FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

I have an FM 4 channel HiTec Laser 4 Radio, with a mini 65 Reciever and 3 HiTec HS-81 mini or micro servos.

Antenna Colapsed; range is 125 feet

Antenna extended; range is 450 feet
(but if u calculate an Altitude of about 100 feet high, while in flight, plus the 450 foot horizontal distance away, would that reduce the total 450 range? (im thinking a 450' horizontal range would be reduced if you take the plane 75' - 100' feet up)

Anyway, my question is, are the above Radio ranges normal...?, cause I keep loosing my signal or getting bad glitches during flight when my airplane reaches these particular distances from me.
Glitches or signal losses are bad enough to cause crashes, so Is my radio not operating at its full range?
How far should I be able to safely go ????????

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

It could be either the transmitter or the receiver sensitivity. I would have them both checked by a reputable R/C Service shop. Radio South is the one our club uses.

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

Could be, but what kind of range should I expect normally when flying..........?????

Tall Paul

I'm not familiiar with the Laser 4, but in-air range for most systems is beyond the distance you can see the model.
Any number of times I've collapsed the transmitter antenna to "ground check length" with the plane high in the air, and had NO problems with control.
The sole system I have found genuine range problems with is the LP5DSM transmitter that comes with the Eflite DX-2 helicopter.
The "LP" means "Low Power", and it is! At about 170', the helicopter loses the signal.
Putting the helicopter receiver in an airplane and using the LP5DSM transmitter, it too lfies out of range at 200 feet or so.
Changing to the DX-7 transmitter the range becomes "normal".. i.e. beyond visual control, with that receiver.
Check for a loose connection in the transmitter to the antenna.
I just fixed an intermittent problem on another guy's plane by removing the aftermarket antenna which had a very poor connection at the BNS connector.
Changing back to the factory antenna fixed that problem.

cyclops2

cheapest RC ranges should be well over 1000' with no trees or buildings in the flight area.

Your collapsed range is low compared to my HITEC's.

Check ...BOTH...crystals to be sure they are the same frequency. I had a wrong crystal freq. one time and went nuts for 1/2 hour with everything else fine. If not that, ship the TX & RX back to whoever.

Rich

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

"cheapest RC ranges should be well over 1000' with no trees or buildings in the flight area. " .....I thought so!
All my equipment is brand new, and this is the crapy range I get? Im returning it all!
Any suggestions on a good quality radio system?, I've had trouble with HiTec's before.

Tall Paul

When having problems (very few) with any Hitec equipment, I have had excellent service from Hitec, sometimes at no cost to myself.

whitecrest

Make sure your antenna is not bunched up in the plane impeding reception. Also, it might be worth checking the transmitter battery voltage. A low voltage there could possibly be the culprit. Something is definitely wrong if you're only getting a 400 foot range on the ground. Good luck with your trouble shooting.

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

That's what bugs me! The anntenna is laid out straight as an arrow, and there's a brand new battery with a full charge, its all brand new equipment, theres no reason for this nonsence!.....[:@]

Sure, I could simply dump the radio system and buy all brand new radio equipment, but im not too anxious to do that yet, because I already have two new planes with 2 new HiTec radios, both with the same short range problem, Could this be possible? Everytime I buy a new HiTec, theres a 50/50 chance it wont work right? This has happened to me a couple of times before in the past with a helicopter. the Hitec radio went bad after a couple of years, Then I purchased another new HiTec radio, and the new HiTec was Worse !!!.......[&:]

I would be more than happy to try a different radio brand, like Futaba or Airtronics or something else, but Im not sure if thoses other radio brands have receivers that would accept the HiTec style connectors of my present ESC or my installed HiTec Servos, Does anybody know?.......[&o]

Good Grief Charlie Brown, Uuuuuggggggg......[:@]

cyclops2

Reduce your blood pressure. CALL HITEC. Tell them what you are having problems with.
2 sets with the same problems, IS IS a bad same part in both sets.

Rich