RX bargain

[jonryan]

...currently at £24.99 from Hurricane Models and Sussex Model Centre

[buster prop]

Thanks for the tip, just ordered two of them from S M C.

[Brian Cooper]

These AR610 receivers are great. . I have been using three of them for months and they have proved to be 100% reliable (on DSMX) and have loads of range. . In a real life range check -- not the usual 30 paces routine -- I managed almost a mile of ground range in direct line-of-sight and with the model and Tx both about 5ft off the ground. . . I couldn't go any further because I ran out of open space.

In tests, you get more range if you place the amplified aerial vertically on the outside the model in free air.

B.C.

[Andy.I]

Which is the amplified aerial Brian?

[Brian Cooper]

Posted by Andy.I on 02/03/2016 08:55:43:

Which is the amplified aerial Brian?

The receiver has two aerials. One is short and other one is long. . The long one has the amplifier in it. . The amplifier is a "lump" in the wire, so it will be fairly obvious when you see it.

B.C.

[BOB Tucker]

TJD Models also have them at £21.99

[Andy.I]

Posted by Brian Cooper on 02/03/2016 09:48:40:

Posted by Andy.I on 02/03/2016 08:55:43:

Which is the amplified aerial Brian?

The receiver has two aerials. One is short and other one is long. . The long one has the amplifier in it. . The amplifier is a "lump" in the wire, so it will be fairly obvious when you see it.

B.C.

Thanks Brian - that's what I suspected but I couldn't quite belive such a small "lump" was actually an amplifier!

This now leads me to question why just one antenna is amplified and the other not?

Something else which confuses me about many Spektrum receivers is why do they have antennae opposed at 180 degrees rather than 90 degrees?

[Lee D 1]

Something else which confuses me about many Spektrum receivers is why do they have antennae opposed at 180 degrees rather than 90 degrees

The Spektrum receivers and Satellite receivers have a dipole configuration, so one of the antennas is active and the opposite one (at 180 deg) is a ground plane. So both antennas are effectively one antennae.

Your other Spectrum receivers need to be at 90 deg as usual.

[Andy.I]

Thanks Lee, I'm starting to learn something here!

However, not all Rxs have dipole configurations - among Spetrum, Orange and Lemon you can see:

1. monopole (if that's the right term for a single antenna)

2. dipole (as you explain)

3. dual monopole (antennae at 90 degrees)

4. dual dipole (ie dipole with satellite)

3. multiple dipole (ie dipole wityh multiple satellites)

Am I correct in assuming that this list is in order of sensitivity, reliability etc?

This just leaves the question as to why should a dual monopole Rx (eg AR410 or AR610) have one amplified antenna and one unamplified?

[Frank Skilbeck]

Posted by Andy.I on 12/03/2016 08:00:39:

This just leaves the question as to why should a dual monopole Rx (eg AR410 or AR610) have one amplified antenna and one unamplified?

I'm no expert but they could be both amplified, just that the shorter aerial is directly connected to the board with no coax section so the amplifier is there. On the longer one the amplifier is at the end of the coax right by the active portion, this will amplify the signal before any losses in the coax section. Or the amplifier is to overcome the losses in the coax to balance the strength signal from both sections, so the Rx picks the correct one.

You will note that most Rxs that have two aerials that they are the same length on this one they aren't hence they use a small amplifier at the end of one to bring than back into "balance"

[Andy.I]

Ah, in short they are either (i) both amplified or (ii) the one on the lead needs to be amplified. I suppose that makes sense.