Receiver antennae...

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Michael - 21 Mar 2005 03:30 GMT

Ok I think I goofed this evening... I previously had my antennae wire run
back and forth along the tail boom. It was getting occassional glitches
though, where everything would "twitch" every now and then. So this
afternoon I decided to try winding it around the tail boom in a spiral
pattern all along the boom. When I plugged the power in, the Hummingboard
led blinked a few seconds and then the heli went to full throttle and took
off across the backyard before crashing (gently) into the grass. Only
casualty was the tail rotor which broke. Spiral-wrap == bad idea I guess.
8-(

Ok so now, what's the best way to mount such a proportionately long antennae
wire on these small electric heli's? On my planes (which are .40 sized)
there's plenty or fusalage length underwhich to glue the receiver antennae
all along in a straight line.

- Michael

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Joe Bill - 21 Mar 2005 04:07 GMT

Suggest going to RunRyder.com and doing a title search for "Antenna" in the
"Electrics - Century Hummingbird" forum. There are currently 9 different
questions with antenna in the title, and most look like they address your
question.

Jim

> Ok I think I goofed this evening... I previously had my antennae wire run
> back and forth along the tail boom. It was getting occassional glitches
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> - Michael

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Michael - 21 Mar 2005 05:23 GMT

Thanks Jim, but I think it's something else... not the antenae! I re-did the
antenae tonight and it's pretty much straight now and nowhere near any other
wires, but when I plug in the power and just slightly add throttle it goes
to full blast throttle and will not throttle down (I had hold of it from
underneith this time... talk about having a tiger by the tail!!!!).

Now when it's going full blast pulling the throttle down to the bottom has
no affect... only way to stop it was to push throttle all the way up, then
back down. What's up with this? It's the same symptom basically as the
backyard crash this evening but the antenae isn't the culprit since the
servos were stable and sitting on the coffee table (without touching
throttle at all!!!) I can wiggle the rudder and aileron servos all around
with the radio and there's no problem apparent. It's when I touch the
throttle that all hell breaks loose. 8-(

ps. It wasn't doing this previous to this evening's backyard episode and has
never been crashed before. This is totally new. Last night I was spinning it
up on the dining room floor working on trim and balance issues and it
behaved just fine. I found 1 old post using Google that dated back to Feb of
2004 where another Hummingbird owner experienced the exact same thing, but
there was no posted resolution.

- Michael

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Nigel Heather - 21 Mar 2005 21:43 GMT

My antenna wire is wrapped tightly around the boom and then taped in place -
no problems so far.

Cheers,

Nigel

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Michael - 21 Mar 2005 23:53 GMT

I understand Nigel. I'm starting to think the speed controller/mixer portion
of the Hummingboard may have failed. The throttle goes crazy on it now no
matter what I do. It's downright dangerous in fact! How do they keep from
getting sued about these things? Such a malfunction could outright cause
serious bodily harm!

I'm afraid I'll have to order a new Hummingboard later this week.... a
$79.99 value. Ughhhh! I never even got the chance to crash this thing
dangit.

- Michael

> My antenna wire is wrapped tightly around the boom and then taped in
> place - no problems so far.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nigel

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OP - 21 Mar 2005 05:20 GMT

>Ok I think I goofed this evening... I previously had my antennae wire run
>back and forth along the tail boom. It was getting occassional glitches
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
>- Michael

Most of the guys I fly with (and myself included) use base loaded
Dean's antennas. Work just as good as the long wires. Some people
say the range is reduced with the Dean's antenna's, but if it is, by
the time the model gets that far away, you can't see it anyway. No
one I know of has ever had a model, helicopter, airplane or glider,
fly out of range using a Dean's antenna.

Ron

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Nigel Heather - 21 Mar 2005 21:42 GMT

A Deans antenna for a Hummingbird!!!

Surely the antenna weighs more than the heli?

Cheers,

Nigel

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Bob - 22 Mar 2005 01:04 GMT

Why not buy a 'combat antenna'? They are only about 6" long and
with a heli stay well within range.

> Ok I think I goofed this evening... I previously had my antennae
> wire run back and forth along the tail boom. It was getting
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> - Michael

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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Helicopters / March 2005

Receiver antennae...