Hi,
I have a Flybridge/Sharp Sword gas boat with a 26cc zenoah engine with a walbro carb. All the radio gear is Futaba. The reciever is a FP-R122JE, transmitter is a T2ER and the two servos are S3003. When I got the boat it had QPE 27.075 AM crystals but there seems to be interference at the lake which I go to so I decided to get a new set of crystals and see if it makes any difference, Im in Ireland and the frequencies im getting of the net are 30 to 40MHz so im thinking of getting something in that range. Im just wondering if the problem is the crystals or is it something else because rc vehicles of any kind arent that common here. Most electric rc cars and so on and my rc electric boat run on the 27MHz frequency but should they be interfering with my rc gas boat? And are there any specific crystals I should get for this set up?

Alot of money and work has gone into this boat, I installed a clutch, three blade prop and water pump aswell as having to rejig all the running, cooling and drive gear and it still isnt running two years later. Please Help!!!

Thank You.

You should seriously consider investing in a DSM radio. Futaba FAST radios are priced pretty low these days and you can then kiss goodbye to the interference problems. No more crystals to mess with, nothing...plug and play! Your current AM radio on 27 is terrible for getting interference...it will end up costing you a boat, maybe more! Hate to say it but it's the truth.

www.futaba-rc.com/systems/surface.html


There are other companies making the DSM also. If your radio is module type, you might be able to upgrade it to DSM with some of the XtremeLink systems... that's what I've been using on my JR radios for 3 years now and work flawlessly.

Marc has the right idea. If you like Futaba, their 2.4 radios are proven winners. Another choice would be the Tactic 2.4 radio. Not as many bells and whistles but in the $80 US price range. And by the way, a 40mhz or 30mhz crystal will not work in a 27mhz radio.

Thanks for the answers. I was looking at the Futaba 2.4 and Fasst systems but they are still a bit on the expensive side. The boat was over 1000 dollars and then at least another 200 to 400 dollars was put into it after that so I'm a little reluctant to have to spend any more money on it now. If i was to get the cheaper Tactic units do I have to change the servos as well or will the Futaba servos work with the Tactic units.

Thank You.

Hi Zenoah

My first ever Gas boat was a ready to run Flybridge.

These two images show it as it came out of the box. Is it similar to your boat I wonder?





The first thing I did even prior to running the boat was scrap the radio gear that came with it and replace it with Spektrum 2.4G hardware. I figured that with a gas engine powered boat, the extra cost of radio gear that will not suffer interference is in fact an investment well worth while.

After the first run, the next thing I did was scrap the weak manifold and header that came with the engine and replace it with quality components. I eventually ended up with a great fun boat after making further modifications.

Here is a clip of it in action:

Futaba servos will work with the Tactic.

Thanks for the answers guys. Craig your boat looks slightly similar in the shape, engine, stand and some of the bits and bobs in the background of the first picture and the layout of the cooling etc looks the same. Ill put a picture up soon. Ive already replaced the manifold as well...pretty much everything in the boat bar the engine has been replaced.

I'm going to start saving up for one of the 2.4 systems but in the meantime does anyone have any ideas about cutting out the interference such as a capacitor or such??? I'm pretty sure its due to the engine.

Thanks.

Hi Zenoah

Your opening topic inspired me to create a new one so as not to divert from your original topic. Hopefully this link will take you to it and give further food for thought:

www.modelgasboats.com/forum/50...our-experience/

I should add that if you've got decent radio gear in your boat (kept well dry) with the appropriate resistor incorporated spark plug (pretty much standard) you should have no interference issues.

Cheers
Craig

Check that you DO have a resister spark plug. There is pretty well nothing else you can do about 26/27mhz systems. I know that here in New Zealand, has always been close to the CB radio bands, so gets interferance from that. Also all the cheap China RTR boats coming in here are 26/27 mhz so clutter the band up. I never had any trouble when I lived a 100 miles from any city, even 500k power lines didn't affect it, only other radios. We used to use coloured clothes pegs to identify who was on what frequency. Same for the 35 & 40 mhz that I've used here.

What do you mean by the resistor incorporated spark plug?? I know on my spark plug lead there is a grey cylinder which is connected to both the magneto and the spark plug but that is the coil isn't it??? But apart from that there are no other electrical gizmos on any of the electrical wires from the magneto or anything.

Also during the process of the rebuild, the wire to the kill switch were lengthened and as I had to change the angle of the engine and so on I couldn't mount the coil where and exactly how it was (it was bolted directly onto the engine) so I wired its earth separately.

Pics are attached

Thanks.