Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[john54]

Hi everybody
For the last four visits down the lake I have had nothing but radio problems I always do range tests 100 feet with a transmitter antenna down and make sure all the batteries are fully charged in the receivers and transmitters after a couple of minutes running the boats start behaving very erratically stopping and starting sticking on full throttle.  I always check to see whether anybody else is on the same frequency out of courtesy so no clashes there.
And a few other people have the same problem but not to the extent I have >:(
There are a number of houses and flats nearby I am beginning to wonder whether someone has an old a.m. CB radio and is playing silly buggers.
As all my radio gear is 27 a.m. and I can't really afford to replace it with 2.4 GHz or even 40mz at the moment I was wondering whether there is a solution to this?
I was so disheartened this morning after my manta ray stopped after going extremely well for a couple of minutes that I said whoever picks it up and keep the *horrible* thing then I went home I put a lot of time and effort into preparing my boats and a problem like this is really getting me down :(
Anyway sorry to be all doom and gloom but if anyone can help I will be grateful
I'm sorry about the poor grammar in this post because I am using a voice recognition system and trying to get used to it.

[Shipmate60]

Hi John,
I see you are not far from me, where do you sail?
Do the others sailing on 40 Meg have any problems?

Bob

[john54]

Hi Bob
I sail at canoe Lake at SouthSea normally on a Sunday morning I took three of my boats down there this morning the avenger,manta and the Cobra.  The manta and the Cobra both brushless so no motor interference the manta is the one I left down there because I was so frustrated I think there is only a couple of people down there who use 27 MHz due to changes in my circumstances(redundancy!) I now am not able to afford any replacement radios unless I sell one of my boats to finance it.
It is a shame about the manta because there was a mega-motors brushless system 80 amp speed control that will now be totally wrecked sorry to keep whingeing.
But I'm not too sure what to do next.

[Robert Davies]

Hi John,

It does sound horribly like external interference :(

We had a similar problem at our lake on the lower end of the 27mhz allocation. I dug out one of my radio scanners and setup a search across 27mhz, sure enough, cb'ers, or very heavily modulated voice traffic at the very least.

It doesn't matter whether they transmit on am, fm or sideband, if they get out with loads of power they'll swamp you with your 27mhz am system. Moving to fm would bring a significant improvement in your case due to the 'capture effect' of fm.  Cheapest best solution is probably a Futaba T2ER on 40mhz with the rj122 (I think, it's been a while sorry) receiver - still am but well away from other troublesome radio users - price? Typically 30 - 40 quid, sometimes *much* less on ebay.

-Rob

edit: You posted whilst I was typing - have you tried swapping radio systems between your boats? You said that the Manta was worst affected which indicates that you have others less or not affected.

[Shipmate60]

John,
have you had a chat to Alan or Neil in Frattons.
To see if they have experienced any problems.
Also they might be prepared to swap a 40 meg radio set out of one of the boats the shop is selling cheaply.
Dont give up just yet!!
Shame about the Manta for the brushless set up I would have given you aa 40 meg tranny and receiver from Howes!!!

Bob

[john54]

I do use Fratton models and I know Alan and Neil quite well I was talking to Alan about this the other day and he seemed to be in agreement with me that it might have been the receiver packs which have been replaced I think I have explored just about every avenue and now I think it's decision time I will have a look on eBay for some bargain 40 FM radio as for Alan and Neil I have never known such helpful gentlemen in any model shop anywhere they always seem to find time for anyone.

[Bunkerbarge]

I think anyone looking at upgrading radios nowadays should think very carefully about going 2.4. 

A complete set now is 99.00 pounds with additional recievers being about 50.00 pounds.  This is definately an investment you should consider even if it means selling a boat to fund it.  How much would you have sold the one you left for?

Going 2.4 does away with any interference problems and gives you complete piece of mind for many years to come.  No more crystal issues or pond side conflicts, while everyone else is arguing about how long someone has had a peg for you can happily sail away all morning with superb reliable reception.

If you boats mean that much to you, and mine certainly do, I would definately save up for a 2.4 set rather than go to 40 mhz now and then 2.4 in a few years time.

I now have two boats set up on the one radio, take them both to the pond and change over to which ever one I want to use, without even having to think about what anyone else is doing.  I will soon have two more boats on the same radio, it really is so convenient and easy.  You definately wouldn't regret saving up and buying yourself a 2.4 set.

[john54]

Very wise words and a good point well made I think that's what my decision is still have to be.
Thank you very much gentlemen  for the advice
Does anyone want a buy some 27 MHz radio gear going cheap (perfect working order )

[barriew]

If you do intend to go to 2.4Ghxz, take at look at Acoms - they have a 2 channel set out at £59 and I believe there is a 3 channel set coming at £69. You might be able to get them cheaper as you wont need the servos!
I saw the 2 channel set on Servo shop - link in the Trader Section I think.

Barrie

[funtimefrankie]

There used to be a radio interferance department in BT (GPO Telephones), I think it went to the Home Office, maybe it still exists somewhere. They had powers to investigate and check peoples' equipment.
If the department  exists and the interference is external they would find it.

Here you are Ofcom...

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/inter/

[roycv]

Hi John54, Do you run the receiver from the same battery as powers the electric motor, i.e. BEC?
I had a similar problem some years ago, and found that having a separate receiver battery cured the problem.
I guess that the motor under full power reduced the battery voltage to the BEC so that either it reduced the voltage to the radio part or simply cut off the voltage altogether.  Either of these would give the intermittent problems you have.
hope it is of some assistance,
Roy

[john54]

Hi Roy
Thanks for the reply I do use separate receiver packs in all of my boat is because I had the BEC problem before.
Two of my boats had speed controllers that do not have BEC anyway (brushless 80amp)
I have made up my mind the only way to go is 2.4 GHz because the more I think about it the more I am certain that it is radio interference is from an unknown source.  Because if I am down the lake at unusual times everything seems to work okay it's only on a Sunday which makes me think that somebody might have transmitter somewhere that is swamping all over 27 MHz I have been making enquiries as to the prices of 2.4 GHz and it seems to me that they vary from shop to shop.
Most of the systems can handle up to six channels all I need is 3channels maximum so basically I will be p a aying for facilities I will never use :(
Cheers
Fed up of Petersfield (John)

[OMK]

Dear fed up of Petersfield,

I'm going with the flow and tend to agree that the root cause of your problems may indeed be from external interference. But you mentioned that it only seems to occur on Sundays.... which could be a tell-tale clue as to where that interference might be coming from. You may well be correct in assuming it's caused by CB radio, but that doesn't explain why it only happens on the sabbath. Most all CB'ers don't usually stick to causing havoc on just one day of the week; they're quite capable of splattering the frequencies on ANY day of the week. So maybe you ought to look farther afield.
For instance, do you have a hospital near where you are? I only ask, because (dig this) the hospital around our way has one of those brain scanner machines. And guess what?.... they are only permitted to use the damn thing on..... yep.... Sundays. It radiates so much unwanted hash pretty much throughout the RF spectrum that it even causes ructions with their own pagers, etc. (Try listening to the shortwave band around here on a Sunday.... all you'll hear is something which sounds like a cross between white noise and that old Russian over-the-horizon frequency jammer).

You don't suppose your interference might be coming from a similar machine, do you?


By the by.....
Don't ask my why, but Spektrum 2.4GHz is still prone to the odd glitch whenever that scanner is on, but not even so much as a glitch, burp, squeak or fart happens to the FASST system.

[john54]

Hi Thanks a lot from the reply the nearest hospital with an MRI scanner I'm aware of is the Queen Alexander Hospital which is approximately 5 miles away from the lake but I believe this scanner is used virtually all of the time because I've been there myself !
I still think the only way around this is to go with my original idea. I used to be a CB enthusiast myself then I moved on to shortwave and sideband listening for a couple of years and believe me I know how busy the airwaves are 10 m in particular a very busy in that area. But never mind these things happen just have to put it down to experience.
Not so fed up of Petersfield (John)

[OMK]

Well, if you ever manage to trace that source of interference, I'd be interested to know where it came/comes from and all.

Don't feel too miffed about paying a load of £££ for channels you don't need. You might only need three just now, but those extra chans' will always be there for when you do. I mean, you're an ex 11m operator, right? That means you like to dabble with gizmos and gadgets, right again?
Just wait and see, because when you start dabbling with water canons, lighting, music, turrets, winches, etc, etc, that's when you'll soon realise that you wish you went for a 7-channel jobby.

Good luck.

[john54]

Wise words yet again since I joined this forum I can't think of one occasion when I have not got very useful advice
 on any subject  it is   certainly of pool of great knowledge

[funtimefrankie]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/inter/radio/293505/?itemid=300133