Okay, so you've got your kit together, the car is loaded with radios, aircraft/helis, fuel, coffee and if lucky something to nibble on when you get hungry. You get in the car and off you drive down to the local flying field, get everything ready and you turn it on and....... nothing ! It doesn't work.

First step is to ascertain EXACTLY what doesnt work. I have received so many items that come back with a letter stating that it stopped working etc etc. I'll attempt to shed some light on various issues that I have found here in the workshop when looking at some of these returned equipments.

Transmitters.

1. Make Absolutely certain that you are using the right modulation. PPM receivers will not understand PCM transmissions (& vice versa).

2. If the screen is blank or dark and it gives the correct "beep" as you power up, check your contrast adjustment. I have had so many sets come in with a supposedly duff screen only to find that the contrast has been accidentally changed.

3. If the screen is clear and no beep, check the fuse ! Its an expensive postal service for me to change a 50p fuse !!

4. If the fuse is okay, then check the battery pack... again its expensive to post a set just for me to charge up !

Receivers.

1. If the Transmitter checks out okay, then check the receiver. If its a crystal based receiver, make sure you are on the right channel and that it matches the transmitter. Again check the modulation type.

2. Make certain that the antenna is in a good position. Clear it away from other cables (servo leads, power leads etc). If you are in a carbon based body, get as much of the antenna out as possible.

3. Power supply. Make sure that the voltage to the receiver is good. The synthesised receivers may show a green light but remember that the LED will light at about 1.2 Volt. The synth must have at least 4V to function, and 4.8V is the nominal voltage.

Servos

1. Use the right servo for the task. Skimping on a servo could have catastrophic consequences. For example.. the 810G Tail Servo is designed for electric or 30 size Helis ONLY! I have had them come back after being used on a 90 sized Heli and the customer wanted to know why the motor had burnt out.

2. When using the right servo for the job, please please install it properly (see the servo section). A servo is designed to be mounted on the anti-vibration mounts..... use them ! Properly !!

Are there any simple pieces of test kit I can carry with me ?

Oddly enough, you do not need an expensive Spectrum Analyser to test your equipment...

You can get some cheap (but good) multimeters from almost anywhere these days, I like Maplins or B&Q etc.

Carry spare fuses ! These are 5x20mm Glass 3A quick blow fuses available from again the likes of Maplins, or even from us !

Do you have a spare receiver with spare crystals ? Carry that with you just in case you need to test. Got a spare battery ? Carry a nice and easy 4 cell NiCad pack. Doesnt need to be a massive capacity, its just for test purposes.

A cheap and easy RF Sniffer is shown here.

Frequency counters are available so that you can check the channel/frequency that you are radiating on. Or failing that you could use a channel scanner but they can give erroneous readings when used in PPM mode due to the M:S ratio of the PPM signal.

If all else fails, CONTACT US prior to sending anything in that is suspect. We could save you money if its doesnt need to come in for "repair/testing".