Drawing a Coil?

[colinNJB25]

I thought this would be a quick drawing. I was going to use it to make some construction jigs. Bending the coils accurately is key to the construction of the antenna. 

Unfortunately I can find I way to start and end the coils in the 90 deg fittings precisely enough to measure the length of the tubing or to make a flat pattern to make an initial bend on the tubing. Any thoughts?

[davebYYPCU]

Overbuild a dummy coil as a triangle section, to obtain the pipes centre line.

Create the pipe, 

Create Plane on Path to align the end of the pipes in the elbow, and

Split both bodies with the planes.  

Measure the edge of the dummy coil.

Might help....

[colinNJB25]

That really helps in finding the center. I am not sure how to rotate the coil to align with the cross members. Is there a way to accomplish this task without move? I would like to keep the design parametric as the dimensions are very frequency dependent and I would like to make a parametric drawing.

[davebYYPCU]

One of them,

Circular Pattern, body, count is 4, and angle 360.

Might help...

[jhackney1972]

I thought I would give it a try on the transition from the coil to the central shaft.  Take a look at the Screencast and I have also attached my model.  Just an idea.