Radio Range Question
01-15-2007, 10:55 PM
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Radio Range Question
I'm new to RC cars, but have been flying for 10+ years.
Can someone please tell me what kind of range I can expect with the 27 Mhz AM radio that came with my Mini T?
I could only go about 40 feet before I lost contact. I've since sent the radio to Losi service, this has to be a problem and not the norm(?)
What improvement would going to 75Mhz and/or going to FM give me? Range has never been an issue with my aircraft.
Can someone please tell me what kind of range I can expect with the 27 Mhz AM radio that came with my Mini T?
I could only go about 40 feet before I lost contact. I've since sent the radio to Losi service, this has to be a problem and not the norm(?)
What improvement would going to 75Mhz and/or going to FM give me? Range has never been an issue with my aircraft.
01-15-2007, 11:47 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
you will not have any problems with range with a 75Mhz Fm radio, but are you using your mini t indoors? when I had mine it gliched horribly indoors.
01-16-2007, 02:28 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
I run my 27 AM systems nearly out of site. It is a 1/10 scale model and good visibility and cannot see which way the vehicle is oriented
(that's how far it goes with no glitching)
(that's how far it goes with no glitching)
01-16-2007, 03:18 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
The stock Losi Electronics are terrible. I had the FM version of that transmitter (included with my Losi Mini-LST) and it would go about 100yards before glitching and acting terrible.
I'm not surprised that you're having similar issues with the even MORE cheaply assembled Mini-T RTR controller. Big thing is to make sure your antenna wires are oriented away from battery and motor leads, but really, you're not going to do much with the stock electronics.
I'm not surprised that you're having similar issues with the even MORE cheaply assembled Mini-T RTR controller. Big thing is to make sure your antenna wires are oriented away from battery and motor leads, but really, you're not going to do much with the stock electronics.
01-16-2007, 05:14 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
It's because of the junk electronics like hunter306 said. With the stock radio and receiver on my rc18mt I could get it out of sight before It would lose contact.
01-16-2007, 05:51 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
Thanks for the feedback, guys. But 40 feet??? Ive tried at four locations, with fresh batteries. Losi radios can't suck this bad. I'll see when the radio is returned. If I knew the electronics sucked, I would have gotten an ARR.
What about the Micro T? It's going to be used indoors a lot, and the electronics being so small are going to be trouble to upgrade.
What about the Micro T? It's going to be used indoors a lot, and the electronics being so small are going to be trouble to upgrade.
01-16-2007, 05:57 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
Are your 27Mhz AM systems made by Losi? Maybe (hopefully) there are a few bad Losi radios that people aren't bothering to have serviced.
01-16-2007, 06:42 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
ORIGINAL: rc18t145
The micro-t should be close to 20 or so feet. A longer antenna wire might help.
The micro-t should be close to 20 or so feet. A longer antenna wire might help.
01-17-2007, 11:28 AM
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RE: Radio Range Question
guys my micro t runs way further then 20 feet, at least 50-60 feet is what i get, and works fine inside no glitching, maybe they upgraded the micro t rx tx
01-17-2007, 03:27 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
Also your area may have alot AM interferance.Is your Tx for flying FM or AM?.Look for thangs like local AM anntennaes.I have a Mini T,but with my Vendetta I had issues till swapped my TX and RX with futaba FM stuff
01-17-2007, 04:10 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
I was considering a Micro T and I could live with 50 feet of range as I'll probably run it indoors for my cat's entertainment.
I realize that what I thought was a bargain (Mini T) is not at all. I'm disappointed in that the electronics are proprietary and I'll have to swap out everything.
I realize that what I thought was a bargain (Mini T) is not at all. I'm disappointed in that the electronics are proprietary and I'll have to swap out everything.
01-17-2007, 04:35 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
ORIGINAL: Taylor Shaw
If you put a longer antenna on your car double the length exactly or you will have less range then original.
ORIGINAL: rc18t145
The micro-t should be close to 20 or so feet. A longer antenna wire might help.
The micro-t should be close to 20 or so feet. A longer antenna wire might help.
why is that?
01-17-2007, 04:59 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
Antenna length has a direct relationship with frequency (how many cycles will pass a given point in a given time). There is an actual length of the electromagnetic wave (wavelength) travelling through space. A wire to be tuned to a particular frequency must be a proportional length of this wavelength. Your antenna will be sympathetic ( as in sympathetic vibrations), or resonant to this freq.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
01-17-2007, 08:06 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
ORIGINAL: clutchbob
Antenna length has a direct relationship with frequency (how many cycles will pass a given point in a given time). There is an actual length of the electromagnetic wave (wavelength) travelling through space. A wire to be tuned to a particular frequency must be a proportional length of this wavelength. Your antenna will be sympathetic ( as in sympathetic vibrations), or resonant to this freq.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
Antenna length has a direct relationship with frequency (how many cycles will pass a given point in a given time). There is an actual length of the electromagnetic wave (wavelength) travelling through space. A wire to be tuned to a particular frequency must be a proportional length of this wavelength. Your antenna will be sympathetic ( as in sympathetic vibrations), or resonant to this freq.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
01-18-2007, 03:14 PM
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RE: Radio Range Question
ORIGINAL: clutchbob
Antenna length has a direct relationship with frequency (how many cycles will pass a given point in a given time). There is an actual length of the electromagnetic wave (wavelength) travelling through space. A wire to be tuned to a particular frequency must be a proportional length of this wavelength. Your antenna will be sympathetic ( as in sympathetic vibrations), or resonant to this freq.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
Antenna length has a direct relationship with frequency (how many cycles will pass a given point in a given time). There is an actual length of the electromagnetic wave (wavelength) travelling through space. A wire to be tuned to a particular frequency must be a proportional length of this wavelength. Your antenna will be sympathetic ( as in sympathetic vibrations), or resonant to this freq.
Think of a guitar string. If you double the length, you still have the same note but an octave lower. If you halve it, you go an octave higher but you won't move as much air (lower volume). In much the same way, a shorter antenna won't pick up as much signal.
When you "tune" a radio to change stations, you are actually changing the length of a virtual antenna (tuner) inside your radio.
I think you could get away with adding a quarter or eighth of the length, but your range will suffer compared to doubling.
Thanks for the good explanation clutchbob.
