Range Checking

[Kwickkwack]

I have just obtained a couple of Quick base loaded aerials, and have fitted them to my Twister 3D and Mini Titan. Before I cut them down, I range checked both helis
1) Twister 3D- JR-RS70 Synth receiver JR PCM9X2 Transmitter. on the original aerial with the tranny aerial right down, only about 11-12mtrs till the thing started to glitch.
2) Mini Titan - JR-RS77 Synth Receiver, Same Tranny standard set up, at least 40mtrs with no problem.

I have changed the aerial on the Twister, and the range tests are still the same, if not Very Slightly better, will do the Titan when the weather improves.

has anyone got any experience on the minium range for something like the Twister, or why it should be so vastly different to the Titan, I am now a little nervous that there may be a problem.

Thanks guys in advance for all the help.

[moyesboy]

The range on these little electrics is affected by many things.

There is noise from the motor and ESC and all the servo wires need to be as far from them as possible. The Rx should be as far from the ESC as possible.
The antenna needs to be as far from the motor/ESC and the servo wires as possible, and as straight as possible (which is difficult as the heli is smaller than the antenna is long).

Next there is the BEC that might be a separate one and might be built into the ESC. This is a "dirty" power source for the Rx and some rxs are susceptable to interference from the noise on the power line. This is why it is recomended to fit a ferrite ring between the ESC and the Rx.

Small and cheap servos can be noisy too. ~I have some rc expert servos that did effect the range of my rx/tx compared with std servos. The hitec hs65s I use now still upset the rx more than std servos but only just - a lot better than those cheap ones.

So it is likely that the ESC/BEC or the servos are better quality on one heli compared to the other - or the layout and positioning of the components is better in one heli than the other.

Last thing is range is much better with my non conductive g10 framed heli than it was with the ali x400 frame I used before. Carbon is also conductive and can help get the noise into your rx. If you ask me carbon is a daft material to use for a heli frame compared to g10. My superframe STK has hit the ground hard twice now without any damage at all (touch wood) and is also very light. ali has its advantages in that you can really prang hard and then just straighten it out again!

It is perfectlypossible to fly thses little helis with no problems when the antenna down range is only 5m or so. The range is much better outdoors than indoors. also the range is poor if your heli is sitting in long wet grass as the antenna is sitting in the grass. Put it on a 2ft high box or something (not a metal box).

The antenna down range check is a very good way of seeing what effect any changes have had on the radio performance. My current set up gives me 20-30 yarns antenna down which is a vast improvement compared to how I started with a cheap ESC/BEC and cheap servos. however I never had any range problems. I only had lockouts at about 3 yards (not nice). gone since I changed to the futaba tx from the optic6.

Yuo should try to do the range check with the motor going - possibly with the heli clamped down, as then there is the most rf noise inside the heli. Usually the ESC can be set up to stop on loss of signal (even with a radio with no fale safe).

[Kwickkwack]

Thanks for that, I was encouraged a little that if anything the range had slightly improved, I was just astounded by the difference between the two helis, I will try as you say with the motor connected, and hope to have a test flight later, if the wind ever dies down.