Antenna surgery!!!

[anr2442]

Can a new antenna from a plain 2.4 ghz traxxas rx be used in a new traxxas link rx that i just ruined?

Anyone sell just the antennas?

It's only the antenna that is damaged. I tried the range and got about half of what it was getting. FoRgeT ThAT!

The antenna wire is not user-serviceable and cannot be replaced with plain wire. see my post below. --Pete

[streetdemon]

Just find a piece of wire that's the right length. Antenna wire isn't anything special really.

[anr2442]

But it has to have the silver thing on top i believe.

[Nitronaught]

As long as you are using the same guage wire and keeping it the same length you can replace it with regular wire.

[PeterV]

Thanks for jumping in guys, but it's actually a special coaxial wire, and you cannot substitute plain wire. This is true for all 2.4GHz systems. Even if you had the correct coaxial wire, removing and re-soldering it to the board is a very delicate operation that you really can't do by hand. It's soldered to two very small, very close spots on the board and very easy to overheat.

[anr2442]

When i took my receiver apart.... it has a very small "plug in" connection crimped onto the end. I actually just got traxxas to send me another one... hopefully it'll be the same kind of plug and play procedure.

[ernestmellis]

As long as you are using the same guage wire and keeping it the same length you can replace it with regular wire.

The 2.4Ghz. antenna is of a coaxial type wire meaning it is not one wire. It is a center wire surrounded by a ground, or shield wire braided around it. The ground, or shield wire stops at the metal piece and the center wire continues. Thus being tuned to Rx in the 2.4Ghz Freq. Range.

[jeffsonday]

I just got the 2.4ghz radio for my e-maxx 3905. But it doesnt give any instructions on how long the antenna tube should be and if it should be in the tube completely or if the excess should be folded over and then the cap be placed on. Anybody know?

[ernestmellis]

The tube on my Revo3.3(5309) is 3-1/4 inches long. The antenna sticks out of the top about an 1/8 of an inch and folds over the tip of the tube with a cap.

[Nitronaught]

The 2.4Ghz. antenna is of a coaxial type wire meaning it is not one wire. It is a center wire surrounded by a ground, or shield wire braided around it. The ground, or shield wire stops at the metal piece and the center wire continues. Thus being tuned to Rx in the 2.4Ghz Freq. Range.

If it is coaxial type shielded wire is not the antenna but the coax leading to the antenna, the metal piece at the end is the antenna.

If the wire is shielded then there is no way the center of the coaxial wire could receive a signal worth a darn..

My DX3 doesn't have any coaxial wire on the receiver just a little length of regular multi strand wire.... And it's 2.4 Ghz

[ernestmellis]

Ok! before we get into a "I'm smarter than you are contest". This is why the center wire continues past the metal piece and is why it doesn't have to be pulled through a foot of antenna tube. The outer wire acts as a ground plain heightening the Rx effect, or giving it ears as we call it in the radio world. It's all part of being 2.4Ghz. and is the whole Idea behind it. Better Rx, no antenna protruding out of your truck, higher frequency band=less interference. If you go with one long single wire like on the am you will be more susceptible to interference. Take the antenna out of your 2.4Ghz cordless phone and solder on a foot or whatever of simple stranded wire and see what happens.......

[Nitronaught]

I'm not trying to get into a smarter than contest, but the coax is just a way to carry a signal, is uses shielding to protect the signal it carries from being interfered with by ingress of other radio signals. Since it operates at a high frequency it uses a smaller meter band, and the antenna (metal part on the end) could be either 1/4 wave, 1/2 wave... I'd have to pull out my slide rule I've forgotten how to make an antenna but I'm pretty sure the Velocity (speed of light which is 186 million miles per second or 300 million meters per second) = frequency mutiplied by the wavelength. And that's how they figure out how long an antenna should be... Former amatuer Radio Operator......

[Nitronaught]

I went ahead and looked at the 2.4 receiver, that coax is definitely not intended to be user replaceable. Have to agree with PeterV.

Is it the coax (wire) or the tip that is damaged?

If it is the coax you might want to try a radio repair shop. I've worked with soldering coax, but that stuff is very tiny compared to what I have dealt with. A proper soldering knife and a solder pool is required to solder something that small. Too much heat and the insulation between the shield and the center conductor could break down and cause a short. I don't know what they would charge, may be more than buying a new receiver.

I also went ahead and looked at my DX3 radio and it has no coax, it is multi strand wire with 1 solder connection.

So all radios are not alike even if they operate on the same 2.4 ghz band.

[obxguy2000]

I just called traxxas about my antenna on my 5309. They said the antenna could not be replaced, mainly because there is not a replacement antenna available at this point. Traxxas did say that sometime in the future they had hoped to offer a plug and play type antenna since so many were needing to be replaced.

For some reason my recieve stopped picking up beyond 30ft. When I was taking the rx out to send it off to traxxas, I noticed the antenna wire had a tight kink just whereit lead into the tube. So I hope that is what is wrong.

Ernest, did the gray foam around your Rx come with your truck? Also, did the white wire sheild on your blue glow plug come stock? My truck does not have either of those! The insulation on my glow plug wire has alreay worn off in that same area and my Rx was just loose inside the box. Wonder if you have a newer version than mine and they made some revisions??

[ernestmellis]

Mine is a (5309) the latest one. I put the white heat shrink tubing on the blue wire after tearing the insulation removing it from the head protector. The foam I did my self also. I cut it out with a hobby knife to further protect the Rx after having the same trouble you are. Traxxas didn't tell me what the cause was they just replaced the Rx for me, but I think mine was like yours. It too had a pretty good kink in it and was stuck in there with two sided tape.

[obxguy2000]

Very smart and great idea! Sending my rx out today. Just hope it does not take 8 weeks to get mine back!

[mt14bball]

alright i have a question...i believe it is similar to what happened to the OP but im kinda a noob with the 2.4ghz...

so today the truck flipped...(naturally)...and landed back on its wheels and continued to tool around thinking nothing of it...
i noticed the antenna tube had slipped out so as i went to fix that i noticed that the white part of the antenna (very top) had ripped off right down to the metal tip...it doenst seem to be affecting the performance but i didnt really screw around with it much longer to test it out.

SOo my question is how bad is it if i just leave it as is with the metal tip being the highest point on the antenna?

[PeterV]

Range-test your car, and if you're happy with the range, go ahead and continue to use the radio system.

[mt14bball]

and if not, what are my options if i have any? beside buying a new receiver

[Nitro Chicken]

Traxxas has an extended service plan for all our electronics. You can send the receiver to us with $15 plus $5 shipping within the US and we will repair it or replace it.

[mt14bball]

excellent, thank you!