stinky17

Hi Guys. my 2.4gig radio is only good for a hundred meters of range... My new Cat Simrad does 75mph.... Thats 100mtrs every 3 seconds. Any ideas to get more range. Thanks. Its a Futaba 4pl.2.5.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

How far do you need to go? Most of the radio systems will take you out further than you can plainly see without losing sight of it or seeing what it's doing. A few of those have been tested to go up to 3/4 mile. If you're getting less then possibly the reception problem is elsewhere.
Yes, I also own a Futaba 4-PL 2.4 Gig and I seem to have plenty of range but I'm not trying for distance as I keep it well within eyesight.

goodson

Do you have the antenna exposed? From what I understand, FM can't go through carbon fiber, and will affect range. My Futaba 2.4 gives me a range farther than I'm even comfortable driving my boat because I can barely see it, and I've got young eyes.

Might also be a weak receiver battery?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

It's not just the amount of exposure, what you really have to watch is not to bend any of the top of the antenna as it's a coil of wire and easily be damaged which will in turn ruin the distance to which it can work. I mount my RX's on the radio box lid very close to the antenna tube to get as much as possible up and away from tuned pipes or carbon fiber.

qdemon

Hi firstly
make sure that both TX and RX antennas are polarized the same ie VERTICAL forget all the rubbish you may read about coiling up the reciver antenna in the radio box, Yes it does work but cuts down the range, take it from me im a full licenced radio ham that also happerns to transmit in the 2.4ghz ham band and have carried out more antenna testing than most people will ever know.

Be safe not sorry after the event, good idea to read Rons comment.

Bob.

Futaba 2.4Ghz User in all my boats.

stinky17

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses. Im not going for any great distance but she is pretty big (65 inch) so can be seen from a fair distance. Problem is when it gets out of range the fail safe kicks in (as it should). Had another boat with 75mhz set up and seem to get much longer range on the same pond.

Anyway, Guess I just have to keep her a bit closer.

cheers
Kieran

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Normally you should get a 1/4-mile range but it sounds like you're getting much less so look over your system from TX to RX.
Most of my education on radios was learned many years ago from CB radios but learned some also from a amateur radio operator that I worked with.

qdemon

Hi Kieren
A failsafe is another good point I dont know about the clubs you have over there in the states but over here at least at our club which is fairly small we only have about 20 active members its a mandaterery thing that if you run gas / nitro you run an external failsafe and all boats are checked that it works before the boat goes into the water.

Bob.