Internal Antenna
 

Not sure if this is the right place to ask but here goes. I read somewhere else that you could make an internal antenna for your Xmod by taking a peice of wire 3 or 4 times the length of your original antenna, making a coil, and placing that coil under the body. The wire has to be coated of course to prevent shorting. But is this feasible? Will it work without affecting range? If it does that would be so sweet. No antenna sticking out of the body to catch on stuff. Plus easier to store the car.

i have tried a couple different methods of making an internal antenna, but havent had any luck getting good range...usually only about 10 feet...but i know that you have to get the wire length just right...well, good luck...im interested to see if you find a solution

That is what I figured. I'm gonna give it a go and see what happens. Just being able to store the cars easier is worth a try. Now you either unscrew the antenna or bend it over close to the body. Neither of which I want to do all the time. Going to try making the coiled internal antenna 21", three times as long as the original. See what happens.

Well tonight I sat down and tried a few different internal antenna's. None worked all that well. I measured the one on the car and made mine 3 times longer.
Long coil - Jerky and stuttery
Stretched around the interior of the body - Better but still short range.
Wrapped around a piece of 2" x 2" cardboard - Same as above.
In the end I cut it the same length as the original antenna and put it up through the hole. Works great and allows me to bend it for storage.
I did examine and measure the antenna's on my cars and from what I can tell each is exactly the same length no matter the crystal they are using. Apparently they are not 'tuned' to each car. Besides, if you can use any of the crystals in each car without changing the antenna does that not say the antenna makes no difference? At least as far as the original. Longer antenna's may have to be certain calculated lengths. But if each antenna is exactly the same length then each longer antenna would end up the same as well.

I am sure i've seen people do this before, and i'm sure it works. you do have to get tghe length just right. there is some kind of formula though. do a search and i bet you can find it. if i recall, though, the guy who did it wound a cardboard strip with about 5 or 10 feet of cat 5 wire. may be too heavy if you want to race with it...

CANED HEAT
 

OK, I got the answer to your question TYCO Caned Heat......
The internal ant that it in them works rather well, but if you chose to make your own you must make shure that the wire is able to cunduct the same 24-29 MHZ that the stock puts out. 3-4 time stock length is good... Mike

With antennas, the length has to be a power of 2 relative to the wavelength. I can't remember the lengths (there are plenty of calculators for wavelenghths), but basically, it has to be 1x, 1/2, 1/4, 2x, etc. of the wavelength intended to be received. Because the crystals only alter the base wavelength slightly, the same antenna works for all supported frequencies.

it will never work with the xmods' (evo included) crappy tx and rx.

you can pull it off on real rc stuff though and yes, you will cut range still but at least you can reach 50 feet, not 5.

I used Cat 5 wire on my evo truck and stuck it staight up without measuring it works from my house down to the end of my ally without getting choppy... its at least 100 feet!!!

I heard that a copper screen or mesh makez an excelent internal antena

i dont really understand in this you guys are jumping steps. from step one how do u make a good internal antenna (sorry for the attitude long xmod day)

ive got a tyco canned heat and the range sucks! its about 5ft!

sorry for the bump, but this thread wasn't far down from the sticky's in the first place.

wouldnt the problem be either the receiver in the car, or the emmiter in the controller, if so, find out what resisters are being used in the range repair kit, and get resistors that are less by a bit (they look like resistors, not 100% sure if they are or not)