How to: Stop Radio Glitching 15 steps to stay in control Do you have any Hot Tips? Based on an article by STEPHEN BESS   PAGE THREE (OF THREE) Motor 10. Replace worn brushes. As a motor's brushes wear, they generate more electrical “noise.” If you can see sparks jumping between the brushes and commutator, what you're seeing represents a cacophony of electrical “noise.” Replace the brushes, and if the commutator's surface is grooved, pitted, or blackened, have it trued. If your motor's brushes and commutator are severely worn, radio trouble is often the result (not to mention reduced motor performance). 11. Install or replace motor capacitors. Capacitors are included with most motors and all ESCs, and to ensure glitch-free running, you should always use them. Install the capacitors recommended for or supplied with your ESC and/or motor, and replace any that are broken or cracked or seem to be otherwise damaged. When in doubt, solder one 0.1-microfarad capacitor from the positive motor tab to the center tab, another from the negative tab to the center and a third from the positive tab to the negative tab. ESC 12. It might be the speed control! In a vehicle equipped with an electronic speed control, the onboard battery doesn't just power the motor; it also powers the receiver and steering servo. Since the receiver operates on less than 7.2 volts, the ESC reduces the voltage sent to the receiver. If the voltage-reducing circuitry is damaged or fails, it may cause glitching. Likewise, a glitch that is limited to the throttle channel in an ESC-equipped car is likely to be the result of an ESC or motor problem. 13. Twist the motor wires together. If the ESC and motor check out, but you still have throttle trouble, try twisting the positive and negative leads together. At the very least, keep them close together; if you separate them, electrical noise will radiate between them. Zip-tie the ESC's power wires together to minimize “noise”; alternatively, you can twist the wires together. CHASSIS 14. Eliminate metal-on-metal vibration. If your car rattles like a bag of pop cans, you have guaranteed glitches. Have you ever seen your car's servos twitch when you touched a screwdriver to the chassis while its radio gear was switched on? The same type of interference can occur when loose metal parts vibrate on your vehicle. Tighten all screws where metal touches metal, check for worn and loose fittings, and replace rattling parts with new ones. Hot spots to watch out for include clutch-bell/flywheel contact, steel washers and linkages that pass through metal eyelets (these can be insulated with heat-shrink tubing). 15. The environment. Because your radio's frequency is not exclusive to you, there's always a chance that you'll have glitches even when nothing is wrong with your equipment. Are you the only one on your frequency? Are you under fluorescent lighting? Could large metal utility poles, chain-link fences, metal buildings, or other large structures in your driving area “confuse” your car? All of these environmental factors can cause glitching. When in doubt, run your car elsewhere and check again. Sometimes, it's the environment—not the equipment. OVER AND OUT Tracking down a glitch can take time, but luckily, there are only so many variables to check. Slowly test only one part at a time. If you replace the crystals, reposition the receiver, replace the transmitter batteries and extend the transmitter antenna all at once, you won't know which change caused the fix. Treat your radio equipment with care, and perform routine checkups on your gear. At the very least, when glitching hits, you'll know where to look to fix it. 1 • 2 • 3