sputtering problem with my new zap...

Cool Dad · #1 06-18-2003, 09:19 PM

I'm sorry because I know this problem has probably been covered a dozen times but I did a search and couldn't seem to find anything relating to my prob. Here's the problem.
Today I exchanged my red cobra with the old pcb for an orange 27 mhz 350Z. I'm really impressed with the faster motor and performance but I'm having a big problem with the car cutting out. What I mean is it's going along fine and then sputters and stops for no reason. Then if I move the controller's antennae to a little different angle it will take off again only to sputter and stop again. Now it does this when it's 2 feet away or 15 feet, so I dont think it's just that it's out of range. My other 49 mhz black cobra zap never has this problem. It has a great range. I thought maybe it was a bad connection in the car's wiring but why would it do take off again just by moving the antennae's angle a little bit? I would think if it was in the car it wouldn't go again until you tapped it a little bit to make connection again. When it cut out I did some experimenting. I would drive the car normally and when it stopped I would hold the controller in the same place but kind of tap it to see if maybe there was a loose connection in the controller but it didn't make any difference. It wasn't until I moved the controller in a different direction that it would take off again. Has anyone had this problem with their zzap that could help me. I really hate to return this one seeing as this one was an exchange. Is there a possibility that it could be some kind of interference, perhaps from a tv remote or something? Anybody have any ideas that I could check for?

vtheo · #2 06-18-2003, 09:45 PM

tv remote nope, tv remotes use ir not rf.

sounds like a loose wire in the controller... if you ever have opened that up that could be your problem.

Bad Company · #3 06-18-2003, 09:51 PM

I've had the same problem with one of my 27mhz cars. I never really figrued out what it was. The one thing I noticed was it did it more in the living room where all my electronic equipment was. When I played with it in the kitchen, it never really did it.

Azimov · #4 06-18-2003, 10:33 PM

Seems to me there are only two possibilities. Interference, or a loss of signal due to connections. Try it in a different room and see if the problem still exists. If not, it's your electronics in the house. If it still stutters, you've got a bad solder join somewhere. Either the car or controller antenna connections most likely. There is a remote chance that your cars antenna coil needs tweeking, but I doubt that.

Labmonkey · #5 06-19-2003, 10:44 AM

i have the same prob with both of my 27's....i think it's an interference/ range issue. the antennas are not the optimum length for the 27Mhz signal, and it seems pretty easy to lose the signal...then when you turn your controler at different angles, it recieves again. i experimented with longer antennas on the car and transmitter and was able to get rid of the problem, but the lengths inolved are too long to be practical. I compromised and used some 24 guage teflon coated wire that is stiff and able to stand up on its own so i could get a longer on the car antenna, and built an extension for my controller antenna that clips on so i wouldn's have to mod the case. range and performance is now comparable to my 49's.

if your interested in the antenna extension visit my yahoo group listed below. it was designed by one of the members there and i tracked down some parts to make it work easily. pictures of the "cliptenna" are in the photos section under tech mods/controller mods.

#6 06-19-2003, 12:13 PM

This may sound stupid but batteries?

Labmonkey · #7 06-19-2003, 12:42 PM

yes actually i did try that before anything else...but thanks

#8 06-19-2003, 01:14 PM

My guess is the transmitter and receiver are slightly detuned from one another.

It's funky, but you could always try tuning one or the other to see if it goes away.
I think the tuning thing is covered on QFM's site.

Cool Dad · #9 06-19-2003, 03:59 PM

WOW thanks for all the help guys...Much appreciated. I really think my problem is the same as labmonkey said. To me it seems like something is interfering with the signal. I'm going to check out Labmonkey's site!

Strider_mt2k could I please get the link that you mentioned to QFM's site. Thanks again guys

#10 06-19-2003, 04:56 PM

NP!

http://www.questformadness.com/

You want the car side, and look through the list of mods for "pots mod".

flatlander_14 · #11 06-19-2003, 09:34 PM

make sure there aren't any cordless phones or wireless electronic equipment around or in use. 27mhz is the frequency that cordless phones run on. lots of other stuff does too, like walkie talkies and crap, i think.

Steve · #12 06-20-2003, 08:49 PM

just a thought, but I acidentally pumped 12 volts though a Zip with an AC/DC converter...(don't ask), and after that, it sputtered like a bastard no matter how close or how far I stood. That Zip has since been decomissioned and parted out, but that high voltage spike definitely hurt it.

Cool Dad · #13 06-20-2003, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by flatlander_14
make sure there aren't any cordless phones or wireless electronic equipment around or in use. 27mhz is the frequency that cordless phones run on. lots of other stuff does too, like walkie talkies and crap, i think.

That's a very good possibility flatlander. My wife has 2 cordless phones and she always has one glued to her ear!

We just bought a 2.4 ghz cordless and it's sitting on the tv in the living room just feet away from where I run my zaps. And another one in the bedroom down the hall. I wonder if there would be some kind of cool antenna mod someone could do on a zap using parts from a cordless phone.... I sure wish I knew a lot about electronic gadgets like you guys do.

I'll try unhooking the phones and see it there's a difference.