Son of Boris Antenna Kit

Announcing the Son of Boris the Spider ADS-B Antenna

Why Son of Boris?

First, to continue the fight against panel mount UHF connectors with radials, cut down mag whips on steel cans and other offenses to Marconi and Tesla and make inexpensive antennas to allow you to make moar feeders at low cost for family and friends. Second, Demand. After building more than 150 Boris the Spiders, more requests kept coming in. SoB is being built in batches of 250 with slightly more expensive parts and materials but with a bit less labor.

Lothar, what is different from Boris the Spider to SoB you ask?

I wore out the wire straightener for 8 AWG copper wire in the original Boris jig, so SoB now has nominal 3 mm / 1/8” 65% copper brass radials that are already straight. These are slightly stiffer, so use a bit of extra caution when bending the radials to the 45 to 42 degree angle using the original Boris instructions. Remember, SoB like Boris is shipped flat as a kit to keep postage cost down. The kit includes the radial assembly, F-81L with panel nut, rubber ducky, 3:1 adhesive lined shrink tubing to seal the rubber ducky after mating and a female F to SMA male adaptor for the SDR end of your feed line. You seal your feed line connections at the antenna with your own materials.

The second difference is the rubber ducky element has a stiffer hard drawn tinned 18 AWG conductor and an outer PVC tube that is more UV resistant and should last a long time in the elements. The 3 GHZ rated F-81L connector that mates the radials to the rubber ducky is stiff, so when mating the rubber ducky to the F81, you must “pop it’s cherry” before tightening the F connector to the 15 In/Lb torque. Like Boris, SoB is designed to be used with 3 GHz rated quad shield 75 Ohm RG-6 cable not longer than 30’ or so assuming you are using an amplified SDR like our favorite Airplanes.Live / Airframes.io blue sticks or clones.