Well, the question is in the title....
Is it possible to use a base loaded antennae inside a fiberglass (not carbon) fuselage? does it significantly affect the range of reception compared to the antennae being placed outside or compared to a regular wire antennae?

Thanks

Yariv

Tuining a receiver aerial does not really make a huge difference..in the end the power received is a function of the length...you can recover SOME of the lost range using smaller antennae by loading them, but receivers are not desigbed specifically for highly tuned antennae anyway.

If I had a fiberglass fuselage, I;d string teh antenna out aolong it..and probably another one inside the wing at tright angles, join em and hook em up to the receiver.

I have more problems from specific orientataions of antennae and multipath than I do rom simple low signal strength. I don't want a tuned unidirectional antenna, I want a large omindirectional one.

A glass fuselage is no issue, but you can sometimes get interference from control wires or even metal pushrods running parallel to the antenna.
..a

Hey now,
Glass fuse? No problem. Do it all the time in my sail planes never any interference and some of these models range out very far.
Based loaded antennas? I use 'em. They can reduce range and orientation is somewhat important. Still I use them on some slope models and range out farther than most power flyers would ever think to range.
I've been 1500 feet up and a 1/2 mile out with base loaded and been just fine.
That was in glass fuses too for that matter...
RobII

Thanks guys for your answers. Elfwreck, this is the application I am aiming for : a slope plane and a mid-sized (500 size) electric plane (Pelikan Dingo) which both have glass fuselages and I don't care so much for dangling wires, esthetically speaking.
I am Planning on using a Deans base loaded antennae inside the fuse of the Dingo and I was wondering weather I should be concerned or not about the effect it would have on my reception.

Hope all goes well, feel free to add more input if you think otherwise.

Thanks,

Yariv

Just do a good range check.

I would not modify the antenna on a model that's going to fly far away (i.e. a sailplane) but most sport planes stay relatively close, so the reduced range you'll see with the base loaded modiication will probably not affect you..
..a

You shouldn't have any trouble with the sloper. We normally don't let them range too far anyways. As stated above, you shouldn't have any trouble with a glass fuse but a proper range check is always your final judge.

mw

vintage1, in your post #2 of this thread, you stated:

If I had a fiberglass fuselage, I'd string the antenna out along it..and probably another one inside the wing at right angles, join 'em and hook 'em up to the receiver.

I've considered this before, and have always gotten the feedback that "This makes for a (dreaded) DIPOLE ANTENNA, that is not "TUNED TO YOUR RX'S SIGNAL", and "will NOT be satisfactory, causing a loss of range!"

Apparently you have "dared to go where no man has gone before"! Can you vouch for having been successful using this approach?

It seems that HAM RADIO OPERATORS are the most adamant in this opinion.

Did you perhaps arrange it so that the COMBINED LENGTH of the two antennae (=plural!) equaled the length of a normal antenna?

I like the idea, if it is practical, as this would allow us to totally conceal that ugly, non-scale antenna that drags behind the plane!

More comments, anyone?

Virg.

Yeah...I can't see my antenna when I fly.All my planes look awsome at 100 feet!