Antares100

My Feedback: (12)

Although Ilove to build, my spare time is quite short, so I bought an ARF Bird of Time. I have heard that fiberglass fuselages block 2.4 GHz signals. Just want to know if anybody knows more about this, as my main radio is a Futaba 2.4GHz 6EX. The fiberglas on the BOT is quite thin, but beforeI hit the high start, I would like more information. Thanks in advance!

BMatthews

If you check into the reports more deeply I think you'll find that the issue is with carbon fiber used in connection with the usual glass fiber cloth to provide reinforcing. The carbon is conductive and it is the carbon that produces the issues with the transfer of the RF signal through the fuselage skin. If your BoT fuselage is just plain glass cloth or glass cloth with some kevlar cloth with resin there shouldn't be any issue with internal antennas.

Antares100

My Feedback: (12)

    OK, great. The fuse on the ARF is fiberglass, no carbon fiber. Thanks for your help, BMatthews!

Louis9624

I am planning on building a carbon fiber glider, so, with the Futaba 2.4 GHz, if the material, which does not have any fiberglass or kevlar mixed with it, will give me problems, should I leave the two small antenna wires outside the sructure?

sylvie369

The carbon fiber itself is what attenuates the RF signals, so if your glider's fuselage is made of CF, you will need to get the antenna outside somehow. Of course ground testing for range will be important, and reassuring.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I have a carbon composite fuse with a Futaba FAAST reciever. I drilled a hole on each side of the fuse, stuck the antennas out through the hole and clear taped it to the side.

Extensive range testing showed no problems. Flying to the edge of where you can see it, no problems.