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JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Old 09-06-2006, 11:18 PM
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mcjustis
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Default JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Here's the e-mail I sent to JR explaining the problems I've been having with my radio.



I purchased a 6102 radio in January of this year and am having problems. I had the problems when I purchased it I just didn't realize it was the radio at the time. I have been flying this radio with the original receiver it came with on FM ch. 50. I have never had so much as a glitch on the main receiver, but when I try to use another brand of receiver it doesn't work. When I use another receiver, I do a range check and get about 10 feetfrom the plane with the antenna collapsed and all the servos start erratically jittering. I have to get about three or four feet away for it to work again. It works ok with the antenna extended up to about 200 feet. I only had to lose two airplanes to figure out the problem. Here are the receivers I've had trouble with: Mikro designs SPF-5, two different GWS four channels, one GWS six channel, and an Airtronics 92777 (six channel). Each system I had problems with I switched out with the original JR receiver and had absolutely no problems. So, the only common thing I can find with all the problems I've had is the transmitter. I have also tried all the receivers with other radios and they worked perfectly. Do you have any ideas as to what might be causing this?
Thanks for your time,
Martin Justis



And Here's their reply...


Martin,

Thank you for your recent e-mail. Unfortunately we do not recommend using other brands with a JR radio than a JR receiver. If you like you can send in the transmitter for us to have a look at, but it is possible that it may have nothing to do with the transmitter and that the Tx is just no compatible with these other receivers. I do not know what off brands are compatible with the radio system, since we only test with our own receivers.
I hope you find this information useful. If you have any further questions, please reply to this email or give us a call at 877-504-0233.

Thanks,
Daniel
Product Support Team Member
Horizon Hobby Distributors
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign, IL 61822
877-504-0233
[email protected]




So does this sound like BS to you?? Anyone else have this problem with JR XP6102??
Thanks,
Martin
Old 09-06-2006, 11:52 PM
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bentgear
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

What part of it seems so strange to you? They offered to check out the transmitter to make sure it is up to specs.

Why would they guarantee that it would work with other brand receivers?

Ed M.
Old 09-07-2006, 12:26 AM
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mcjustis
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

I'm not saying they should guarantee it would work with other receivers, I was just wondering if anyone has had this problem when using other brand receivers with JR equipment. I'm only speaking for myself but I can't afford to plunk down $75 -$100 for an official JR rx for every plane I have. That's why I bought this radio in the first place to utilize the model memory. Maybe I'm just the only guy using off brand receivers here, right...Also why wouldn't the radio be compatible with an Airtronics receiver? That's another reason I bought JR since I had a bunch of Airtronics stuff already. So, my question still stands, anyone else have this trouble?
Martin
Old 09-07-2006, 06:34 AM
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pc55bomber
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Hi Martin

I am in OZ and we use the following receivers with our 2610(6102) and 9X (9303) radios (any JR radio) without any trouble at all:

Hitec single and dual conversion (hitec 555, RCD3500, electron range of receivers) basically any FM Hitec dual or single conversion rec.

Jeti Rex 7, Rex 5, and Rex 4. (The Rex 5 is a long range park reciever and the Rex 7 is full range) All single conversion and will work with any JR/graupner, Futaba or Hitec xtal. These are very good quality.

So I use JR radios exclusively and drive any brand of servo using the above receivers (and JR of Course). This is all OK when using PPM (FM) but is a different story when using PCM.

PCM usually requires like brand receivers.

I fly everything from gliders (aerotow, scale, electric and thermal) oldtimers, sport planes, scale and warbirds and never had any problems even at long long range.

Have not used any of the receivers you mention and never will. Use quality gear for quality results.
I hope this helps.

Cheers
Paul
Old 09-07-2006, 10:49 AM
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Mac_Man_UK
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Paul,

You have to take into consideration the fact that in the USA they have this +ve and -ve shift issue. JR Transmitters will never talk to Futaba receivers and vice versa, several other manufacturers have chosen "sides" (for want of a better word) and some manufacturers have receivers that have selectable shifts.

Martin,

Further to the above, there is a wealth of info on this site regarding shift and who supplies what, just have a quick browse or even use the search facility.

Old 09-07-2006, 11:20 AM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Martin,
I'm a bit mystified by your problem, obviously you are well aware of the shift issue and would well expect the positive shift receivers to work with your new JR tranny, by any chance have you tried using your old (Airtronics, I assume) tranny with the new Jr Rx to see what range you get? The only other thought is whether the JR Tx is a bit off frequency, only a repair facility can check that, one other thought, I assume (I've been doing that a lot lately) those other Rxs were always on ch 50, or have you been popping crystals??? good luck,
Pete
Old 09-07-2006, 11:05 PM
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mcjustis
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

There are no shift selection problems. All rx's have been used successfully on my Airtronics equipment with no problems. All but the Airtronics rx don't have a channel until you put in a crystal. The Airtronics was originally ch. 27. I did try switching the crystal on ch 27 (the Airtronics tx) into the JR rx and it didn't work with the Air tx and JR rx. I'm getting lost here...If I can't use anything but JR rx's fine, but surely someone is using other rx's without problems, right??
Old 09-08-2006, 04:19 AM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Silly question here, but are you using a GWS crystal for the GWS receivers, Airtronics for the Airtronics receiver, Mikro in the Mikro receiver OR are you using the JR Receiver Crystal for all of the receivers ?

If you are doing the latter, then I would imagine that thats the root of the problem.
Old 09-08-2006, 08:18 AM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

ORIGINAL: mcjustis

The Airtronics was originally ch. 27. I did try switching the crystal on ch 27 (the Airtronics tx) into the JR rx and it didn't work with the Air tx and JR rx. I'm getting lost here...If I can't use anything but JR rx's fine, but surely someone is using other rx's without problems, right??
There's your problem, first you must get proper ch 50 crystals for those old receivers you want to use, an Airtronics ch 50 dual conversion for the Airtronics rx and new ch 50 crystals for the other recivers based on whether they are dual or single conversion receivers. Good luck,
Pete

P.S. It's illegal to change Tx crystals without having the Tx retuned by a qualified service facility in the US
Old 09-08-2006, 07:14 PM
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mcjustis
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Perhaps this is a stupid question, but...All the receivers work just fine up to about ten feet with the antenna collapsed. That is all control surfaces work properly, all throws are set correctly and nothing buzzes or jitters. After ten feet kaboom, extreme servo movements on all channels, and if I continue to walk at about fifteen to twenty feet everything stops like there is absolutely no signal. With the antenna extended I can go about two hundred feet before the extreme jitters set in. Does this sound like a crystal problem? I'll be honest, I've been flying for a long time, but up until I bought this JR radio I never even touched the crystals. One tx for each plane. Thanks for you help guys.
Martin

Oh yeah, the GWS crystals were purchased with the rx's and were gws crystals. Same with the Mikro design it was purchased from them and they made no distinction about which radio brand it was for. The airtronics I bought a JR crystal on ch. 50.
Old 09-08-2006, 07:32 PM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

ORIGINAL: mcjustis

The airtronics I bought a JR crystal on ch. 50.
I don't think you can use a JR crystal in an Airtronics Rx, JR Rx are single conversion and your Airtronics is dual conversion, that won't work, single and dual conversion crystals are totally incompatible. You need an Airtronics dual conversion channel 50 crystal for that rx.
Pete
Old 11-30-2006, 09:57 AM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Pete, thanks for the great advice. I tried my JR cyrstal in an Airtronics RX for a plane I purchased on EBAY, and you're right, it won't pass a range check. I thought I had a bad RX - lucky for me I haven't taken the trash out yet.
Old 11-30-2006, 10:37 AM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Martin,
Mismatched crystal could be your problem, because this effects tuning and thus range. One interesting point is that Horizon sells and advertises these third party receivers on the site as JR comatible. How can the same company tell you that the receivers work with JR, and then tell you that they may not. We have a conflict of interest here. You can't have it both ways. It goes back to the idea, that when you mix brands of equipment, you are responsible for the result of the mix.

Dave
Old 11-30-2006, 12:33 PM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

Here's a PM quote from a tech at FMA I recieved. I was having problems using the FS8 with my JR 8103

"Also, our receivers are extremely narrow banded and will not tolerate your transmitter being too far off frequency. You will notice reduced range and glitching. The reason you do not see this in your stock receiver is that the receiver is opened up to tolerate the transmitter being off. "

I have since found a couple other problems that were actually causing my glitching. But I did check my trans freq with 3 different freq counters I have and it is off a bit. Sounds like the issue you are having.
Old 11-30-2006, 10:31 PM
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Default RE: JR radio problem, Horizon's 'help'

It sounds like the transmitter may be off frequency just enough to cause the poroblem.That doesn't explain the JR receiver working perfectly with it.Unless Jr tuned the transmitter and receiver to match each other.
This may sound like an odd suggestion,But1 FMA offers to "Tune' your transmitter for You (any brand),with proof of purchase of a receiver from them.If You were to buy an M5 receiver for $35 and the $5 crystal,You could get your transmitter tuned for free.If the problem proves not to be the transmitter frequency,they would discover that too.

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