Radio equipment not communicating

[RCDad]

Ok with an electric touring car, everything appears to be ok. When I flip the swith the servos respond but they will not respond to the transmitter. I've tried everything I know, any suggestions?

 

[Candyman]

Ummm....did you turn the transmitter on?


OK, OK, it was a joke. Make sure the batteries are good. And check the transmitter and receiver crystals to make sure (1) they're on the same frequency and (2) that one isn't shot. If you shake the crystal ***gently*** and you hear a little jingle, I think you're boned. Now, if the crystals are the same, and appear in good condition, do a quick wiring check. Make sure the batteries and servos are in the right places. Just a precaution. You never know. If that doesn't work, well then I could only assume a transmitter or receiver circuit problem. What kind of radio is it?

 

[RCDad]

Darn, I'll buy some new crystals and try that.

I'm so glad my electric buggy is ready to go tomorrow. I've been waiting for months to play with one RC Now watch in the morning it won't work.

 

[RCDad]

Well one of the crystals is definitely bad, I swapped it with a different set and got a completely different reaction. This time the car took off like a bat out of hell (thankfully it was on a stand), not sure why since the transmitter was on but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

What if I don't see my radio on the Tower Hobbies crystals page? I have a Team Associated XP2 set. Will some other crystals work?

 

[Candyman]

Crystals don't necessarily need to be brand specific. Just make sure you get the proper frequency. It would be best to order a set on the same frequency as the bad ones. Most transmitters and receivers are tuned at the factory to work optimally at the frequency they're shipped on. So if you change frequencies you might get a slight change in performance.