I need to increase the range of my retrevial boat. The Airtronics receiver antenna is only about 12" long. Would a longer antenna help ? Base loaded whip ? Any ideas ?

I was wondering about shortening my diy replaced antenna. I got my T-Maxx with radio problems and found the ant. was to short and the wire was broken inside the insulation so I googled 27mhz antenna and found 27 inches was about right. I soldered 27 inches of wire I had lying around to the reciver board and it fixed it. With the wire doubled over (see pics in my gallery) and full batteries I can drive out till my trucks a little speck on the horizon. I was kinda into shortwave radio and such and someone told me with radio signals the antenna should be a fraction (takes less space) or a multiple (better reception) of the given frequencies wavelength. 27 inches for 27mhz is 1:1 I guess. Try googleing your frequency to the Mhz and the word "antenna".

If the radio uses 27 Mhz and the antenna is too short, make it longer. How long? Whatever you can manage without doubling the wire back onto it's self. The 'bestest' way is to make it stand up straight, out of the hull. The higher the better. 'Course, that just depends on how much you don't care what it looks like, but much better range.

Something on the order of 27 inches has very little to do 'electrically' with 27 Mhz. One wave length at 27 Mhz is about 36 feet. A 1/2 wave is about 18 feet, and a 1/4 wave is about 9 feet (those steel whip thingies on the back of a CB'ers car, right?). The average 27 Mhz R/C antenna is something near 30 - 36 iinches. That's because that's a nice round number for the manufacturors, not really any electrical significance. A 'prefered' electrical length for an R/C receiver just isn't a 'biggy'. Definitely NOT true for a transmitter, though. As for using a receiving antenna with a 'load' or coil? Don't bother. Just getting it higher does much more.
- 'Doc

 I would like to extend the range of my rc electric boat  how can I do this  the recever and transmiter are 27 mhz, I only get about 150 feet out now I would like to get about 300 feet is there any easy answer or do I have to get a stronger transmiter or a stronger receiver  I would be really gratefull for any ideas or help- thanks

27" as no relation to 27Mhz at all, manufacturers tend to make their antenna as short as possible for ease of installation,specially for car use and making the antenna longer don't make it better
in any way since there is others factors in effect:
http://www.rc-cam.com/ant_exp.htm
Range at ground level is always less than while flying so you can't expect to have the same range as a plane on any frequency band. The antenna position is also very important (Tx and Rx)because
of the signal pattern. The Rx antenna works best when vertical and the Tx antenna should not be pointed at the model since the signal strength is minimal in that direction.