Argess

I have a new FUTABA 2PL 75 MHz AM radio installed in an on-road 1/10 touring car. Every so often, the failsafe kicks in and the car won't respond. A moment or two later, it's fine. At first I thought it was out of range (weak signal), but then I noticed it can happen when I'm close by as well. Then I thought it might be a nearby VHF radio transmitter, so I changed locations to a more "rural location". Seems to occur the longer I run the car, as if the battery voltage was dropping and the failsafe kicked in. I have the failsafe (a Futaba FSU-2) set for the 4.8 voltage range (1 blink vs 2 blinks). I think the failsafe might be faulty, but am afraid to try the car without it in case I am wrong. I have made sure the batteries were freshly charged and even tried other batteries just in case. Before I invest in another failsafe, or send my RC gear back to the service center, has anybody seen this happen before, or have any idea about what's going on? Thank-you.

ps: one thng I havn't tried is using duracells (6 VDC) with the Failsafe still set for a 4.8 volt pack...just to see if the problem goes away.

Argess

Well.....so far I have elimated the batteries and the fail-safe as the problem. Seems to be outside interference. When I removed the fail-safe, the car had a mind of it's own, especially a little ways away where my signal would be less strong. It would accelerate, turn circles, etc. wihtout me doing it. So, another question....can the Futaba 2PL operate on 27Mhz crystals vs the 75MHz ones presently installed, or is that too much of a spread for the circuitry?

Argess

Silly me.....I checked and it appears there are different versions depending on which band you want. Odd that I get so much interference on such a tight bandwidth system that operates at 75MHz, while the no-name brand 27MHz AM radios that come with RTR's don't have this trouble. One would think that CB's would interfere with the 27MHz units and not the 75MHz ones. And VHF starts higher than 75Mhz......odd harmonics I suppose. Guess I will have to get a new system. I know the 2PL is only a cheap system, but I liked the features. Can't bring myself to buy another one at 27Mhz in case it is a receiver design flaw and the problem still exists. No doubt if I buy another brand, the circuitry is identical........LOL.

atv_motocross#38

Wow! Three long, good posts in a row and no replies. I just wanted to make a post to have atleast one other person on this thread. Maybe you should let me drive it to see whats the problem! LOL

BillS

On airplanes I set the throttle only to fail-safe. If a glitch occurs the throttle change lets me know.

Bill