Futaba receiver antennas getting hot?

[Steve White]

If you've never had a radio box leak, you haven't been boating very long.

That's a fact. And if it doesn't develop a leak on it's own, a crash will fix that.

 

[Jeff Gebhardt]

Cool switch, I've seen guys use a magnet activated one too, any info on that?

no.. I know quite a few use them in Rocketry.. but thats all I got!

Grim

Here is a magnetic switch.
https://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/av-bay-components.html
I've used them on a few different rockets. Work very well but orientation matters when installing them. They also work through carbon fiber. But remember that even if the device it is controlling power to is off, the switch itself is constantly drawing a small bit of power. So don't leave them connected to a battery indefinitely.

Another option from rocketry is a WiFi enabled switch.
http://eggtimerrocketry.com/eggtimer-wifi-switch/
Have never used these so don't know much about them. Not sure what the current capability is. These come as a kit that you have to solder together yourself. However, there are several people who offer assembly services for Eggtimer products.

Jeff

 

[Tom Foley]

So whats the scoop on the 603 FF with long antennas ? Good setup ?

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

So whats the scoop on the 603 FF with long antennas ? Good setup ?

Tom, I had used both, the FF & the FS(dual antenna)
Short antennas, long antennas
I experienced 0 issues with any of them
Period!!

 

[Tom Foley]

Tom, I had used both, the FF & the FS(dual antenna)
Short antennas, long antennas
I experienced 0 issues with any of them
Period!!

Hoping for the same result this weekend ! I switched all the boats over . Bench tested only !

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Hoping for the same result this weekend ! I switched all the boats over . Bench tested only !

I think you'll be fine.
Your using a 3PK for TX?

 

[Tom Foley]

I think you'll be fine.
Your using a 3PK for TX?

Yes .

 

[Daniel's Racing]

[/QUOTE]

Hoping for the same result this weekend ! I switched all the boats over . Bench tested only !

Tom,
There is hardly a boat built that needs a long antenna. Simply put what is there straight up a antenna tube and your good.

It is coax so all new rules with how you treat it.

No running it up/out of the tube and folding it over and capping it. Do that once and you hav ruined the coax.

You cannot kink the coax at all. Nice smooth radius bends and away from linkages. Only the very tip of the antenna wire is doing anything the rest is just wire getting to that last inch that is the antenna section.

The reduced diameter at the end is where they remove the shielding from the wire to let the signal through to the last 1" of antenna core.

Forget any remote mounting style setups. The tube needs to come right into the radio box lid. Then best to put receiver to lid with Velcro right at antenna tube then everything g is up the tube and out of harms way as well as getting that last inch up high.

 

[Tom Foley]

Tom,
There is hardly a boat built that needs a long antenna. Simply put what is there straight up a antenna tube and your good.

It is coax so all new rules with how you treat it.

No running it up/out of the tube and folding it over and capping it. Do that once and you hav ruined the coax.

You cannot kink the coax at all. Nice smooth radius bends and away from linkages. Only the very tip of the antenna wire is doing anything the rest is just wire getting to that last inch that is the antenna section.

The reduced diameter at the end is where they remove the shielding from the wire to let the signal through to the last 1" of antenna core.

Forget any remote mounting style setups. The tube needs to come right into the radio box lid. Then best to put receiver to lid with Velcro right at antenna tube then everything g is up the tube and out of harms way as well as getting that last inch up high.
[/QUOTE]
With the exception of velcroing it to the lid all recievers are within an inch of the antenna tube itself . All have been fitted with the long antenna . we will find out tomorrow !

 

[Terry Keeley]

Tom,
There is hardly a boat built that needs a long antenna. Simply put what is there straight up a antenna tube and your good.

Several top level boaters were having issues at the Nitro Nats in Huntsville a few years ago, a factor rep from Futaba came out and recommended long antennas for all boats.

 

[Daniel's Racing]

Several top level boaters were having issues at the Nitro Nats in Huntsville a few years ago, a factor rep from Futaba came out and recommended long antennas for all boats.

Yea ok I will bet he did. To fix peoples setup that do not know how to run a fasst or 2.4GHZ antenna correctly.

He could have said you need that much wire to wrap it in a knot around the receiver first and you would believe that too ? Lol.

I can maybe see if you are trying to go max distance at some SAW event but not heat racing course bu if short antenna is setup correctly there would be zero benefit of longer wire antenna. If you got line of sight antenna to antenna and polarized the same you are good.

Thousands and thousands of racers have run for 10 -15-20 years now with 2.4GHZ half with antennas in the boxe and no one is losing control of the boats from loss of reception at every race they go to.

One race one guy loses signal(we think) and someone says he needs a long antenna so now everyone that runs 2.4ghz does. I do not think so.

That is because people do not put the entire length of the short antennas up the tube or they leave it laying in the box. You even see totally bizarre stuff like running 2.4 coax through side of box to remote mounted antenna tubes.
... and they wonder why they are having problems.

If it is up in the tube all the way the long antenna is doing nothing for you. It is the same antenna just longer trying to fix what isn't broke..

Way too many people leaving them in the box or receiver not at the antenna tube so yea if you need 8" of wire to find your way to your antenna tube I recommend long antennas too but otherwise they are 100% not necessary one iota. It is just more delicate coax wire to get damaged.

If the end of antenna is above the rest of the boat you are completely fine with the short antenna.

If it was needed I would be all over it but too much expirience without long antenna withy ZERO mishaps year after year after year. You couldn't pay me to run a long antenna.

You are actually losing signal through a longer wire.
As long as the stock factory antenna is all the way up the tube it will have at least the same or better range. A long as it is up enough for line of sight going to be no difference at all.

 

[Grimracer]

water is a challenge for 2.4.. the further away the coax from the water the better.. that's all.. just that simple regardless of who's 2.4 system you use.

Grim

 

[Daniel's Racing]

water is a challenge for 2.4.. the further away the coax from the water the better.. that's all.. just that simple regardless of who's 2.4 system you use.

Grim

Yes 2.4 don't like water. It sucks the oomph right outa the signal. We all heard of that.

Pretty sure if it is all up the tube your about 8" off the water. With long antenna you can get it to 12" above.
Thinking that the difference between 8" and 12" is not measurable.

If that was the case the diversity receivers would make no difference at all with the second internal antenna down in the hull so close to the water and even you swear you need that to get good range.

Because antennas are working just fine even down there too. Eh ?

 

[Terry Keeley]

Yea ok I will bet he did. To fix peoples setup that do not know how to run a fasst or 2.4GHZ antenna correctly.

He could have said you need that much wire to wrap it in a knot around the receiver first and you would believe that too ? Lol.

I can maybe see if you are trying to go max distance at some SAW event but not heat racing course bu if short antenna is setup correctly there would be zero benefit of longer wire antenna. If you got line of sight antenna to antenna and polarized the same you are good.

Thousands and thousands of racers have run for 10 -15-20 years now with 2.4GHZ half with antennas in the boxe and no one is losing control of the boats from loss of reception at every race they go to.

One race one guy loses signal(we think) and someone says he needs a long antenna so now everyone that runs 2.4ghz does. I do not think so.

That is because people do not put the entire length of the short antennas up the tube or they leave it laying in the box. You even see totally bizarre stuff like running 2.4 coax through side of box to remote mounted antenna tubes.
... and they wonder why they are having problems.

If it is up in the tube all the way the long antenna is doing nothing for you. It is the same antenna just longer trying to fix what isn't broke..

Way too many people leaving them in the box or receiver not at the antenna tube so yea if you need 8" of wire to find your way to your antenna tube I recommend long antennas too but otherwise they are 100% not necessary one iota. It is just more delicate coax wire to get damaged.

If the end of antenna is above the rest of the boat you are completely fine with the short antenna.

If it was needed I would be all over it but too much expirience without long antenna withy ZERO mishaps year after year after year. You couldn't pay me to run a long antenna.

You are actually losing signal through a longer wire.
As long as the stock factory antenna is all the way up the tube it will have at least the same or better range. A long as it is up enough for line of sight going to be no difference at all.

Never mind, not worth my time...

 

[Grimracer]

Never mind, not worth my time...

B I N G O!

 

[Don Ferrette]

I have sold thousands of wired locking switches over last 10 years and have no problems with vibration. That is all about how you wire them as the quality switch itself is highly resistant to vibration. That is why I only sell them wired. There is no way for wired connection to switch to fatigue and break.
They also sell the locking switch I use in double pole so you can have two contacts for wiring in parallel for redundancy but until I hear of the single contact failing and becoming a issue I am making te the same way as the last 10 years, Silver and gold contacts don't have the issue of cheap copper sliding contacts. Those oxidize and have issues.

Got any pics of theses switches? Do you do them with charging lead made in?

 

[Robert Dewater]

I wasn't thinking Vaseline... I use dielectric grease. And those extra big mouth balloons Timiya use to sell. I'd use them now if I could find them!

Ken

Rite aid has them, magnum me thinx lol

 

[Daniel's Racing]

Grim
[/QUOTE]

Never mind, not worth my time...

B I N G O!

Says the guy posting "over heated" antenna connectors. Lol. Comical.

We are here because of YOUR green oxidized connectors.

If it was necessary they would have two long wires on them from the factory. They put one short and one internal. From the factory design team not some yo yo rep that says marine needs long antenna.

They don't and it is straight up bull.

I have seen what people do with short antennas imagine giving them 4 more inches of wire to tear up.

Used to run in a lake that was 1/8 mile wide and 1/4 mile long and run the whole lake with a short antenna. You can literally not even see the boat at that distance. Your just driving a disturbance in the water. Never kicked a failsafe even. It would be impossible to race at those distances except a SAW run.

Been doing this since very first Futaba 2.4 GHZ came out 20 years ago and NEVER once had a boat that needed a longer antenna or was getting out of range.

The second antenna is in the case and is just as important but they don't even put a wire on it. Plugs in same way and you can put a second wired antenna. MUCH better mod is to just put a second wired antenna if you want to do something that could actually make a real difference.

Again. If you can put all the wire up a antenna tube you absolutely do not need a longer antenna. End of story.

Putting the long antenna on every receiver in every boat is an asinine waste of time. Just more delicate coax to get damaged is what you have.

Maybe do a range check to confirm any improvement,
There won't be if the short antenna was all the way up a tube compared to long antenna up a 4" longer tube. Zero difference whatsoever.




>>>>>>

Switches, Sorry I need to get better pics of them.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Grim

Says the guy posting "over heated" antenna connectors. Lol. Comical.

If it was necessary they would have two long wires on them from the factory. They put one short and one internal. From the factory design team not some yo yo rep that says marine needs long antenna.

They don't and it is straight up bull.

I have seen what people do with short antennas imagine giving them 4 more inches of wire to tear up.

Used to run in a lake that was 1/8 mile wide and 1/4 mile long and run the whole lake with a short antenna. You can literally not even see the boat at that distance. Your just driving a disturbance in the water. Never kicked a failsafe even. It would be impossible to race at those distances except a SAW run.

Again. If you can put all the wire up a antenna tube you absolutely do not need a longer antenna. End of story.

Putting the long antenna on every receiver in every boat is an asinine waste of time. Just more delicate coax to get damaged is what you have.

Maybe do a range check to confirm any improvement,
There won't be if the short antenna was all the way up a tube compared to long antenna up a 4" longer tube. Zero difference whatsoever.



>>>>>>

Switches, Sorry I need to get better pics of them.

[/QUOTE]
Daniel, don't you "pot" the soldered terminals prior to heat shrinking them?

 

[Tom Foley]

Well looks like my question is causing an uproar . Sorry Terry, didn't mean to disrupt your thread . Daniel, I guess I'll be labeled asinine then . My reasoning is I wanted to be sure I got my antenna as high as possible , kinda like a VHF radio antenna on a boat. Line of sight system so you want it as high as possible. No coax was harmed in the installation. At the race site now