Spektrum problems, Please help!
 

I have a jr z1 with the pro spektrum module I am using all grey recievers, no "pro models".One car is a delta xp4 the other a mugen mrx4-r they both have the same radio issue.I am only getting about 180-200 feet before I loose contact with the nitro powered car, the failsafe is not kicking in the car just rolls to a stop.I know the failsafe is programmed right because when i test it on the bench it works fine.The last time the car disconnected I left the radio on my tailgate and walked the 200 or so ft distance to get the car I noticed the failsafe not engauged,the green light on the reciever was on and solid both servos were also in thier neutral positions..no humming jittering no nothing.so i set the car back on the ground and walked back to the truck and there was no connection to the radio.I grabbed the car and brought it back to the truck and everything worked as it should, and it does untill the 200 foot mark or so.I have a dx3.0 aswell and when that radio was installed it never disconnected but at 300 or so feet the signal would get really really delayed.I would pull the trigger and about a half a second or so later the car would recieve the signal i sent it.I called horizon about it and they just gave me the"I dont know" and said to send in the radios, I find it hard to believe that 2 different modules in the jr radio and the 6 recievers i have all being defective..all the gear is brand new also.Im using a 1200 mah batt pack in one car and a 2000 mah pack in the other car at this point i have ruled out the batteries as a possibility.There is a really big race in like 2 days im going to and im hoping to fix this whatever it is before then any advice is appriciated.

Thanks for your help in advance.

That is a serious problem. It all sounds to me like your transmitter is cutting out. I know my transmitters battery's when they go below 9 volts it acts up like yours. The only other idea that comes to mind is the location of where you are running. I've been to two locations where there was a major transformer close to where I was racing. Alot of RF noise was in those locations and it did mess up the DSM radios signals. Cars just lost all signals and did not go into failsafe mode.
Those are just two ideas that I can give you. I don't know what else except for swapping out and getting a synthasized FM radio.:(

I dont use spektrum personally, but is it possible that PRO Tx Modules must be run with PRO Rx?

?is there transponders in both cars try to unplug them as they are transmitters to may there to close

I had the same thing happen to me and if I put the stock RX and TX back in everything would be fine so I called Horizon and the also asked me to send them in so I did. They said that they replaced the wire on the RX plus downloaded the new upgrades in the software and sent it back to me. I tried it out and it was worse so I called them back up and again they asked me to send it in so I did but this time I asked them if I could upgrade to the pro version and they said no but that is what they ended up doing. They sent me a pro TX and RX at no extra cost to me when the original ones where the 3000 gray models.


The gray 3000 model RX still work fine with the pro model TX.

Spektrum is just buggy, theres really no point in trying to figure those things out. I switched to futaba and well , have never had to deal with the gremlins again.

Sadly your not able to do the same but if you ever think the 3pk feels good in your hands , well theres your solution. That or hope futaba brings FASST out for other radios.

Anyhow. Yeah , the spektrum threads are so rampant its quite obvious. It was a great product that had a good option above crystals and that was no frequency board and wasnt suseptible to interference that a fm based system would get. But over time I think its prooved to have its own problems and bugs , probably even beyond what an fm system experiences. At least with FM the interference was obvious and widespread and normally meant a poor track setup or location to that interference. With spektrum your own your own with your own bugs.

Go back to fm or get something else. These days people rarely use the fm board , hopefully so much so you can stay on and the directors will allow people to keep the clip all day and ban any other use of that frequency except for you.

one more thing to check is your RX module. I've seen them come loose and also the batteries to make sure that they are not loosing connection. I had the same problem with my radio, the JR R-1 untill I replaced the battery tray. and also hard wired the spectrum through the radio.

Good luck

Thanks for the responces guys.There is no transponder in either car right now(I only have them installed on race day)Ghettoteacher, I did not notice a transformer or anything like that near this parking lot..but the business there is some areospace technoligies deal..maybe there is something in the building screwing with my range? Im going to try a different spot in the morning, im afraid I might see the same result though.Is it possible for the issue to be with the transmitter and not the module?seeing I have 2 less than 1 week old modules that do the same thing.I would hate to have to fo back to fm after dumping all this $$ into horizons brand dsm.

rcfoolz, I did that very same mod when I got the radio and the first module before ever using it, I also installed the drop dpwn multi angle wheel adaptor..I thought maybe somehow i wrecked the module because of taking it apart(I used to repair nextel phones so Im pretty used to fragile electronics) but the new module I got today does the very same thing..just about 50-60 later.I wish i had the synth fm gear to test the radio to make sure somehow it isnt that.Once my dx3.0 started being wierd aswell I started swapping out recievers and to no avail..im still stumped, hopefully tommorrow when i find another place to go it will be different.

AI, I had a 3pk on ppm and never had a problem..right now I wish I got the fasst/3pk set up instead of this z1 it was just I had so many spektrum brand rx's I did not want to have to buy 6 hundred worth of new rx's..I never really had any problems with the dx3.0 untill today..I just wanted a nicer radio.I see so many other people using the same set up I have without issue so im not ready to abandon horizons brand gear yet..its either something somehow im doing wrong, or that company that owns the lot i was using today has some crazy ass alien technology in r&d and it was screwing with my gear.Otherwise im going to have to get a 3rd job to get all new futaba gear..so much for sleep the rest of this summer.

Thanks for all the ideas so far guys, keep em coming I am so confused its not even funny right now.

I had my cousin buy the dx2.0 system and first out he was having troubles. I bought brand new spektrum pro's and swapped out old used spektrum rx and tx modules and well I started to see more problems then. Anyways as far as spektrum was concerned this should have shown less. I got a new unit from them , which kudos for that. But still was experiencing trouble and smashed my car into a wall because of it , that week I then used my old spektrum and spektrum pro with my truck with some playing around in my neighborhood and well it turned into another take off and smashed into a wooden plank. Luckily both wrecks didnt net much damage but it was enough for me to say enough and swapped to fasst , ran them in the same areas and not even a flinch.

I think futaba is just a higher quality product and they used a smarter approach. Im sure spektrum will be soon on there way , but as far as Im concerned Ive used futaba products only my entire life and well , it seems I made the wrong choice in going spektrum , allthough I thank them greatly. The idea spread like wildfire and wrecks or not , the fm board is the pits. I hated that truly and I love the freedom dsm gives you , glitches or not. But at that point with a system available like futaba I had to give it a try and well so far , 100% good.

My cars never took off on me at all..the servos simply go to neutral and nothing works anymore..thank god I did not have a runaway! I get ya though..futaba does have nice quality..this z1 did feel a little cheesy at first compared to the 3pk I had..I do think the z1 is more comfortable than the 3pk though..hopefully I dont have to go back to futaba..I really can not afford it..If I cant fix the gear i have now it looks like im done for the season..or most of whats left anyway.

...i agree...
.....the one variable you haven't changed is the radio...........sounds like the radio itself........maybe see if you could borrow someones Z1 and see if your equipment works ok................:tire:

Have you tried to rebind the tx and rx?

Sounds like a possible problem with the Z1. Have someone bind their transmitter to you car at the track and see if the same thing happens. If the cars work fine bound to another transmitter you have narrowed down your problem to the radio or the transmitter module.

JR has a three year warranty..... send the radio back in for repair. They are fast.

I did try rebinding, multiple times.It unfortunately did not help.The radio is brand new so it may come to sending it in,I dont know anyone personally that has a z1, if i see someone with one I will ask them.I did notice that where the pins are soldered to the board that plug into the module were not soldered very well, so that may have been the problem, i Cleaned up the connections to the board to ensure a good connection..I cant figure out how they would not have been soldered properly to begin with, everything else looked good in the tx and tx module.

Try a different location. I live on the IFR landing path. I could not run my FM remotes because of the close frequency of the beam from the Airport. When I lived in Northern Va, I worked near E-Systems (DOD) contractor. My car alarm used spread specktrum technology and would not work when parked near there. Change your transmitter batteries and go to another spot. You glitches should stop. Good luck!