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[jaymac]

Planet T5 Rx antenna missing is it very difficult to replace.

[SailorGreg]

No, not difficult, just a bit of small scale soldering.  Do you have another Rx to see where to solder the wire to? Just cut a piece of insulated wire to the length of the antenna and solder on to the circuit board.  The innards slide out of the plastic cover quite easily.
If you need a picture let me know and I will get one and post it here (but not tonight!).

Greg

[john44]

Hi, jay use a fine point soldering tip there are two soldering connections close together, do not bridge them
it will make the Rex fail.


John

[jaymac]

Thanks Greg and John afraid soldering  beyond my scope though a Pic would be appreciated might find a workaround. 21st century and nobody  has come up with a superglue to replace solder.

[SailorGreg]

Well, taking a piccie of that particular soldered joint was harder than I thought! Anyway, here is the aerial junction.  To be honest, if you don't want to have a go at soldering it, I think you're going to have to throw it away, so having a go won't lose you anything.  As you say, nobody has yet invented a conducting superglue.

[Barney Magrew]

Have a look on Google, you can indeed buy a conductive glue.  I have one but bought it a while ago and can't remember where I bought it.

[davejo90]

Have a look at this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conductive-Wire-Glue-Paint-Soldering/dp/B00SRIITQ4

There are various comments about it but apparently it does work to a degree

[SailorGreg]

That certainly looks interesting, although it appears to rely on an additional layer of superglue to physically hold the joint together.  It also needs careful application, just like solder, to prevent bridging to other conductors. But perhaps worth a try if the price isn't an issue.

Greg

[chas]

Hi Jaymac, I'll urge you to learn to solder. Rightly or wrongly I've always regarded it as a basic skill for modellers, and for so many other things as well. It's not difficult, kids can do it as can old people like me. I can't imagine how I could have made my models and the installations without soldering.
Charles

[malcolmfrary]

Hi Jaymac, I'll urge you to learn to solder. Rightly or wrongly I've always regarded it as a basic skill for modellers, and for so many other things as well. It's not difficult, kids can do it as can old people like me. I can't imagine how I could have made my models and the installations without soldering.
Charles

Plus several.  Being able to solder opens so many doors in a hobby that involves wires, not only for fixing broken wires, but for creating metal parts.
Conducting glues - from what I have heard, they do not perform very well as glues. On top of that, their conductivity is not wonderful either, unless the blob of glue has bridged two points that should not be in contact.
In SailorGreg's picture, the bit you don't see is the sleeve connection, which is probably hiding under the end of the cable.

[Colin Bishop]

As Malcom says, any glue connection is likely to be unreliable. Not what you want in your power supply to the aerial which is essentail for the control of the model and it's range.

Colin

[CaptainJoshie]

Just out of curiosity is it a short ‘normal’ single piece of insulated copper multi core cable? Or is it a coaxial type cable? Can’t tell from the photo.


If your unhappy with soldering, could you take it to a local club, ham radio, model maker or TV repair shop.


If you were closer I’d be happy to do it for you, before retiring I used to do component level repairs to computers!


Don’t try the conductive ’paints’, I’ve had experience with them and they aren’t that easy or good to use! Easier to learn soldering!


John.

[jaymac]

Thanks to all for their input The existing glues I would not trust as for soldering tis more  a case of my fingers won't let me than can't and thanks for the offer John.  Just thought I'd ask in case it was just a matter of sticking the wire in a hole
Thanks again

[CaptainJoshie]

Just another thought, you could post it to me and include a stamped return envelope. I could then solder on a new aerial and send it back to you no cost  .


Should only take a few minutes.


I can PM you my address if you want to do this.


John

[jaymac]

Hi John 
             Very kind of you will try and sort out some Envelopes and be in touch
Regards

[malcolmfrary]

Just out of curiosity is it a short ‘normal’ single piece of insulated copper multi core cable? Or is it a coaxial type cable? Can’t tell from the photo.

It is a very thin coax, rated for 50 ohms impedance.  Getting a suitable length might be a problem.  A typical model setup will want a few inches.  It gets sold, typically, in 50 metre coils.  Rather more than enough for a lot of practice goes.

[JimG]

You can buy an antenna for other makes and fit one to your Planet. As an example
https://www.t9hobbysport.com/frsky-receiver-antenna
This comes with a plug fitted to the receiver end but that is easily removed and the wire can be soldered in place. Remember it is coax so both the center and the screen have to be soldered to the board.
Jim

[SailorGreg]

It is a very thin coax, rated for 50 ohms impedance. 

Is it? I replaced one of mine with a simple piece of wire and it seems to work just fine.  And if I look at the end of a genuine Planet aerial through a magnifying glass, it looks to me like a single core wire.  If it is coax, how does the signal pass the outer braid and reach the conductor?  It's not as if this is an aerial remote from the circuit board, that is the whole aerial, surely it needs to be exposed to RF?



(I am amazed that picture came out as well as it did!)

Greg

[JimG]

Any 2.4 GHz receiver aerials I have seen are coax and around 3cm of the end has had  the screen removed bareing the inner wire and insulation. The remaining coax is just an extension and doesn't receive any signal. If simple insulated wire is used it would have to be 3cm long or a multiple to suit the wavelength of the signal.
Jim

[CaptainJoshie]

Hi


malcommfray I’ve sent you a PM, happy do the soldering.


Thanks to everyone for suggesting what cable to use.


This is really useful, especially the length. When I did modelling it was with 27Mhz and the length of aerials was somewhat longer . Since my return to model boats I do now use Flysky 2.4Mhz kit so will compare the aerial cable on that.


John

[CaptainJoshie]

Hi


malcommfray I’ve sent you a PM,


John

Sorry    , [size=78%]that should be “jaymac I’ve sent you a PM”[/size]


John.

[malcolmfrary]

No worries

[JimG]

Hi

This is really useful, especially the length. When I did modelling it was with 27Mhz and the length of aerials was somewhat longer . Since my return to model boats I do now use Flysky 2.4Mhz kit so will compare the aerial cable on that.


John

You may find some difference in the aerial ends. Some receivers just use the exposed coax end and some have an addition before the bared end. These are supposed to improve the signal reception by the receiver and give better range.
Jim

[malcolmfrary]

27 and 40 MHz aerial are just a single wire.  A few 2G4 aerials are as well, and can be recognised by only being about 30mm long.  Both these cases, the entire wire is the aerial.
Most 2G4 aerial wire are a length of coax cable with the end 30mm having the shield removed.  The rest of it is there to let you place the radio where you would prefer it, and at the same time, the useful bit of the aerial where you need it.  The outer sheath is normally connected to the receivers ground plane.
I've not had one, so am relying on hearsay, but I read that the T5 is not a "full range" radio.  This might well involve the receiver aerial being just a simple length of wire 30-something mm long.