Fellow members GH and RU are always ribbing me in the bar that I should just chuck my Futaba antenna wires into the pot as a frame makes no difference!! G and R – this test result is for you!

For some time, I have used a 3D printed Antenna Frame from SailsEtc for £5.50. Do you all know what I am talking about??

This is the SailsEtc link

https://www.sailsetc2.com/index.php/aerial-arc.html

Here is my frame installed in a beautiful UK built F6 Marblehead. It is that little black arc you can see at the top of the pot. You might think that dangly wires on the receiver are “all aerial”…. but the lengths of aerial wire shrouded in grey that you can see in the photo are actually shielded. The lengths of wire that are unshielded and the actual “signal” bits, are the 5-6 cm end tips that are threaded into the frame at right angles. If you have Futaba receivers these tails have total length of around 8-10cm. If you have an RM ER6 the tails are 20cm long – but it’s still only the 5cm tips that pick up signal.

(©Datchet Radio Sailing)

First of all, I’d stress that although the measurements above are done in metres, it’s not an accurate measurement of ON THE RACE COURSE range. It’s better thought of as a comparative measure between technologies. At the Club there are definitely less signal obstructions around plus VERY importantly the control area is raised above the water by around 3-4 metres. Signal there should go further.

Instead think of this comparison as a %age comparison benchmark. If Radiomnaster ELRS is 100%, Futaba with antenna frame is around 98%, Futaba without antenna frame is about 67%, Spektrum is around 37%. All these signal ranges are perfectly good enough to go radio sailing. Honestly, the 200 metre benchmark would be impossible to race in, so you might say…”who cares?”.

So how did we get on?? Any conclusions??

1/ Adding the Antenna Frame increased my Futaba radio reception range by 50% on the test “course”

2/ Adding the frame put the Futaba in just about the same league as Radiomaster ELRS setup using a ceramic aerial. … further than you can reasonably see a radio controlled boat for racing purposes. I’d guess that a RM ER6 receiver would change the range-game again and be in another league altogether. NB uses one in his VISS.

3/ Most probably all these receiver components come from the same Chinese factory, so I’m still thinking that a FlySky setup would benefit by 50% with an antenna frame.

4/ If you have a Futaba in a SailboatRC boat, check the threading of the tails. Thankfully no carbon fibre to worry about, and the custom pot is fabulous with ready threading holes for the antenna. However, check where the tips are. If it ever stops raining, I’ll try the test with my K2/Futaba T6K.

These ranges are not as far as flyers claim for planes, but all ranges are much more than we need for sailing.

GH : bring you FlySky over in a carbon hull and we’ll check the range… with and without an antenna frame!!