Major loss of signal
 

Been flying this plane for 5-6 flights with no radio problems whatsoever.
Switched engines because of a lack of power. Took it up for her test flight took off fine made my first turn climbed to about 40-50 feet and about 250 feet away when i lost complete control of her. Fast became a lawn dart until it was about 5 feet from hitting it's target when all control came back and quickly landed it.

Once it was down I tried a range check with the TX antenna down and got about 70 feet when I lost signal.
Using an older JR PCM radio.
Engine is magneto, no electronic. same as old engine.
Am using older Futaba servos s134's (giant scale)for the rudder and elevator and s128's for the ailerons and throttle.
Am using a 5 cell Nimh 2700ma for juice.

Batteries came right off the charger and are less than 3 months old

any ideas?

Nothing has changed except the different engine

RE: Major loss of signal
 

My bet goes to a bad on/off switch

RE: Major loss of signal
 

I would check your receiver antenna. We had a guy a couple months back that was having trouble in one area of the field. It turns out that his antenna wire was broken where it entered the case. He was getting a marginal signal other than when the plane was at the right attitiude over the "bad part" of the field.

I droped my 3d into our pond a few months back also. Just as I was rotating for take off, it did a hard right and went bouncing across the grass, tail high. I'm pulling full up and it won't change attitude. I cut the throttle and hit the kill and nothing for a second then the engine quit, the tail dropped and the plane went airborn and just cleared the barbed wire to drop into the pond right at waters edge. When I got it back to the bench, I turned on the reciver and started the engine to heat it up an clear any water that might have gotten in. I notice the volt watch was showing a red light. I had pulled the plane off an all night charge just an hour before. I got the plane back home and washed the mud off and turned on the radio again and solid red. After an hour letting it dry, I got it on the bench ready to pull it down and I turned on the switch again, and this time it showed full charge. I pulled the battery out and did a couple full cycles on it and couldn't find anything. I pulled the skin off and checked all the jumper tabs for a bad weld and all was well. I couldn't get any drop into the danger zone even stalling out a couple of servos at a time while running the servo test. I ditched the battery and the switch harness. Still don't know what it was, but those are about the only two possibilities.

Don

RE: Major loss of signal
 

There you go. That's not a very good distance for a range check. Especially since you did it after the crash and I assume without the engine running. The new engine could have any number of problems causing interference.

RE: Major loss of signal
 

yeah, I know. I would have started the engine and done that except I was in such a rush to get 'er back down that I landed too hot, shot off the end of the runway and when she hit the mud the gear kind of stuck but the plane continued......... will test once I make up a new set of gear.

I did check the engine to see if any of the rotating parts might be rubbing and causing metal to metal but nope. It does have a metal control rod for the throttle, but doesn't have electronic ignition.
As far as the battery switch goes, it was a brand new MPI heavy duty which now has to be replaced anyway as the landing gear took that out when she ripped loose

RE: Major loss of signal
 

If your throttle servo is back in the radio compartment and your engine is leaking RF, the metal control rod will carry it right back to your radio. I wouls suggest changing it out with a non-conductive setup.

I have actually had more problem with RF from Magneto engines than electronic.

Hope you get the problem worked out and the plane back in the air. Puulleease ground check it with the engine running at least half throttle before you fly it this time. ;)

RE: Major loss of signal
 

deleted my post.

RE: Major loss of signal
 

Did you do the range check with the engine running? If so, do it again without the engine running. If you get more range with the engine off, it may be noise from the ignition system or you may have some metal to metal contacts that are vibrating against each other. And , yes, it is best to use a nonconductive throttle push rod keep all your electonics as far back of the firewall as possible. If you find the cause, let us know please.