12Z Radio System FAQ

I have read on all the RC Forums that I need to cut my G3's antenna. Is this correct?

NO, please do not cut your receiver antenna, yet. There are some things to consider first!

1. If you have used your G3 with no problems in your plane, do not do anything, you will be fine.
   
   
2. If you are on anything but 72MHz, do not cut your antenna.
   
   
3. If you have experienced what you may consider lockout, then please do a check list of the following things:
   
   
   1. Have you made sure your antenna exits fuselage of the antenna as quickly as possible? Getting it out of the fuselage as closely to where it exits the receiver case is very important; this helps cut down on RF interference.
   2. Have you checked your aircraft THOROUGHLY for any RF induced noise problems? This is the biggest culprit of problems, as the R5014DPS is 3 times more sensitive than R149DP. The smallest thing from a bad regulator, faulty battery pack, carbon or metal rubbing, bad bearing, wires rubbed through, bad connections in the servo leads, even a bad servo can cause a lockout. The faster 2048 resolution that modelers wanted, is what makes the G3 receiver so sensitive to noise, do you really want the quickness of this receiver without making sure your heli is in top notch performance condition?
   3. Have you tried filters on your servos? If not we would suggest starting out one at a time, adding a filter, and then re-range checking your craft.
   4. Last, while it may sound like a problem for pilots to remove the receiver from their heli or plane, and THEN range test again if normal tests fail, they may find that this saves them from sending the transmitter and receiver to us here at the service center. Many times, RF interference is being caused by something in your craft, removing the receiver and bench testing it with a few scrap servos, may indicate that there is actually nothing wrong with the receiver or transmitter, and if this is true, you would need to look deeper into your set up for the problem.

We have had cases of people cutting their antenna before they even mount it in their aircraft, and then getting glitching problems. Restoring the antenna to its original length then resolved the problem. So please do not be quick to cut the antenna. Try the steps above first. And if you still have questions, please contact our support department.

For additional information, please see our page about the Proper Placement and Utilization of the G3 receiver