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1 18-Aug-2017, 06:23 PM I just would like to get other's opinions or perhaps FACT'S on whether or not it would be alright to put heatshrink over RX antenna to strengthen them, or does it reduce enough range where to do this would be pointless and/or dumb? I have heatshrink tubes that are just able to slip over the antenna and when heat shrunk it would attach firmly to the antenna...
Thank you for reading.
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31 18-Aug-2017, 06:38 PM (This post was last modified: 18-Aug-2017, 06:41 PM by Carl.Vegas.) I don't have any facts, but I do have a quad with antennas that have heat shrink to keep them pressed against zip ties and it doesn't seem to create any problems for me.
Here is a picture of one of my quads that I've done this with (small white bits coming off the front arms)
carl.vegas
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23 Hi Custom and welcome to the forum.
There is no problem adding the heat shrink over the antenna. I go a step further....instead of heat shrinking the antenna directly to the zip tie (or whatever it is that you are securing it to, I heat shrink a small plastic tube (like a coffee stirrer) to the zip tie or support and the antenna wire slides up in that. The VTX must be positioned so that there is some tension holding the wire in there though. That way in a crash if the VTX becomes separated from the rest of the quad, the wire will slip out of the tube with out possibly ripping loose of the VTX. Works for me anyway.
"Damn the torpedoes!!! Full speed ahead!!!"
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72 Using heat shrink to fasten the receiver antenna to a tie wrap is one of the best ways you can ensure that the antenna stays straight, out of the way of the propellers and is positioned properly for the best reception.
I have heard anecdotal reports of some types of black heat shrink being coloured with carbon based pigment and causing a dramatic reduction in range. I've never experienced this myself, but you should always perform a range check on your craft as part of your testing before the maiden flight, just in case.
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23 (19-Aug-2017, 08:56 AM)unseen Wrote: You don't really mean "VTX" do you?
ummmmm...........opps. RX.......I had the "X" part right......
"Damn the torpedoes!!! Full speed ahead!!!"