

Bruce, I was apparently thinking of the 180 when I mentioned the old patched antenna locations. The 170 does not have any patches and the current antenna locations are definitely not original.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Thanks for remembering to check Richard.