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Author: Subject: Whippy stuff? (non-Locost again...)
David Jenkins

posted on 28/8/11 at 02:31 PM Reply With Quote
Whippy stuff? (non-Locost again...)

Any suggestions for where I can find about 6" of thin, whippy round material for making an aerial support for my tricopter? It can't be metal or carbon-fibre as that would affect the R/C receiver's aerial, so it will have to be plastic or GRP, around 3 - 5mm diameter.

My first thought was some material from the thin end of a fishing rod, but I have no idea where I could get some of that...

Oh - it should also be cheap...






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Kwik

posted on 28/8/11 at 02:39 PM Reply With Quote
arial doesnt need to point up, just needs to be laid out so it doesnt cross over itself, so just run it down one of the 'legs' of the tricopter with cable ties or something...
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Canada EH!

posted on 28/8/11 at 02:39 PM Reply With Quote
What about a Tamiya aerial tube, I have several but there 3000 miles away from you.
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snakebelly

posted on 28/8/11 at 03:27 PM Reply With Quote
doesnt wd40 come with one?
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David Jenkins

posted on 28/8/11 at 03:38 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Kwik
arial doesnt need to point up, just needs to be laid out so it doesnt cross over itself, so just run it down one of the 'legs' of the tricopter with cable ties or something...


Each leg carries the power supply for an ESC (electronic speed controller) and its control cable, so the scope for interference is very high.,, I'm trying to keep the receiver and aerial far away from those as possible. The 2.4GHz aerial is very short, so it won't take much to keep it in order.

This is the sort of thing I want to do:

(my tricopter will be near-enough identical to this one - same receiver too!)

The Tamiya aerial tube sounds promising - a visit to ebay is required.






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dave r

posted on 28/8/11 at 04:01 PM Reply With Quote
wouldnt a cable tie work ?





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deltron63

posted on 28/8/11 at 04:30 PM Reply With Quote
if your coming past Mildenhall, i've got some
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rusty nuts

posted on 28/8/11 at 04:32 PM Reply With Quote
Heat shrink perhaps?
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David Jenkins

posted on 28/8/11 at 04:52 PM Reply With Quote
My explanation wasn't very good - the receiver's aerial is made up of a length of thin wire, a plastic enclosure that probably contains a coil of some sort, then a tiny bit of wire that is the aerial itself. You can just about see this in the picture above.

I need a bit of round stuff to hold the plastic enclosure up from the model, so it can't be *too* whippy or floppy as that would just collapse when the model goes at full speed (these things can be FAST!) - just bendy enough to withstand the occasional prang.






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Kwik

posted on 28/8/11 at 05:04 PM Reply With Quote
been in the hobby a long time for all sorts, forgot you had wires running down the legs...

how about just have it on the underside?

im just wondering if the wire was long enough to tangle in the prjopellers mid flight as the thin tube comes loose of something, then you have lost it. plus having it attached to the frame it can act as an emergancy tether to hold the reciever onto the frame if it comes loose..

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HowardB

posted on 28/8/11 at 05:37 PM Reply With Quote
there is a source of very thin GRP, I understand that it is used to make Roman blinds, I had some, and it was quite good for this sort of thing, however in the true spirit of locost, how about a drinking straw, might mean a visit to McVomit where they have them for free, or even buying some.

hope that helps,.. :-)





Howard

Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)

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Kwik

posted on 28/8/11 at 05:55 PM Reply With Quote
or the little straws you get with drink cartons...
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David Jenkins

posted on 28/8/11 at 05:57 PM Reply With Quote
It'll have to be a bit tougher than plastic straws!






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r1_pete

posted on 28/8/11 at 07:28 PM Reply With Quote
How about a plastic welding rod? Think I might have a couple in the tool cab...
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Angel Acevedo

posted on 31/8/11 at 01:36 PM Reply With Quote
Lollipop stick?
Or if you are into models, you may make a rod with fiberglass strands out of Woven FG and some epoxy? if you have some





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Macbeast

posted on 31/8/11 at 02:09 PM Reply With Quote
Model shop PTFE actuator rod ?





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David Jenkins

posted on 31/8/11 at 03:00 PM Reply With Quote
That's a thought...

I'm also wondering if my wife has any knitting needles hidden away - if I can find one that's not too brittle it'll be ideal. She doesn't knit anything anyway, so they're not exactly indispensable!






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Mr Whippy

posted on 31/8/11 at 03:10 PM Reply With Quote
the stuff you are after is called - rc aerial tubing

It is very common and used in r/c cars

As above the aerial wire does not have to be vertical, it can be tied to the frame, just keep it way from motors and speed controllers



li nky

[Edited on 31/8/11 by Mr Whippy]





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