2006.01.21, 05:23 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17
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antenna help
ok one day i was driving my ol around when it flipped on my rug. how annoying is it when the stupid stock antenna gets caught on the rug?
i want somthing internal, but i dont wanna spend 20 bux on kyosho's internal, i tried making one out of speaker wire and it didnt work, no reception, tried again with old antenna wire from a sterio system, same problem. maybe cat5 wire will work, havnt tried yet. i see a lot of people with home made internal antennas, what kind of wire did u use? how did u make it, by wrapping around a screwdriver to curl it up? i have plenty on speaker wire and cat5 wirearound, but i dont know wat to use!!
thanks for the help
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2006.01.21, 05:43 PM
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#2
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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Mini Z Racer items. Scroll down, these antennas are a very good replacement for any Mini Z. They are not internal, but if you want good reception they work well. I have one on my custom Monster and have rolled it many times, the antenna still has no kinks in it. The way it's wrapped it don't have that ring that hooks carpet. It is longer than the stock antenna to boot.
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2006.01.22, 04:52 AM
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#3
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Shoot to thrill.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 163
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2 ideas
1. Take some wire cutters , and nip off the loop at the end.
2. Use a guitar string for an antenna , cut to size
You can use the E string (bottom E) that is very thin and will still give decent range.
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2006.01.22, 11:56 AM
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#4
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Rockin Da Z
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NL, Canada
Posts: 3,112
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I used some copper (not stranded) telephone wire. I twisted it around and around itself to double the length and made it about 4 feet long. You can fit it under almost any body and the reception is so much better than the stock antenna it's rediculous
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||| There comes a time in every hobbist's life when they are forced to remorgage their house. |||
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2006.01.22, 02:43 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 71
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I just used some random thin copper wire and cut it to exactly the length of the stock antenna and made it into a curl (much like a spring). Reception is more or less the same as stock, if not a bit better. Though I really want to try making it longer, see what it does, lol.
__________________
Isuzu Vehicross Overland, internal antenna, completely stock otherwise
Iwaver 02, minor tweaks.
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2006.01.22, 03:54 PM
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#6
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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A longer antenna is better (range wise) than the stock sized one, even one inch longer seems to help a bunch. An internal one will need to start even longer than that, before you roll it up. I would not nip off the top end, better to get some type of rubberizing stuff to coat the stock one with. I did my AWD antenna that way with liquid electrical tape. It keeps the carpet fibers from catching that loop, not that it is a problem anyway in this case.
I also have made a no cost antenna from these wires I have collected from toy packages. Some of these are thicker than others. I usualy fold the top end over for a blunt end. Then strip off a little part of the bottom end, and bend a hook to fit the screw.
1. these flex when you roll over, you will have to straighten it back out
2. these have a jacket on them, so that you don't short out something on the chassis.
3. for racers where you need different bends for different bodies, just rebend it simple.
Last edited by HammerZ; 2006.01.22 at 04:22 PM.
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2006.01.22, 05:34 PM
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#7
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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I was looking for an image... but I guess I lost it.
I usualy use the red motor winding wire... found on the motor armatures (only I get it in the spool not from a motor). I usualy take a piece of clear lexan, or the plastic that comes aroudn the autoscales (not the display case but the shipping/packaging cover). and wrap the antenna in a zig zag up the strip... going in a circle is counter productive.. the antenna must never fold back upon itself or that is sor tof like endign the antenna, and shortening it by the amount you fold back...
so /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ is ok but dont spool it.. coiling it like a spring is also ok so long as you dont double it up. as long as its constantly making progress away from the base screw.. it should be ok...
I will have to make a new one and take some photos of it...
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2006.01.23, 10:44 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 1,114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twenty-Se7en
I used some copper (not stranded) telephone wire. I twisted it around and around itself to double the length and made it about 4 feet long. You can fit it under almost any body and the reception is so much better than the stock antenna it's rediculous
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Do you have a picture of this?
I'm glad this topic has come up again. I've been looking for good inner antenna solutions that are an alternative to the Kyosho Internal.
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2006.01.23, 12:26 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17
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i have a heap of phone wire and im almost sure some of it is copper so ill try that
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2006.01.23, 12:46 PM
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#10
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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I just whipped this up for a photo last night...
This can have good/moderate/acceptable results, or it can totaly suck... it will never work better than stock, and may not even work as good.
Not the best antenna (the stock arial is better for long range reception)...
I did this fast, and sloppy, and its kinda too big, and it didnt even work all that well... but it likely isnt working well because i have a really poor connection from the red wire to the lead wire to the reciever...
I saw some one else do this in another photo on a larger car... I just copied it when I went to fix some ones car one day and it happen to work great on his, in his case it even worked better than stock... but that was because the red wire was soldered directly to the electronics in the car .
I am going to try a COIL next.. like I put in all my bitcharG's... see if that works better... boy its been a while since I experimented with antennas lol...
Its also a good idea to mount it away from the motor not right on top of it as I did LOL...
Last edited by Draconious; 2006.01.23 at 12:48 PM.
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2006.01.23, 11:14 PM
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#11
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Master of Thrash
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 4,980
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This is a tiny detail that some overlook, even I didn't think it mattered much. Anyway do you use that washer to screw the antenna to the tab? In the past I have tried it without that washer, and I did get a weak signal to the car. The washer allows for a solid connection that eliminates the noise a loose connection can make. You can also clean that tab with a pencil eraser as well.
I also think the stock antenna is the minimum length required for the recever. So anything longer would give you better range.
Testing the range, I install the transmitter antenna. Leave it in the down position, and turn on the transmitter. Now holding the chassis in your hand with the wheels free to spin or what ever, turn on the car (this is assuming you have the car antenna installed already). With the transmitter check that it is working, then set the transmitter down and walk away with the car in your hand. The farther you can walk away from the transmitter without the car spazing out the better. I have done this with all my cars, and have found out that the tiniest things can make a big difference in range. If you have the range set right you should be able to drive these things out of sight. Hope this helps.
Last edited by HammerZ; 2006.01.23 at 11:20 PM.
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2006.01.24, 08:13 PM
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#12
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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This worked much better... so this will be the one I will try at the next race...
Although it may have worked better because I made a better connector for it, I just looped the wire at the end, and put a bead of solder over it, smashed the solder flat while it was cool but warm... and then used razor blade to pop a hole through it for the screw... I alsocleaned the cars tab off with some conductive switch/lube cleaner... I actualy was able to walk up to my fridge down stairs with the transmitter up in my room... and usualy I get glitch madness near the fridge I only got one big jolt here and there... it was actualy better than the stock . So.. screw my other idea LOL.
Last edited by Draconious; 2006.01.24 at 08:15 PM.
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2006.02.03, 08:30 AM
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#13
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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Ok as I was at the track setting up my car to test the previous antenna... the stupid wire broke, I guess i nicked it with the razor and weakened it, because ive never had this stuff break by twisting it, and ive intensionaly tried, have to really abuse it...
Anyway... if the first attempt fails do it better the next time...
I also converted all of my epochs this way...
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