Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!)  
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Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 12:31:17 AM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Anyone else have a range problem? My transmitter is over 11V charged, I didn't cut the antenna and it runs straight up the tube with about an inch sticking out of the top of the tube and 4-5 total inches above the stock body. The truck is an RC10T4 FT. I picked the DX2.0 up a couple days ago and swapped out my AM Futaba OFNA TX/RX which I never had a signal problem with in my T4 easily going many times further than I can with the DX2.0.

I'm just trying to figure out if anyone has experience with this prob and if it was a defective unit or needed a special setup I somehow overlooked. Very annoying, I can't even do GPS speed tests due to range problems. I have the problem no matter where I'm at and how well charged the battery is. I have to walk up to it and when I get to about 20 yards or so it picks back up the signal and acts as if I just turned it on. I do have them bound together. The RX it came bundled with is the SR3000. I don't see any damage to the antenna wire, the system was new from my LHS. There are no LOS issues and the places I've run it at are many miles apart so I don't see how there would be interference.

Thanks for any help!
       Post #: 1

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 1:08:55 AM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Here's a pic


< Message edited by Reseg -- 1/3/2008 1:09:10 AM >

(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 2

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 1:35:30 AM   
XJRichB



Posts: 150
Joined: 12/12/2007
From: Sparta, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Your wires look nice and neat...sickingly neat actually lol But that's a good thing! I know you bought it new, but from the looks of the dust on the truck, I would crack the case open on the receiver, and clean it out. Sometimes I get very limited range in my receivers when dirt and crap gets inside.

(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 3

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 4:04:32 AM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: XJRichB

Your wires look nice and neat...sickingly neat actually lol But that's a good thing! I know you bought it new, but from the looks of the dust on the truck, I would crack the case open on the receiver, and clean it out. Sometimes I get very limited range in my receivers when dirt and crap gets inside.



It's had this problem since it was first installed, but I'll try anything. I took it apart and cleaned it out:


So I moved the antenna to come out the side instead of the top and I'm sealing it up with RTV silicone now.

< Message edited by Reseg -- 1/12/2008 11:40:42 PM >

(in reply to XJRichB)
       Post #: 4

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 3:24:43 PM   
RCUSEE


 

Posts: 707
Joined: 5/25/2007
From: Berlin, GERMANY
Status: offline 		wrap a ballon around it... this way u dont need to clean your receiver after a bashrun.

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(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 5

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 3:59:10 PM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Unfortunately it still has crappy range. I will be standing in the middle of the road looking at it 1/2 block away in the middle of the street also with no signal...

Maybe I should try to use the external battery pack that takes 4 AA's for the receiver.

(in reply to RCUSEE)
       Post #: 6

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/3/2008 9:27:10 PM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I tried cleaning it again, rebinding it, relocating the receiver and antenna. There are no kinks in the antenna wire. I called Horizon Hobby support and went through everything I had done with them. They said it sounds like a defective unit. They want me to send in both the transmitter and receiver for them to look at. I was told to send it to the address in the manual for warranty work along with a copy of the sales receipt, my information, and the problem it's having. Turn around time is 3 business days they say.

So we shall see. Sorry if I annoy anyone talking to myself here lol, I'm going to update the thread as things move along just to document it for anyone who may have the same problem.

(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 7

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/4/2008 12:57:30 AM   
XJRichB



Posts: 150
Joined: 12/12/2007
From: Sparta, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		It's all good...hopefully they won't take too long and get your equipment back to you fast! Sounds like you might have just gotten a bad one.

(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 8

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/4/2008 3:29:14 AM   
Dokioto



Posts: 4309
Joined: 2/6/2006
From: Fairbanks, AK, USA
Status: offline 		I hope it was just defective (never heard of this problem), I hope to get one very soon.

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       Post #: 9

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/7/2008 3:36:23 AM   
TR762


 

Posts: 57
Joined: 12/19/2007
From: Savannah, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Please keep us posted on the outcome. I'm definitely interested in their customer service because I'm looking at one of their radios after tax season!

(in reply to Dokioto)
       Post #: 10

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/11/2008 10:37:51 PM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		OK, so I sent it off USPS Priority last Friday (Jan 4th) and just got it back today (11th). They returned it in a frozen hash brown box lol.

It had this note:

"I examined your DX2.0 transmitter and found it working normally. I updated the firmware in your SR3000 receiver and confirmed sensitivity, binding range(400 ft) and functions. If you and any further questions or concerns contact: Product Support, 877-504-0233 M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM"

So I immediately went to test it out. I installed it just as in the picture above http://www.adamalter.com/rc/dx2rx.jpg except the car is clean now lol. I stood in the middle of the street and slowly drove my T4 in the middle of the street away from me. I lost signal and paced it out, counting my steps, it was 52 steps which I'm guessing is around 50 yards.

I don't really know what to do at this point, my AM Futaba OFNA easily goes down the same street in the same RC car and goes forever without losing signal. I'd video it with the GPS on it to prove it if I thought it would help at all. Maybe I will take it back to my LHS and see if they will go out in the parking lot and see for themselves and call Horizon to verify.

< Message edited by Reseg -- 1/11/2008 10:40:29 PM >

(in reply to TR762)
       Post #: 11

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/12/2008 2:40:03 AM   
mtbkym01



Posts: 797
Joined: 4/10/2007
From: BrinsmeadQueensland, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		I had a problem with my DX2.0 when I bought it in that the throttle channel continually glitched. I returned it to Horizon from Australia, They returned a brand new unit in about 2 weeks. Was extremely satisfied with their service

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(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 12

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/12/2008 3:02:55 AM   
Reseg



Posts: 92
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I called them a lil after my last post and they were as usual seeming to want to help. They said it's possible they missed something while testing it. I asked them if they would like me to take my T4 to the LHS and see what they think. They said that would be great if I could. So I took my car to Hobby Town USA, they went out to the parking lot with me and I got about 70 or so yards in the wide open parking lot and lost signal until I walked back within 50 yards to pick it back up. They felt the install was fine and something was wrong with the DX2.0. So they're going to call Horizon on Monday and let them know they looked it over and can verify it has a range issue.

Spektrum themselves claims a 3,000ft range (1,000 yards, over 1/2 mile) reference: http://www.spektrumrc.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1423

I'm not even getting 1/10th of that lol, I'd be totally happy if I could get 1/4 of what it's rated for.

(in reply to mtbkym01)
       Post #: 13

RE: Spektrum DX2.0 range=50 yards ish (arrgh!) - 1/12/2008 3:44:33 AM   
nucular


 

Posts: 110
Joined: 11/23/2006
From: , IN, USA
Status: offline 		I have the same issue with a DX 3.0 - I get maybe 200 to 250 feet at most. I have 3 receivers all of which behave the same so I thought maybe it was the transmitter. I also have a Nomadio React that will bind to the Spektrum receivers - same deal, terrible range. The Nomadio will run out about as far as I can see. I even tried it at different locations thinking maybe there was something in my neighborhood that was messing with the signal. Now I think the Spektrum is just junk.

(in reply to Reseg)
       Post #: 14