How to install 2.4GHz radio control systems in RC planes

Installing the 2.4GHz RC gear in a model plane requires some basic knowledge if you are to get the best results.
In this video I attempt to explain those basics and show you some of the trickier installations I have done with my own models, including the AXN, the HobbyKing 950mm DLG and the Sky Angel F16.
As usual, comments and questions are welcomed.

[@Londrino]

7 years later and this is still an incredibly valuable source of info for a newbie like me.

[@groundzonepilot7536]

agreed

[@snakeplisken4119]

You bet

[@muhammadyounosraz5698]

Excellent explanation of receiver placement in models to avoid potential crashes

[@flamtap420]

First off, I'd like to thank you for sharing your knowledge of the RC world with us on KZbin. I'm about 4 years into the hobby and still find it hard to go to the local field (Bennett Field,NV) because as soon as I get my Horizon Saber, Hawk Sky, or Horizon Mustang up, it inspires someone was a far greater plane to also take the sky and while calling out "Low Pass" and "High speed fly by" as I nervously try to avoid crashing into their plane and or mine into the ground. Trying to get pointers out of some of the "wise-ones" is in it is self as hard as landing on the moon. Secondly, your videos allow myself, and I'm sure others that are like me, to learn about the hobby in a non-sarcastic light. Lastly, (and this is the business part of this "rant") I have a Spektrum AR6210 with the satellite add-on. I put the satellite extension into the noise (in front of the battery by maybe a couple inches). Does that interfere with signal and should I consider running it into the body of the plane? So far I have gotten great range out of the receiver but in light of this video, I'd like to keep my plane in one piece. For now.

[@spot2be]

Very good reminders about signal strengths. Especially enjoyed the juxtaposing of the theory with real world applications

[@steelydanfan100]

Bruce, I am new to RC planes and this video answered my antenna placement question that not many RC enthusiasts seem to address. Thank you so much. I notice many foam RC planes don't seem to have external antenna placement, something I am going to do as I finish up my first plane, the Dynam Hawksky with the FlySky dual antenna receiver.

[@richiebricker]

Oh Its a Discus Glider and there you are reviewing it. Just a clean looking plane. Ill watch the review before i throw money at it

[@thorfoot1]

Great Job Bruce. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us. It is greatly appreciated

[@BooDevil65]

Timeless info, well presented - thank you! Would love to see a discussion about the different types of antennas, and where they radiate from - is it just the exposed wire? What about those antennas with the load (lump) just before the tip? This would help determine routing and placement of the useful bits!

[@vumba1331]

Hi Bruce, just bought my first 2.4 GHz RadioMaster TX16S system with their R86 Rx so finding out how this compares to my old legacy 35, 40 and 72 KHz equipment. Good video, helped my do things right the first time, thanks. P.S. 2 inches is 50.8mm (2x25.4mm)

[@RIPcombat]

I like your new format. How to videos are great for the new RC pilot keep up the good work

[@scimitar4211]

Thank you so much for this video. I've been looking for a video like this and it has answered so many questions that I've had about antenna placement.

[@hbc865]

Thank you again Bruce, now i understand why my EZ star came crashing down i use to stuff my orange rx close to the lipo

[@dzulkiflysulaiman229]

Good video. Good tutor. Always enjoy your videos! Thanks for sharing! - From Malaysia.

[@elty19]

Great video that's so helpful!!!! Definitely on the 'must watch' list!

[@zeDoSauRus]

One of the greatest RC videos so far...good work, Bruce! Beautiful work.

[@bransonharlem9462]

I realize I am kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good website to watch new tv shows online ?

[@lennoxkayson1018]

@Branson Harlem Flixportal =)

[@bransonharlem9462]

@Lennox Kayson thank you, I signed up and it seems like a nice service :) I really appreciate it!!

[@lennoxkayson1018]

@Branson Harlem Happy to help =)

[@royramdeen8864]

Thanks for the video Bruce. As always very informative. Good timing as well, HK DLG from your last few videos soon to arrive. Cheers roy..

[@selvarajparamasivam9516]

Nice, understand more from this video

[@davidr5343]

Thanks Bruce. Another great video. You are a gift!

[@toddy2519]

Invaluable info, thank you, Bruce!

[@claudemoisson739]

toddy2519 l

[@Stuart4444]

Thanks Bruce. Great advice. One point regarding the ubec: Some may think that it's ok to have a ubec and a speed controller both plugged into the receiver, which is not a good idea. I have a fpv setup that uses a 6V ubec and a speed controller's bec both connected via diodes (diode OR-ing). The aim is to maximise reliability. Perhaps you can do a technical tutorial on this as well. Cheers, keep up the good work.

[@RyanNX211]

I think Futaba recommends the antennae be 90deg AND in different planes. Eg: if looking down, your arrangement forms an (L), take one antenna and elevate or lower it the same length of the antenna at least.

[@superdon1chw]

I run mine with single cell love it perfect, those servo where had to find for that glider

[@urom]

Nice video! Clear and understandable as always, even for a german. I now have to sort out some cable salad.

[@chrisradford6796]

You should be a General practitioner doctor with that writing lol!

[@Hydeflyer]

Hi. Very informative video.. thanks! Could you do a bit about installation in carbon fibre fuselage models perhaps. Many of the modern moulded models have this type of construction.

[@allan6952]

Great explanation, thank you sir !!

[@FlyingFun.]

nice job, covers a lot of important stuff, one thing , having antenna vertical or horizontal on tx needs to be thought about, for fpv and single antenna RX vertical might be best, for los gliders with diversity horizontal on all antenna might be better.

[@GraemeRobinson]

awesome instructional Bruce, thanks for sharing.

[@martinnugroho3450]

Nice, thanks for sharing, Bruce.

[@richg.2579]

Very good, I can tell you know your stuff, thank you

[@Les_Grossman]

Antenna straight? Absolutely! ;-)

[@Soldier53flyer]

Nice job Bruce.

[@FifaInspected]

Fantastic Video! Thank you.

[@sochineze]

thx alot!!! this video makes me understand more about rc stuffs

[@SaToMojo]

FAILSAFE; something i never used. U see i'm a big Turnigy 9x model enthusiast,i have 4 of em, failsafe is all but basic. A few years ago i bought a separate failsafe to put on a big heli of mine. never did. I use the 9x with standard modules like, (Turnigy,Eurgle,FSky), & bought separately Orange Rx, FRSky & Assan. Consolation, the ER(X software should be able to do something fine. All to say i should read about it a lil more & APPLY it . I'm such a big kid, BRB gotta go get some candy, lol.

[@Crag19]

Thanks Bruce good info.

[@plewisto]

Great info as usual.

[@royallhawaii]

Very good timing on this topic Bruce. Just got my overdue box from HK yesterday and will be installing in the near future. PS hope you have a little time to check your email.... Royall

[@KJ4CTZ]

Thanks Bruce, every time I watch one of your videos, even though I feel pretty confident, I still learn from you. Question for you though: on the single antenna rx's like the Turnigy 8 channel v2's, what is the brass barrell on the antenna and is the active part of the antenna beyond the barrell or is the barrell part of the active element?

[@Len02013]

I belive the brass barrell is the 'ground' part of the dipole antenna. The little wire sticking out of the end is the active element

[@richiebricker]

W ow, That little Brown n Tan glider looks really elegant. Is it called a DLG? Very cool lil plane

[@shannonnewman3091]

Thanks for the info Bruce.

[@shutdahellup69420]

if u have ur tx antenna vertical, and flying a plane dosent it means there are "dead zones" above and below antenna, as the radiation pattern is sort of doughnut shape??? so wouldn't it be better to have both tx and rx antenna's be parallel in horizontal way? and both rx antenna horizontal lets say one pointing motor and another pointing at wing at 90° with each other?

[@zimmy1958]

great job Bruce :)

[@jamiebeckf]

Bruce. Could you do a follow up video on doing an actual range check?

[@richardlehman2276]

90 degrees, understood. But can both wires be 90 deg in the horizontal plane, or does at least one wire one have to be in the vertical plane? All your examples have at least one antenna wire vertical, so I am assuming that is necessary, but it is often easier to have both wires in the horizontal plane.

[@jkflorida]

Great video!

[@JamesAnderson-fe8yu]

Hi Bruce, as always, another great how to video. I'm just getting back into RC, after an almost 20 year break, getting to grips with the myriad options in 2.4Mh RC now, from Txs, compared with my old Futaba FF7, which I thought was complicated then, to Rxs! I'm glad to say that your video has (almost|) completely clarified receiver installation for me, indeed so have your other instructional videos helped to clear the mist You mention that the main part of the one or two antenna cables coming out of the Rx are co-ax- in my Rx, each being a total of some 140mm long, with only the last 30mm or so being bare wire. My question is- does the effective aerial consist of the total 14mm? Or is it just that the last 30mm on each have to effectively be at right angles? Thx again..

[@fochriwman]

Bruce , thanks for the great reviews that you do for us lesser mortals who don't have the knowledge and experience of modelling like yourself.Which leads me to ask can i use the orange range of rx with the Hitec Aurora 9 - 2.4ghz tx, or would they not be suitable?

[@MrGpse]

Great tutorial Thank you! Now in regards to the single wire receivers. Didn't you suggest that the JR DMSS series that operates with the single wire receiver had just that "True diversity"? Or did i misunderstand your reviews? Still patiently awaiting pt.3 of those reviews.

[@OrionWebster]

I have a question. Can I extend the length of the antenna?

[@ringerdiggsycobbsy6254]

Would it it bad if I run the 2 antennas at 180 degrees e.g..1 antenna going towards the left wing and towards the right wing or do they have to be 90 degrees

[@denmoran5541]

Really good,especially the failsafe bit! I'm new to 2.4, anyone know a site which explains how to set up the transmitter,please?

[@pyroarch57]

So why do Lemon rc say this....The two wires should stick straight out from the receiver/satellite and be in the same straight line. Aerials that are bent along the receiver/satellite board may have 10-15% reduced range?

[@planemadman1]

all real spectrums that dont have molex conectors for the servos have a failsafe

[@jenseirikskogstad5901]

Thanks a lot! It's worth to know how do it with 2.4 gHz receiver with 2 antenna in the plane since i am new to install the 2.4 gHz receiver to all my old model airplanes who had 35 mHz FM receiver after the transmitter has passed away after 17 year. This about "fail safe", i never used "fail safe" since i has big battery in some big model airplanes for long duration with large fuel tank, and i has always On Board Battery Monitor Battery Checker in model airplane to check the voltage in battery before use, never had a flight crash since I definitely check all of the condition of the aircraft + the radio equipment is in good condition or I decide that it is not safe to fly before everything is fixed in advance. I learned from mistakes and experience when I was a young newbeginner. None of them is electric powered engine in the planes, so I'm old fashioned who like to use "fossil" engine in model aircraft. :)

[@NarrowGauge1]

Great video again Bruce My Orange receiver has only one wire for the antenna. Can I solder another wire to the same circuit board point where the existing one is attached to give me two antennas?

[@TheGrandmasterT]

i have a question about the space from the antenna to wires. Is it 58mm general space to wires with the antenna or is it enough if the antenna end has a distance to wires from 58mm??? sorry for my english

[@newmacequipment]

2" = 50.8mm (2 x 25.4)

[@spocktra50]

Cheers Bruce,that was great.Learnt a few things there.I have installed my radio gear poorly on a few models and it shows how solid Frsky is, to still give me signal. One question for you mate,how to relieve stress of the antenna where it is soldered to the board.I have a few come loose.Would silicone or hot glue be ok.

[@xjet]

Hotglue is about the best. The problem with silicone is that some varieties contain acetic acid, the fumes from which can cause nasty corrosion throughout the adjacent circuitry. I should think that Charlie would have ample stocks of hot glue n'est pas? :-)

[@spocktra50]

***** Thanks Bruce.Charlie has got through 50 glue sticks in less than a month.Why are we not surprised :)

[@tonye2465]

I need to get my Deltang receiver antenna resoldered, thats a good idea, i think i will go with a bit of hotglue for reenforcement as xjet suggests. Cheers guys.

[@neilstanley5565]

Hi Bruce,I am just finishing a Samson which is a 1450 mm span flying boat.The twin electric motors are Permax 450 turbo,s,unfortunately i have misplaced the wiring diagram that came with the motors so am not sure where the supplied resistors go.I was speaking to one of the guys at Sail Air in New market Auckland and he reckons i won,t have to use the resistors if i use a Li Po battery and the appropriate ESC.Can you shed more light on this and explain how to set it all up. Regards Neil.

[@RyanNX211]

When 2.4 came out, they recommended 90deg and in different planes

[@a330turbinex7]

Great video Sir. What about aluminum or steel rc planes?

[@rwprime1]

Five years later. I've seen a couple of youtube videos and the guys had awful, terrible noise coming out of their planes and no motors or engines were running. I'm wondering if that noise was from their SBEC or UBEC - I'm referring to the 'switching' aspect of it. I mean what else would have caused that awful noise?

[@AlexanderHenz]

Hi Bruce, thank you very much for your great videos! Especially your "whiteboard" theory lessons. They are great! My latest plane is a glider (Spirit V) with a glass fibre fuselage. Does the glass fibre affect much the signal strength? Using an Spektrum AR8000 with satellite I wonder whether I should drill two holes into the fuselage to lead the antenna wires outside. Or leaving the inside. What wuold you recommend? Thank you very much for your answer! Keep on with your great work! Greetings from Bavaria! Alex

[@xjet]

Glass fibre (and kevlar) is pretty transparrent to 2.4GHz signals so you can mount the antennas inside if you like.

[@AlexanderHenz]

***** Thanks for your advice and your work! Hope you will be allowed to fly again soon!

[@chrisleech1565]

Hey there Bruce, I have done the upgrade to the 9X with the FrSky DJT and will be using the D8RII Plus for long range FPV. But what of the old 9x Tx module which I kept and put the antenna back on to? Is there any point in trying to modify the PCB of the T9X 8Ch Rx with the uFL SMD RF connectors like FrSky uses so that I may have diversity on the old receivers for short range LOS flying?

[@dieselrotor4984]

Hi Bruce. In My 73" Skyline MX2 with an NGH 35cc gasser. I want to know if it is ok to glue a small 1/8 wooden dowel center line in fuse horizontal with My 2.4 receiver and "zip tie one of the antennas to it" and tape the other 90deg to the side of the interior vertically. The antennas will then be (aprox) 8" from the two battery packs behind the receiver set on a foam pad ? The questionable part of this is the horizontal antenna zipped to dowel will end about 1 1/2" from the carbon fiber wing tube. Wish I could add picture to this.

[@WinstonSmith1984]

Bruce, is there a reason that no triple antenna receivers exist for optimal polarisation in all 3 dimensions?

[@xjet]

Mainly because there's really no need. Modern 2.4GHz RC gear has so much more range than it needs (most are good to at least a mile but an average-sized model can't really be seen beyond half that) and this means that even in a "worst case" situation, where the receiver antenna is pointed directly at the transmitter, enough signal gets through to maintain control.

[@sirglider]

I have heard that ESC produce magnetic field disturbing radio signal. What's the good distance we should keep the Rx from the ESC?

[@MyTechWebTV]

Great job Bruce. One thing you didn't mention is the transmitter antenna. I have witnessed some guys flying with their transmitter antenna straight, some slightly bent and some at 90 degrees. Just curious, is there is a "best" option? Thanks for the great video.

[@Len02013]

I prefer the tx antenna straight up (if possible). That way most of the energy is being directed out sidewards and the antenna null is straight above(normally not an issue). Also note the antenna on the plane should also be mounted vertical. If the tx antenna its mounted sidewards will have two nulls (area to advoid). Its a little hard to explain. Google 'dipole radiation pattern' to get a better understanding of where the energy is being directed

[@Len02013]

Its a little hard to explain, google 'dipole radiation pattern' to get a better understanding of where the energy is going.

[@aapokakilehto1867]

Help. I have Devo 7 with rx701. My antennas are 90 degrees relative to each other ´but i still get about 7 meters of range. I havent changed any settings.

[@IonRc]

I have to have my satellite wire running next to my main antenna. Is that okay or should I use a ferrite ring on it?

[@colegatec1]

Whats the second plane he shows?? Looks Awesome!

[@constructor4425]

good deal..

[@richardlong3615]

Hi Bruce, you didn't mention satellite receivers I assume the 90 degree thing applies to all the antennas in relation to each other. Is that correct? Richard

[@xjet]

Yes, that's right.

[@Nuel2080]

can i use any receiver with my plane and 10a ESC? i'm new at this and i'm trying to upgrade my radio and receiver for fpv? does the esc know how much it needs to supply or will it burn my receiver?

[@glenmccall4571]

is there a way rebind Process flysky my fs1a6 is not working anymore for some reason and i want use another rec the drx one how do i re-set

[@philippham3317]

hi, i got a wing wing z84, i don't know where is the best placement for my antenna, it is not small and long enough for me to put it as far as possible from other wiring... help me, thanks :)

[@soreachsang6684]

where did you get your transmitter and receiver for your mini DLG composite discus launch glider?

[@lucio_costa]

Hi Bruce. How about Hitec receivers to Aurora 9, are they good? All my receivers have just one antenna and I have the same critérios to install them in my models. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. Lucio from Brazil.

[@xjet]

Yes, as I said in the video, most RC systems have enough headroom (excess range) that any drop-outs due to the antenna being at a "less than optimal" orientation to the transmitter are going to be very brief and will almost certainly go unnoticed. Certainly if you want maximum range (such as for FPV use), it would pay to use the 9-channel Hitec receiver with dual antennas. Another option is the FrSky Hitec-compatible receiver which is nice and cheap and has dual antennas. I have one on the bench right now awaiting review.

[@anythingrc995]

Hi Bruce I have run my dual antenna's out the bottom of the fuse in a v shape/45 Degree is this still ok. keep up the good work love your videos Bruce

[@GNiessen]

Don't you always want you antenna to be straight?

[@ofircohen1378]

how can i set failsafe in corona cr8d receiver?

[@ryanb915]

I think mine goes full rudder and up elevator

[@Rampiks1]

You forgot to talk about th 26 desibels you los when your anntenna is 90 degree away from your transmitter anntenna

[@KJ4CTZ]

I have no Idea how the "#39;s" in my last post got there they do not mean anything....

[@itzjoeylo4501]

2” = 50.8mm - 1” = 25.4mm

[@crusadershuakbar]

perfect timing with this video as i just had some issue with radio signal loss with my quadcopter , i assume the principles are the same , i have to run the antenna`s along the underside of the two rear motor booms , is this the optimal way to have them ?

[@Mikeylikesit1968]

Best to run the antennas through a little straw either up or down and away from the frame

[@crusadershuakbar]

Mike Baltes ok thanks will try that , they were sticky taped to the underside of the booms , airframe plastic booms but motor wires inside them , and both exposed antenna ends were very close to the motors , probably not good

[@xjet]

The key thing is to have your antennas well away from any other wires, carbon or metal (such as the motors). Given that a multirotor is unlikely to tilt beyond 45 degrees, you can also narrow the angle between the antennas a little and even consider mounting the antennas facing down beneath the legs or up above the body in a V shape. As Mike says, you can use straws to hold them in place.

[@crusadershuakbar]

***** great thanks , i`ll give both a try doing range checks and see what configuration gets the best range . i have a futaba t8j tx with internal antenna

[@Ghostrider03Z]

What esc's were you using? Did you have all the middle red wires plugged in (bec's)? Do you use an external bec? Those factors outweigh the probability of it being a radio problem.

[@losrussets8945]

couldn't you make n L shaped antenna and then use only one

[@kevinb4095]

+Justin “That's Interesting” Schmitz I am an electrical engineer and have worked extensively with antenna. The simple answer to your question is no, you cannot have one antenna in an L shape. The antenna should be kept as straight as possible.

[@tonywright8294]

It an`t rocket science.

[@timomartens99]

how do you use failsafe on multicopters?

[@xjet]

This depends very much on the type of flight controller you're using. If it has a "return to launch" capability, most people configure it so that this operates in the event of a failsafe (loss of signal) situation. Otherwise, a setting which has just enough throttle to produce a slow descent in "self-leveling" mode will offer the best chance of survival -- although then you run the risk it may drift towards people/property before reaching the ground.

[@jedslather]

Fail safe today: must continue ze mission, activating autopilot 😈

[@jamesbonde4470]

What the heck is a beck????? Youbeck????

[@jkflorida]

I lawn darted my skyangel katana today. Loss of signal!

[@nicholasvartanian2760]

Imstolation 0:23

[@toddy2519]

actually, Bruce spelled it "instalation", the "o" you see is actually the way he sometimes makes an "a".

[@TheLukey21]

BMW's are replaceable

[@jamesellis5445]

Bruce's point as it was, is, that your model is cheaper to replace or repair than the irate BMW owners car...that's a no brainer really.

[@locouk]

Imstellations? ;) lmao