My wingtip NAV and COM antennae arrived yesterday. I don't like giving away speed to unnecessary drag, so I want to have as few external antennae as possible, while still having acceptable antennae performance. The transponder antenna and one COM antenna will be external, on the belly. The GPS antenna will be under the canopy, and the NAV and second COM antennae will be in the wingtips.

Bob Archer has built up a reputation for producing antennae that have excellent performance. You would think that the NAV antenna wouldn't work so well if the VOR station was on the other side of the aircraft, but everyone that has one of these antennae says that they get good performance no matter where the VOR station is. Builders have reported reception ranges in excess of 100 miles, which is more than enough.

More info on Bob Archer's antennae is available in an article he wrote, and in the a product review on Sam Buchanan's web site.

VOR signals are horizontally polarized, so the antenna needs to be horizontal, which means the wingtip is a good choice, as the antenna can be placed against the large flat top of the tip. VHF COM signals are vertically polarized, which means the antenna needs some vertical development in order to work. The wingtip is only about 7.5 inches deep, so that limits how much vertical development that antenna will have, and performance will suffer. Still, builders are reporting reception ranges around 50 miles, which is good enough for COM 2. I'll check the performance after I get flying, and if I am not satisfied, I'll add a second COM antenna on the belly.

Bob Archer is an incredibly laid-back guy to do business with. He doesn't take credit cards, and he didn't want any money up front. You place your order, and he ships the antennae with the invoice. You send the money after the antennae arrive.