Receiver: antenna help

[wannarunem]

Today..more like just now..a buddy and i were bashing and everything was going great....when all of the sudden his clucthbell strips out. No big deal there...thats an easy fix. The problem is when i came in to pit i noticed that the antenna had wrapped around the dogbone!! It is completely pulled out of the receiver. Can this be fixed?

 

[Maxx Trooper]

i know of some people takin their reciever apart and resodering it back on, but i dont know how good it works, might limit the range.

it seems like once u finally get these nitro r/c's going somethin always goes wrong.

later

 

[Domination]

solder it back on to the reciever board

Dam ya beat me to it LOL

 

[wannarunem]

alright thanks guys!!!

 

[mattyk6]

I've soldered quite a few antennas back on. I've never noticed a degradation in performance.

Matt

 

[Alein]

If you have to. Goto your lhs and get a replacement antenna that can be soldered to the board. I am not sure but you might also be able to use a small gauged wire that is 24" long to do the job. Not sure if the wire requires any resistance in it.

 

[SokuShi]

soldering wont degrade range/quality, how do you think they attach it at the factory?

 

[Maxx Trooper]

Originally posted by SokuShi
soldering wont degrade range/quality, how do you think they attach it at the factory?

i have heard stories where guys have ripped there antennas in half, soldered them back together and they only had like a 10 Ft range.

later

 

[Rolex]

Originally posted by Maxx Trooper


i have heard stories where guys have ripped there antennas in half, soldered them back together and they only had like a 10 Ft range.

later

Then most likely they never realized that it had probably lost it's connection in the reciever also.

 

[GilBeQuick]

Be carefull when you resolder the wire to the board in your reciever. Use an iron with only 25 watts or so. If you put to much heat on your reciever you'll fry it.

 

[wannarunem]

A buddy is going to help me out tmorrow after work. Hes good at soldering...I've seen his work. Just hope he doesn't screw up this time..lol

Thank you all for the tips!!!....gave me some insight on what to watch for.

 

[Rolex]

Originally posted by GilBeQuick
Be carefull when you resolder the wire to the board in your reciever. Use an iron with only 25 watts or so. If you put to much heat on your reciever you'll fry it.

....and DON'T start soldering till the tip is up to full temp, and pre tinned. The longer you have to keep heat on it, the better your chances are of damaging the board or a component. Flux and tin the connection on the board and the end of the wire, let the connection on the board cool a minute, then solder them together.

 

[wannarunem]

Whats a good temp to solder with?

 

[Rolex]

I can't give you an exact temp, but for circuit board work I use a 30W iron. I dip it in flux, set it down, and wait for it to smoke off. Then I dip it in again and it will sizzle. Dip it again and it barely sizzles, tin it, and it's ready. I've done a lot of electronic soldering, and like most things, you just get used to the 'feel'. Use ONLY thin rosen core electronic solder. Don't think you can use plumber's solder just because that's all you could find.

 

[wannarunem]

Thanks Rolex....i appreciate it!!!

 

[lykan]

Did Rolex say flux? I have to agree I would definetaly use some flux...

I had a ton of problems till I learned to use Flux Pre flux things, and solder sticks well 100% of my soldering problems went away when I used flux. Funny how that greasy stuff makes a huge difference.

 

[Waste Land]

Originally posted by mattyk6
I've soldered quite a few antennas back on. I've never noticed a degradation in performance.

Matt

I've never noticed a degrade in performance when I resoldered mine on my storm. I went to Lowe's and bought some really thin wire, I'm thinking it was used for speaker wires because it came side by side and just put that in. Anyway, I had RS43Drifter hold my car as I ran with the remote testing the limits. My radi quipment was picking up fine I know at farther than 1/8 a mile and the servos were pulling strong. Maybe I should get video of this?

Originally posted by wannarunem
Whats a good temp to solder with?

Theres not a tempeture way to solder thigns really. My soldering irons at school have a LED that indicates when the iron is hot enough. The best way I can put this is, when you solder you want the iron hot so that it melts the solder/flux really well so that it will stick and hold better. My iron at home has no LED being so old(16 years) so I plugg it up come back in about 15 mins and get to work.

Originally posted by Rolex
I can't give you an exact temp, but for circuit board work I use a 30W iron. I dip it in flux, set it down, and wait for it to smoke off. Then I dip it in again and it will sizzle. Dip it again and it barely sizzles, tin it, and it's ready. I've done a lot of electronic soldering, and like most things, you just get used to the 'feel'. Use ONLY thin rosen core electronic solder. Don't think you can use plumber's solder just because that's all you could find.

Good info Rolex, but dont you think the Flux coated solder would be easier for a beginner? Not bashing ya, lol. Dont wanna come off wrong.

Originally posted by lykan
Did Rolex say flux? I have to agree I would definetaly use some flux...

I had a ton of problems till I learned to use Flux Pre flux things, and solder sticks well 100% of my soldering problems went away when I used flux. Funny how that greasy stuff makes a huge difference.

Flux. Yes only solder with FLux! Flux is a cleaning type liquid that melts hitting the area about to be soldered and cleaning it of impurities so they solder will hold easy. I've heard of people useing just Flux and then soldering. I use a Rosin Core solder thats coated in Flux, 6040, I'f I'm not mistaken. Another tip, if you can get some Desolder wire, lay it on top of the old wire that has old solder on it and suck it all up, that will increase connect too. Hope I helped some.

 

[Alein]

Wasteland not to bash you but solder doesn't have a coating of flux. The flux is actually located inside the center of the strand of solder.

 

[Waste Land]

Originally posted by Alein
Wasteland not to bash you but solder doesn't have a coating of flux. The flux is actually located inside the center of the strand of solder.

fiddlesticks I fill like an ass now, lol. Rosin Core!!!!!!!! damn I hate when I go against things I already know!

 

[Rolex]

For proper soldering, whether it's copper pipe or a wire connection, the joints being soldered must be 'physically' clean as well as 'chemically' clean. That's the reason pipe joints are sanded, then fluxed. The solder WANTS to flow to the area that has flux, and won't flow to a dirty surface. Even brand new copper pipe is dirty as far as soldering.
When I'm ready to solder a connection, the last dip in the flux leaves a drop hanging on the tip, and I run that hot drop along the end of the wire before putting solder to it.
It's just magic watching the solder flow in barely 2 seconds.
Keep the tip of the iron (soldering pencil) bright and shiny with solder. Rub the tip on a scrubby pad, flux it and coat it with solder. Everything is clean...Everything is ready, and Everything will solder together correctly.