Buzykid

My Feedback: (2)

I just dorked one of my park flyers and the antenna wire to my GWS Pico receiver got cut by the prop. Can I extend the the wire with a similar gauge wire, I know I have seen antenna extensions before, light weight whippie things on smaller helicopters. Any ideas and help is appreciated?

Thanks,

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

If this is a 72Mhz receiver antenna, you can just rejoin the antenna and solder it or you can get a new antenna, at your LHS, and solder it directly to the Rx PC Board. I would choose the latter.

Zor

Buzykid

BuschBarber has lots of experience soldering on timy PCboards so he would choose the latter.

You would need a proper soldering iron and and a proper tip for this kind of soldering.

It is lots easier to simply solder on the remaining wire and make the antenna the same length as it was.

If you have the wire piece that was cut off you can use it.
The overall length being 1/2" inch shorter will make no difference and you do not risk damaging the tiny PCboard.

Zor

378

My Feedback: (4)

I'm currently running a receiver in my NTC3 that's minus about three inches of antenna. I have no range issues whatsoever. I can still drive out far enough to lose track of which end of the car is pointed at me and still have 100% solid control over it. I've been running this receiver for six years now, and I believe the crash that damaged the wire happened three or four years ago. It's been like that for quite a while.


My advice is to range check it. If it passes range check don't sweat it. Sometimes the receiver just doesn't care. If it fails then you'll have to fix it, as sometimes they do care.

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

It is a good idea to Range Check the radio anyway, but it is still imperative that you fix or replace the antenna. If you were to hit someone or damage property and it was known that you were driving and RC vehicle with a compromised antenna, you could be in hot water legally and casts a shadow on anyone else in the hobby. When someone has an accident, the lawyers look at everything. Even someone standing by helping you is liable. I know this is gloom and doom talk but I assure you it does happen.

378

My Feedback: (4)

The lawyers will find a way even if everything is 100% perfect. You can't sneeze in this country without someone wanting a settlement. Besides you can argue that you tested the receiver with the shortened antenna and found it to still function as originally made, which would negate any claim the lawyer might have. Besides anyone who sues because they got bopped by a park flyer is looking for a lawsuit in the first place. Those things are about as dangerous as a kitten. Sure it may sting for a few moments but it isn't going to injure.

Call me what you want but I'm not going to attack a perfectly good receiver that I've tested to function perfectly with a soldering iron and potentially cook it because it's missing three inches of wire it apparently didn't need in the first place. I don't think OP should either. If it passes a range check then there's no reason to tear it apart and replace the antenna. It'd be like replacing a perfectly functional alternator on a car because the casing is corroded.

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

If you don't want to attempt to solder a new antenna, I can understand, but at least repair the existing one.

I fly aircraft, not ground vehicles. For us, a crash can be costly. If we do have a crash, we would rather it not be caused by something we could have prevented.

I belong the the Academy of Model Aeronautics. We are insured for 2 million dollars against personal injury to other people and their property. The AMA president is a personal friend and he has told us stories about many of the lawsuits, frivolous and otherwise, brought against the AMA, by persons in attendance at AMA Sanctioned Flying Sites and Events.

Don't use compromised radio gear.

Zor

Hello all readers,

We can hardly compare ground vehicles with flying aircraft (airplane or helicoper) in terms of damage caused and liabilities.

What can a ground vehicle hit ?
A post in the ground (fencepost, telephone post, flag pole ___) ?
The tires of a parked automobile or truck ?
A building foundation ?
A cellar window at ground level ?
Perhaps you can think of other things else than humans.

If a human is hit it is likely to be at foot or lower leg level and not be very serious injury if any injury at all.

What can an aircraft hit ?
An aircraft can hit at ground level and any level above ground.
An aircraft if an airplane is likely coming in at high speed ( 20 to over 100 mph) and is coming in with a 2 or 3 or 4 cutting knives (read propeller blades) turning at 2,000 to 16,000 (or more) revolutions per minute with up to 3 or more horse power driving it.

If a helicopter the rotor blades can hit and cause much damage.

If or when you loose control of such a vehicle, you do not know where it will hit. All you know is that it will hit somewhere. Hopefully it will not be a human but it can cause much damage to property.

_____

iring an antenna is not a difficult job but I cannot think of a suitable way else than do some soldering.

I do not know but perhaps some local hobby store do stock some precut antennas. I have seen electrical wires on spools sold by the foot or inch (meters or centimeters). It would need soldering either way and cut to proper length.

_____

a legal suit must first show that there exist a valid reason for a suit.

To my knowlege (correct or not), in the USA, anyone can sue without first showing valid grounds (valid reason) for suing. Of course expenses are incured for the legal proceedings and who knows the end results ?

Many times the truth and real facts take second place to the desire for money.

_____

fix your equipment or get someone to do it if you cannot do it yourself.

Also remember that the recommended "range check" is a compromise and often not done as recommended.

Personally, the way I read those recommendations, I think itis not the best way to make a range check. That is a different subject.

Zor

mudbucket72

im shure your local hobby shop (if its like mine)   would gladly solder a new one on for a few $

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

In the US, spectators sue the AMA even when they are frightened by someone's actions. They do not always win, but you have to pay a lawyer to defend yourself.

I have seen RC cars and boats hit rocks at high speed and leap into the air. I do not want to get into an argument about what can or cannot happen.

All I am saying is if you operate any RC vehicle or aircraft when you know that the radio is compromised, you put everyone in the RC hobby at risk of losing their right to fly or drive their model.

Right now, in the US, our government wants to lump RC Model Aircraft into the same category as Commercial UAV's. These proposed rules could shut down 50% of the flying fields across the country and end any events near any airports. If we have accidents that demonstrate we cannot operate our models safely, it will just make the governments decision easier.

378

My Feedback: (4)

I'm well aware of what ya'll are saying but that's going under the assumption that the radio is actually compromised, which mine is not. That's why I told the OP to range check it. If it works out as far as it did before the tip got nipped it isn't compromised.


Oh, and you don't think cars can cause damage? What about a runaway touring car causing some idiot to swerve across the double yellow and have a headon crash? What about it kicking up into the air and popping someone in the throat? I'd say if anything cars are more dangerous because they're much smaller, much harder to hear, change directions much faster, and the electrics are far quieter.

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

I agree that RC cars and boats can get airborn. That was someone else who said it was unlikely to happen. Park Flyers can even break the skin with their propellers or poke out an eye.

Any shortening of the antenna will reduce the range of your radio. I suppose that with RC cars and boats, you are unlikely to exceed the range you equipment provides, so if you lose some range due to a clipped antenna, you will still be within a range that allows you to keep the vehicle in control. Still, it is so much easier and safer to fix the antenna, even if it just means soldering on a piece of antenna wire to make the antenna the proper length.

If you move to 2.4Ghz, the antennas are so short it is not as likely to be broken.

Zor

On the 72 Mhz band the antenna is 39 inches from the receiver case to the end (give or take one inch).

On land vehicles using the 75 Mhz band the antennas are usually much shorter for convenience and the fact of much shorter range requirement.

These shorter antennas are made resonant by the use of receiver input impedance matching circuit. It is still important to have the original length.

I did not notice that anyone said that ground vehicle cannot get airborne. They often do by the fact that racing tracks are often built with promontories for that very purpose. They rarely will exceed a couple of feet off the ground and are usually oriented that the vehicle is not moving in the direction of observers.

It all makes sense to me.

Zor