Carbon Fiber Hulls - 2.4 radios questions

[Skullcracken]

Confused about radio/receiver signal disruption. I bought an MHZ carbon kevlar C5000R and the previous owner left the receiver antenna in the boat. I only have a range of about 30ft. I have two identical 32 inch cats with carbon fiber inlay, one has a range as far as I'm comfortable driving it away 150+ yards with the receiver antenna inside the hull. The other with the same radio and receiver also with carbon fiber inlay has about 40yds of range. I know that carbon fiber disrupts the signal, but why the inconsistency? Is there a radio/receiver combo I can use with carbon fiber inlay? I don't like the antenna out of the hull look.

[keithbradley]

Anything that conducts will block radio signal. In the case of carbon/kevlar, the carbon content will effect radio, kevlar will not.
If the entire boat (including hatch) is not carbon fiber, the height of the carbon fiber inlay up the sides (and the height of the sides/design of the boat) can provide different levels of radio blockage.

[JimClark]

I had a hydro that was totally carbon. I drilled a .750 hole where I wanted the antenna and filled the hole with regular fiberglass where the antenna tube exited. never had a problem with my spektrum radio

[viper1]

Confused about radio/receiver signal disruption. I bought an MHZ carbon kevlar C5000R and the previous owner left the receiver antenna in the boat. I only have a range of about 30ft. I have two identical 32 inch cats with carbon fiber inlay, one has a range as far as I'm comfortable driving it away 150+ yards with the receiver antenna inside the hull. The other with the same radio and receiver also with carbon fiber inlay has about 40yds of range. I know that carbon fiber disrupts the signal, but why the inconsistency? Is there a radio/receiver combo I can use with carbon fiber inlay? I don't like the antenna out of the hull look.

Regarding your question about inconsistency; You could check the actual RX antenna length, this is the stripped end of the antenna, it's the only part that radiates a signal with 2.4Ghz systems. It should be 29mm or very close. From the factory many are incorrectly trimmed, drawback of mass production I guess...

I would still recommend to feed the antenna outside the cf hull though..

[Southwest]

This has been an on going problem from day 1 and someone on one of the forums said to ground antenna inside boat with carbon fiber and then extend antenna to the outside of boat to make it consistant. I'm just going by what i read from years ago. How they gound the inside, they said but i don't remember. I'd just put antenna out side and forget it, better than losing boat cause of looks.

[viper1]

This has been an on going problem from day 1 and someone on one of the forums said to ground antenna inside boat with carbon fiber and then extend antenna to the outside of boat to make it consistant. I'm just going by what i read from years ago. How they gound the inside, they said but i don't remember. I'd just put antenna out side and forget it, better than losing boat cause of looks.

This sounds vaguely like a solution for FM radio's, for using a whip antenna. You mentioned:"Years ago"?
The above concerns 2.4Ghz, where the antenna is already shielded. Grounding it is something different, that would give you zero range if applied with 2.4

[Southwest]

Years ago! 2.4Ghz came after the original posting of carbon fiber in boats and then things , such as reception by rx's came into play. I doubt i can find those postings as sites were'nt around when the subject came into play. Now if i remember RRH didn't hatch till 2001 and was very popular site around but it got hairy in later years. Guys were experiment to find answers as the knowledge wasn't available as it is nowadays. Now something just hit me like a light bulb; they did gound the antenna inside boats with carbon fiber but the rest of info escapes me now. Oh well can't remember everything. Most boaters then used am as fm wasn't in the picture till later on when Andy Kunz and his escs really got boaters to thinking tech. I'll shut up as the cobwebs as the dust is getting moved around.LOL!

[jcald2000]

Carbon fiber blocks 2.4 period. Get the ant. up and out of the hull in a plastic ant. tube, vibration will wear away the coating on the ant. wire and short the ant. out otherwise then kiss you investment good-by.

[chipgibbs]

I have a Tactic radio and the receivers don't even have an antenna outside the box. My under construction Cheetah has Carbon /Kevlar inside the hull but, not on the hatch. Any ideas on how to defeat a potential reception problem?