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I've seen several references on the Internet about trimming the receiver wires on the Spektrum receivers, but I haven’t found anything that was really clear as to why. I’ve used these radios for a while now- and they work fine in stock form - but I’ve not raced with them - yet.

So what is the advantage in modifying these ~$100 receivers? Does it depend on the track – indoors, outdoors, etc.? The car? Is it purely aesthetics by being able to conceal the wire within the body? Is it just a myth?

Please share your experiences!

Only reason I trimmed mine was to eliminate the antenna going through the body. I saw no decrease in range/performance, etc.

I would not trim it. Some say the length is tuned for the particular receiver. If I am running on a small track, I never run an antenna outside the body. The newer DSM tech does not require it.

how long are these antennae? I would think they are very short, and easy enough to conceal?

I would highly suggest NOT trimming the antennae, as they should be trimmed to provide a physical wavelength parameter, 1/4 wave or something similar. trimming it should radically reduce it's dynamic performance, not that it still wouldn't work within a fair distance, but it's signal to noise it dramatically reduced, increasing your chances of radio loss. 2.4Ghz has a 1/4 wavelength of around 1.25" inch.

One thing you could do is to make an antenna "loom".

Take a scrap piece of lexan and drill holes in it to take up the extra antenna. Drill the holes so that when you thread the wire through it makes a zig zag pattern.

This way, if you race at tracks of vastly differing sizes you can put in or let out antenna wire to suit your range needs.