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antenna question

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spm33x1033

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I have a problem about my maxx, duh! but anyway my reciever antenna has broken at the rubber grommet in the reciever box. So, I need a new antenna, I already know how to replace and solder it. but I am still wondering what wire to use. I called traxxas, they said any strended wire, 24 inches(I know this for sure)

(and i think they said) 22 gauge. they also said that copper wire would be fine. the stock wire is nickel/silver. I have heard that copper wire is more prone to interference. is this true? I have speager wire that is 24 gauge and copper-stranded. would this work? I was just hoping to save my self a trip to home depot. But if i have to it is only 10 minutes away. Thanks in advance guys! :cheers:
 
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I'm using a piece of an AM receiver antenna that I had laying around. It's one of those antenna's that come with pretty much any audio receiver (entertainment system) that has about 6 feet of wire wrapped around a plastic hoop. Now I have 6 feet of antenna wire in case I mess it up again.
 
spm33x1033 said:
what's AWG?
and is copper ok? (read above)
Click to expand...
American Wire Gauge. It is the thickness in wire. I recommend tinning the wire and the surface to be soldered. USE NO CLEAN and if possible spray it with some electronic spray. I beleive denatired alcohol will work but you will need to blow it off with compressed air.
 
jon2 said:
American Wire Gauge. It is the thickness in wire. I recommend tinning the wire and the surface to be soldered. USE NO CLEAN and if possible spray it with some electronic spray. I beleive denatired alcohol will work but you will need to blow it off with compressed air.
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thanks jon2, but do you know if copper is ok ? I have heard that it is prone to cb and other radio intereference. The stock is nickel/silver.
READ ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
 
spm33x1033 said:
thanks jon2, but do you know if copper is ok ? I have heard that it is prone to cb and other radio intereference. The stock is nickel/silver.
READ ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use that as it is not as forgiving to cold weather. The insulation is not all that great. I would use the stock material.
 
Copper wire is not more prone to interferance. I've built alot of antennas in my day, for CB radio, Ham radio, short wave, even garage door openers. I think I pretty much have this theory stuff down pat. Any wire that is flexible enough will be fine.
 
12RPilot said:
Copper wire is not more prone to interferance. I've built alot of antennas in my day, for CB radio, Ham radio, short wave, even garage door openers. I think I pretty much have this theory stuff down pat. Any wire that is flexible enough will be fine.
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Hmm Copper tends to tarnish faster. I have tested copper cabling in transmission and tarnishing WILL affect strength in transmission. I have tested cabling from RG-6 solid conductor to RG-213 and so on. Simple plain cabling is the harshest when placing it against different weather conditions.
Use the copper if you like. I use what I know works best.
 
I meant any insulated flexible wire. Sorry if I wasn't clear. If anyone is interested, I'll gladly expose various types of wire to the elements and see if there is any difference in reception range. Of course, it will take many months to see any change so we'll have to be patient.
 
12RPilot said:
I meant any insulated flexible wire. Sorry if I wasn't clear. If anyone is interested, I'll gladly expose various types of wire to the elements and see if there is any difference in reception range. Of course, it will take many months to see any change so we'll have to be patient.
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Ok this seems to be an arguement has been left to be desired to continue. Decide which you will. I do what I do due to knowledge. No need to be suttle in sarcasm
 
No, no, no. This all came across wrong!! While we may not agree, perhaps I just don't understand your point. I'm too new at this hobby to be maiking enemies.
 
12RPilot said:
No, no, no. This all came across wrong!! While we may not agree, perhaps I just don't understand your point. I'm too new at this hobby to be maiking enemies.
Click to expand...
Ok Lets start over again as I am not into negative things. I test all kinds of cabling and different tyoes of wires and cellular and wireless applications. I k now that the wire used will be affected in certain applications and weather conditions. Some may see an adverse effect and some may not. Hardcore bashers more than likely but with time of course. Its not an instant defect. All things pretty much degrade. Hope that clears this up.
 
Hmmm. OK, here is my two cents. My other hobby is model trains. We now have DCC, which stands for Digital Command Control, or basically we can control multiple train locomotives on a single track at various speeds or use special effects directed at one, some, or all the locomotives. This is done by using digitally encoded signals that are sent via the track rails and received by a micro-receiver in each locomotive, with each one assigned a different digital encryption. The track voltage for this system is now at a constant voltage of 18v. On older model trains the transformer was hooked up to the two rails of the tracks and the rheostat portion of the transformer provided the electric current to change the speed or direction of the locomotive, i.e., the more voltage put out by the rheostat, the faster the train would go.

DCC takes a lot of energy to work, and it requires that it stay stable. The best systems use nickel-silver stranded insulated wire, ONLY. The voltage drop (resistance) and aging effects of stranded copper wire is too pronounced to be feasible. You would spend the rest of your life replacing and tracking down areas of wire that have decayed. Otherwise, you would be buying bigger and bigger transformers to overcome the resistance.

On earlier trains, in order to get smooth operation, nickel-silver wire was also used as your voltage starts from nil and then is increased by the operator up to a max of 12v. In order to start the locomotive smoothly, you needed a high quality current delivery system. Any added resistance would make for un-prototypical starts. Again, Only nickel-silver stranded insulated wire is used in the best of layouts. In R/C cars/trucks, you are talking milli-currents as received through the air as a radio signal. You choose. Copper which by it's molecular nature has a higher resistance factor and a decay rate even with higher current applications, or nickel-silver, the best known wire for light applications such as these.
 
You totally lost me Revo. Are you saying that copper wire has a higher resistance to the radio frequency current as recieved by an antenna? Is this because of the skin effect? And what is decay rate?
 
12RPILOT:

I had a funny feeling my thoughts might be too long and hard to follow. I apologize if it is confusing. What I meant is that the wire used for DC current use on model trains is carrying a higher current than even an antenna would experience, and copper wire is known under those circumstances to have a higher resistance due to it's molecular composition than N-S wire. I am not sure what you mean by "skin effect' but I surmise you mean the insulation around the wire. I have no idea how that plays into the equation. I would guess the plastic insulation takes away some of the wire's reception abilities.

My point is this; if the signal from a Tx to an antenna wire is measured in milli parts versus the higher current on a model train, how much signal do you think you want to lose due to the material used for the antenna wire? Copper will work, but optimum signal reception would be best with N-S wire. If 12v trains lose current running through copper wire to a higher degree than N-S wire, what loss is occurring when you are relying on an even smaller current as measured at the antenna?

As to decay, I simply do not have a better word for what I am trying to say, but essentially I mean corrosion. Copper is much more likely to corrode than N-S. Corrosion causes resistance, although insulation most likely would slow or stop this process.
 
I see where yer coming from now. The skin effect is the mechanism by which current at radio frequencies actually travels along the outside of a conductor (in this case, the antenna wire). The AC current never sees the inside of the conductor. That is why the conductors for many radar units is actually hollow. Radio frequencies act alot different than, say, the 60Hz in your house. For this reason, resistance measurements for coax aren't measured with direct current and the values you see when ordering coax have nothing to do with DC.
Interestingly, I've been told that the silver oxides which result from corrosion of silver are pretty good conductors. I don't know how that applies to our antenna wires, but it's something to note if you are working with high DC currents (E-Maxx?).
Please forgive my gazillion questions. My other hobby is roadracing motorcycles and I see alot of unsubstantiated claims on motorcycle websites. That's why I'm willing to do experiments on my own to filter out the facts from "common knowlege".
 

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