Thanks, Jim,

This got discussed in RAO, too, and there was no consensus. Sort of like
the downwind turn, only truth is harder to find. I suspect that at 1+ GHz,
dirty motor oil may well have a significant conductivity, but who knows
without measuring it. I'm still going to check out the antenna and it's
cabling, but I was curious. Perhaps our 1600-hour engine is throwing off
more oil these days.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love
America


"Jim Weir" wrote in message
news
There are a lot of folks who will tell you that blowback engine oil will
be an
insulator and not affect the transponder antenna. I have no argument with
their
theory that oil is an insulator and cannot affect antenna performance at
1.06
GHz.

However, as they say, boychick, engine oil on the transponder screws up
performance. Like it or not, theory or not, it happens. It matters not
whether
or not you believe it, it happens.

Jim




-
-My question is this: Does it seem reasonable that a very small amount
of
-oil on the antenna can effect transmission that much?
Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com