Robert,
Indeed, it is common sense and testing that makes a successful 2.4 GHz implementation. I converted my first plane into 2.4GHz last Saturday and flew it on Sunday without any problems. I installed a JR AR9000 and a remote receiver in the pod of my Arrow DLG. Although, the installation was simple since I had a fiberglass pod to work with, I still used the "glitch counter" after the initial setup and the first few flights to ensure all was well. After that I stopped worrying about it and flew for the rest of the day. After spending three hours flying pretty much non-stop to extreme altitudes and distances (really wanted to know if it worked!), I had a few fades, tons of fun and the confidence that I would not be taken down by someone on the same channel if I were on my standard 72MHz frequency. Try it - you just may like it! ;) Regards, Joe From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 6:33 PM To: soaring@airage.com Subject: [RCSE] 2.4 install how to? Hi Robert, Installation is pretty simple, but ground range testing is important. Follow the instructions. My tips below are for JR systems with aux receivers (satelite receivers). In a DLG with a CF fuselage, simply poke the antenna through the sides of the fuselage. You mentioned Larry Jolly described his Blaster installation. I'm assuming he did something similar. For sailplanes with slip-on nose cones: Most, if not all nose cones are fiberglass (as is the fuselage forward of the aft edge of the nose cone). Put your receiver and aux receiver in the nose. Range check while walking a complete circle around the plane, looking for loss of signal. A logger is useful. For CF fuselages: Poke the main receiver antenna through the sides. Even if only half of each antenna protrudes, that should be fine. If you have a CF D-tube wing, you can place the aux receiver near the flap servo. I did this install with Joe Rodriguez's plane and it worked great (with good logger numbers). With a full CF wing: You can put the aux receiver in the nose and poke the antenna out. You can also mount it to the underside of the canopy and poke the antenna outside. I've heard you might still be able to place the aux receiver in the flap servo pocket since the CF is pretty thin, but I've never done this and don't have any info to back up this claim. Likewise, you might be able to mount the aux receiver in the fuselage, behind the tow hook, if the fuselage is a CF/kevlar weave (lots of RF "holes"). But again, I haven't tried this or taken any measurements or data points. In both these cases, the main receiver should still have its antenna poked out the sides of the fuselage. Keep in mind that the aux receiver usually does 75% of the work since the main receiver is often blocked in between the battery and servos. This becomes more of a factor for a fiberglass nose since the antenna will tend to be enclosed in the fuselage. A CF nose would have the antenna poked outside and be more "visible" to the transmitter from a nose-on or tail-on postion. I crammed everything into the nose on my Zenith and Eraser (both have FG nose cones and CF aft of the nose), and have had no problems. Small changes in antenna position can make a big difference in reception. Thats why it's important to do a good initial ground range check. Having a logger in place for the first few flights is helpful to confirm your range checks. Larry moved an aux receiver in his Danny by about an inch (it was in an obviously poor, but convenient, location) and that small move improved reception dramatically. The obvious good location would be in the fin since they are usually fiberglass above the stab. There is a limit to how long the aux reciever extension lead can be (I think its around 36 inches) which might preclude placing it in the fin. I believe the limit is due to voltage drop considerations. I might try a longer than recommended lead and see if there are any problems associated with that. Its not magic---just a little common sense and range checking. Hope this helps. Ben Clerx ************** It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)
