27 mhz vrs. 49 mhz or is it Regular vrs SE

[Sleeping911]

I have picked up a few zz and zz se's in the last couple of weeks and have noticed that the 27 mhz cars dont seem to have the same range as the 49 mhz cars.I noticed this on both my 27 mhz reg. and 27 mhz SE(10 - 15ft), my 49 mhz reg. works incredibly(20 -30 ft.), and i dont have a 49 mhz SE. So my questions are...(1)Do the 27 mhz work not as well as the 49 mhz and also are the reg. better than the SE's for range (i noticed the SE antennae is thinner). (2) will all of that change once i have done FET mod. (3) any suggestions for incresing or comments on your current ranges using?? or a "fixed" antennae solution.

[Azimov]

The 49Mhz cars get better range because the 27Mhz cars are much more prone to interferance. Electromagnetic fields, cell and cordless phones, radios, and the like are very close to the 27Mhz range. There are a couple of ways to increase range though. And BTW, the thickness of the antenna doesn't mean anything (the Cat5 mods you see all over the net increase range because the Cat5 wire is either cut longer or standing straight up, the thickness is irrelevant). It's the length that's the problem. One elegant solution I have seen is to replace the stock antenna with guitar or piano wire. Cut it a bit longer and arrange it to stand straight up like the larger RC cars. You'll see a dramatic difference in range. Soldering the guitar string is difficult however. Another solution is to use springs. I've done this on many cars. A spring that is slightly expanded so the coils don't touch allows you to have an anntenna that is up to 2 or 3 feet long in a smaller length than the stock antenna. I know many don't believe me, but I've gotten well over 300ft of range using springs. To get ranges like this you need to find the formula for antenna length tuned to the 27Mhz range. I can't remember the length, but I think it's around 18 feet or so. Even incraments of this length are near as good. Like 9ft, 6 ft, 3ft,. These are not exact numbers so don't quote me here. But if you get your antenna over 18 inches, you'll see quite a difference in range. The only way to do this is to coil the antenna up in a tight configuration, like a spring. Try it.
Oh, and the FET mod won't increase range at all. It just allows more current to the motor.

[Sleeping911]

i will take that information to heart in future testing...i myself have tried testing with small copper wound caps out the top of merets....really i am just having the best luck with a 11 inch cat5 wire and running 300mah 3v power source into the controller gives me approx. in the right conditions 70 - 120 ft.

[JDM-R34]

300 Mah battery at 3V where did YOu get those from? I need some of those, and where do YOu buy cat-5 wire from for antenna's i need some of that too. Thanks

cat 5 wire is the same as rg45 wire and also 300mah @ 3v is a universal adapter setting, as i hard wired an extension wire to the controller so i can run off wall power not batteris as they die way to quickly.(once your dual and triple or a quad cell like me you need stand alone chargers so i just swap back on forth with the power wire from controller to charger. and running at full strength all the time helps with the range or at least maximizes the range you get out of the box. and i have tried alot to help with range changed antennaes, changed the wiring inside the controller everything, however with all of that i must say like all cars there is a lemon factor and some cars are lemons...which i think i ran into just by coincedence when i first dove into my new hobbie/zap carck addiction.