Raptor 30 Antenna routing

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Neil66 - 19 Sep 2006 21:22 GMT

Can anyone please tell me the best way to route the antenna on my Rapto
30. First time out and I'd just got it into a hover when suddenly I los
all control, the engine went to full throttle and it went over on it'
side, luckily it didn't do too much damage. I got it on the bench an
and tried a range test and I could only get about ten feet away ye
when I just hung the antenna down the front of the bench I could g
much further.
I know this is going to sound stupid but does the antenna pick up jus
on the end or all the way along? I've always wandered.
Cheers
Neil

--
Neil6

Reply to this Message

jj - 20 Sep 2006 01:42 GMT

Neil,

This sounds more like an issue with interference from something else on
the helicopter, rather than a simple range issue. I am routing the
antenna throuch the antenna guide supplied which is ran through the
holes on the underside of the skid brace on the left side. If there
are any servo wires too close to the antenna, or there is vibrating
metal too close, this can cause interference. Where are you currently
routing the antenna?

Josh

> Can anyone please tell me the best way to route the antenna on my Raptor
> 30. First time out and I'd just got it into a hover when suddenly I lost
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Neil66's Profile: http://www.themodelzone.org/forum/member.php?u=800
> View this thread: http://www.themodelzone.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15274

Reply to this Message

Neil66 - 20 Sep 2006 06:15 GMT

I've had it in plastic tubing going up the left hand side, half way u
the skid supports then with the last 3inches zip tied to the tail boom

--
Neil6

Reply to this Message

jeff - 20 Sep 2006 04:34 GMT

Hi Neil66,

First of all there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. Since
you are really wondering if the antenna "pick up" is only on the tip or
goes all the way through; the answer is the signal goes all the way
through. This is why a transmiiter and a receiver need to have the
antenna fully extended. The signal is a radio wave that is transmitted
from your radio and is caught by the receiver antenna; the more antenna
you have the stronger the signal. It's just like fishing, the bigger
the net the more fish you get. I hope that I was able to answer your
question. Good luck with your flying, Jeff.

Reply to this Message

funfly3 - 20 Sep 2006 13:25 GMT

> Hi Neil66,
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> the net the more fish you get. I hope that I was able to answer your
> question. Good luck with your flying, Jeff.

not a 100% accurate answer a bigger aerial does not always mean a better
reception its not a straight analogy with a fish net at all, it needs
several other things like a matched input stage on the receiver and it
needs to be in multiples of the wave length DONT put longer aerial on
your receiver thinking this will improve things it could or will make
things worse stick to what the manufacturers have tested and designed
10ft range bench testing is seriously bad check the aerial is not broken
and also the RX crystal

>> Can anyone please tell me the best way to route the antenna on my Raptor
>> 30. First time out and I'd just got it into a hover when suddenly I lost
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>> Neil66's Profile: http://www.themodelzone.org/forum/member.php?u=800
>> View this thread: http://www.themodelzone.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15274

Reply to this Message

Psyclic - 22 Sep 2006 03:26 GMT

Be aware.. the longer the antenna, NOT the better antenna. Antennas need
to be tuned to the frequency of the signal they are expected to receive.
Like a tuning fork, they resonate at the frequency they are cut to
length to send or receive on. Mechanical length is most important, but
circuitry, coils and capacitors, can be used to compensate mechanical
length into electrical length.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antenna_(electronics)

Extend your transmitter antenna full length. Use the full length of your
receiver antenna. You should get a full mile of connection. That's way
farther than anyone would be comfortable flying because you won't be
able to see it anymore.

.S. W8AN

> Hi Neil66,
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> the net the more fish you get. I hope that I was able to answer your
> question. Good luck with your flying, Jeff.

Reply to this Message

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego - 20 Sep 2006 05:15 GMT

>Can anyone please tell me the best way to route the antenna on my Raptor
>30. First time out and I'd just got it into a hover when suddenly I lost
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>I know this is going to sound stupid but does the antenna pick up just
>on the end or all the way along? I've always wandered.

Antenna routing depends on where in the frame your Rx is located as
well as other components. In a nitro heli it's not as critical as it
is on an electric bird, but you don't want to run it too close to the
engine or other electronics.

I run all my antennas through the antenna tube that comes with the
heli and then out to the rear tailfin, being careful to keep it well
away from the tail rotor blades and mechanics.

The antenna picks up the signals along it's entire length and needs to
be a specific length, depending on the frequency you're operating on.
Extending the antenna as far as possible will help with better range
and minimization of glitches.

A PCM radio will work much better than an FM radio as well.

Did you do a range check before you fired it up for that initial
hover?? I don't fly unless I can get a good 50' from the bird with
the Tx antenna fully collapsed.

Reply to this Message

Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Helicopters / September 2006

Raptor 30 Antenna routing