TOPIC:

I have a vintage Frog and I am using a Futaba radio also an ECS, the problem i am having is when I connect power ( The Battery) the Frog seems like it wants to take off it like its making rapid connect and disconnections if I use the throttle it works ok except when I stop sometimes it starts again. Any help in figuring this out would be greatly appreciated.

This could be interference in the radio connection, or not

Is the steering servo "vibrating" and twitching?
You should check the length and condition of your receiver antenna wire. Also check if the transmitter antenna is screwed securely to the transmitter, and not broken.

If ok, the ESC is probably the cause. Have you done the initial set-up of the ESC as the documentation describes?

-Lars

Hi Lars,

Thanks for the reply the problem is the Frog has sit for about 20 yrs and I just pull it out and rebuilt it. I replaced almost everything except the electronics.

- New front suspension, New bumper, New steering uprights,
New - full gear-box, New 540 motor, New rear swing-arms
and universal shafts/boots, New Shocks, New front tires,
Full bearings throughout.

I will try your suggestions and hope I can fix it. I bought
it from a guy when I first got it and I didn't get any
documentation on the ESC the receiver wire looks like full
length never been cut it was just wrapped up with a zip tie.

Other than the jumping and it wanting to take off every so
often its running great. But I;ve gotta get the problem figured out before an accident....
Thanks again for your reply
Roger

Does the reciever have BEC? and what ESC are you using?

I'm just wondering, for example, if you hve an old, non-BEC receiver and are using a Tamiya ESC - which outputs whatever voltage the battery delivers (something like 8.5v for a just charged nimh pack), rather than the 4.8-6v that an RX can handle ...

Jonny,

Speed Control says:

" Aristo Craft hirec ( SP2040R ) with reverse & B.E.C. system "

I can't make out anything on the receiver as the original owner had it wrapped in foam and when I removed you can't make out the writting any longer.

Thanks

finsup1962 wrote:

...receiver wire looks like full
length never been cut it was just wrapped up with a zip tie.

That is not good.
The antenna wire should be stretched out and secured to the metal rod of the Frog (one of them if you have both)
The receiver will not work properly if the antenna wire is wrapped up and tucked away.

-Lars

Sorry for the confusion the antenna wire is on the wire up right holder tied at the top then the excess pulled back and bundelled and wire tied

finsup1962 wrote:

Sorry for the confusion the antenna wire is on the wire up right holder tied at the top then the excess pulled back and bundelled and wire tied

sorry for the mis spelled Bundled

IIRC some people have reported issues with the metal aerials ... it might be worth trying a plastic tube instead ... probably not a bad thing, I know it's not original, but those metal aerials seem to make crashes twice as bad - the actual crash bends them, then there's a second crash as they spring back & launch the car again

I take it you've tried the obvious like putting the transmitter aerial up & turning it on BEFORE plugging the car battery in? Has it got suppressors (capacitors) fitted to the motor & are they in good order? Another thing to try is keep the transmitter away from the car when you attach the car battery - some cheaper or mismatched radio equipment gets glitchy if the transmitter & receiver are bought too close together. Try a different set of crystals, or move to 2.4GHz - with all the cheap chinese RC toys about nowadays, 27AM & 40FM are flooded with interference. Another thing to watch is truck CB radios (if you're close to a depot of some kind). Er, what else... oh yeah, check the radio/ESC communication wiring & plugs for dirt or breaks, especially the on/off switch on the car (if one's fitted). Regarding the BEC thing, if you want to cross it off the list, plug a 4xAA battery into the receiver instead of the lead from the ESC - if it suddenly starts behaving, this will be the problem, & can be corrected using a 7805 5 volt regulator chip (pence & easy to install as long as you can use a soldering iron). Let us know how you get on