Another radio question...

[Dookie-Shoes]

I had a previous thread about wanting to find a Futaba 2 stick radio and not having any in the U.S. market. Thanks to the forum here, I’ve ordered up the fly-sky and I’m back in business. Again,  I know next to nothing about the intricate details of radios, frequencies, ESCs, etc.. 

However, while waiting for the fly-sky to arrive , I ran across a small local hobby shop that had a Futaba 3PRKA pistol grip. I have some extra Futaba servos and a new subaru brat kit sitting there just begging to be built, so I broke down and bought my first pistol grip. I still maintain that I prefer the 2 stick, but I was mainly itching to build. I now have everything built, but my main question is that the antenna wire that came with the receiver is short... really short.. like 6 or 7 inches? Whereas, all of the other radios I’ve had have the antenna wires that are like a foot and a half long. Long enough to go thru the little clear antenna tube and have 3-4 inches spare... or, in the case of the brat, it would be long enough to to run up the metal antenna mast and loop around at the top. 
 

So, is this just new/better technology than what I’ve always run with the basic Futaba Attack 2 stick radios? I know the Attacks were just 2 channels and had the basic receiver and servos. They’re also the cheapest with 2 sticks and the long metal pull out antenna for the radio... This one is 3 channel pistol grip, no extendable radio antenna (actually NO antenna on the radio) and the receiver is a little bigger and has the extra channel. But the antenna wire is short and isn’t anywhere close to being long enough to run up the antenna mast. Is the signal strong enough to run it and it’s that way by design? Or do I need to splice on a longer extension to it? I have it all set up and I’ve run it around the garage close by to get the wheels/steering/trim set up, but nothing significant yet. 
 

And before you say it, ... I know.., I’m old and stupid. 

[rwordenjr]

It’s new/better technology. You don’t even need to put the antenna vertical if you don’t want to. Receivers with very long antennas are a thing of the past now. Some receivers nowadays don’t even come with an exterior antenna.  

[Dookie-Shoes]

12 minutes ago, rwordenjr said:

It’s new/better technology. You don’t even need to put the antenna vertical if you don’t want to. Receivers with very long antennas are a thing of the past now. Some receivers nowadays don’t even come with an exterior antenna.  

I feel so stupid, but I honestly did not know... I have literally used ONLY the basic Futaba 2 stick radios and Tamiya kits for decades now. I guess I’ve been in a bubble for too long... what’s next? Let me guess, you’ll be telling me I can take a picture with my phone and send it to my mom? Lol
 

but in all seriousness, thanks for letting me know.

[rwordenjr]

23 minutes ago, Dookie-Shoes said:

I feel so stupid, but I honestly did not know... I have literally used ONLY the basic Futaba 2 stick radios and Tamiya kits for decades now. I guess I’ve been in a bubble for too long... what’s next? Let me guess, you’ll be telling me I can take a picture with my phone and send it to my mom? Lol
 

but in all seriousness, thanks for letting me know.

No worries! The fly sky you got coming will be similar... very short antenna 

[rich_f]

Just for information, the optimum length of an antenna is inversely proportional to the frequency it needs to operate at, and since 2.4 GHz is about 100 times larger than 27MHz, the antenna can be 100 times smaller. The optimum length of a 27MHz antenna is actually over a couple of meters for a quarter-wave monopole, so a few centimetres is optimal for 2.4GHz. (this might be why 27MHz transmitters needed 8 x AA batteries vs. the 4 x AA used in 2.4GHz transmitters - it is impractical to have a 2+ metre long antenna so they are forced to use a smaller one, which is less optimal in terms of efficiency. With 2.4GHz, a few cm is the optimal length, so most efficient, therefore less power is needed for equivalent performance to the 27MHz)

11 hours ago, Dookie-Shoes said:

This one is 3 channel pistol grip, no extendable radio antenna (actually NO antenna on the radio) 

There will be an antenna, but it is only a few cm long and is on the inside (like in the phone I'm using to reply to this message 😁)

10 hours ago, Dookie-Shoes said:

I have literally used ONLY the basic Futaba 2 stick radios and Tamiya kits for decades now.

Me too, except with acoms - never owned anything fancy and people still laugh at my 30+ year-old techniplus at races 🙄

[Willsls1]

You mean I've been reaming 6mm holes in the roof of my car bodies for nothing??? 

 

 

 

 

Lol. Yeah I know but call me crazy, I still dig the look of an antenna stem on an RC car.