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Knowledge and diligence
are the keys.
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Are
you among the many people who are using the new 2.4 GHz
spread spectrum radios? Are you wondering why your club
still requires the use of frequency pins and/or is
impounding your radio as it does the 72 MHz radios? It's
because your club's leadership is smart.
It is important
that those using these radios do not fall into the habit of
not using the frequency control system. Many who use spread
spectrum radios also have "regular" radios on one of the
conventional RC frequencies.
Perhaps in the future it will
be reasonable to change the frequency-control systems we
typically use, but for now it makes sense to treat these
radios the same way we do any other radio. This is how we
intend to manage the spread spectrum radios during events at
the National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana, and is what we
are recommending for any AMA sanctioned event.
This is not
to say that we should not take advantage of this new
technology where it is beneficial. Establishing an area for
small electric models or helicopters to fly, separating it
from the "normal" flying facility at a club and restricting
that area to spread spectrum radios is a reasonable thing to
do.
We are considering offering such a facility in Muncie.
Such an area would allow more members to fly, particularly
when the rest of the facility is closed to open flying
because of a special event or competition.
A number of
manufacturers have become involved with this new technology,
and taking full advantage of spread spectrum technology must
be addressed. Until such time as the majority of modelers
are using this technology—and I expect that will take a
number of years—we need to be sure that we do not fall into
the habit of not using a frequency-control system so we
avoid problems when we use our "normal" RC systems.
In my
April column I wrote about electrics and the dangers
involved in using Li-Poly batteries. That column was well
received. I have had a number of compliments on it, but I
also had a couple of people think that column might scare
some of the readers away from electric flight.
I hope not,
because electric is almost certainly the wave of the future
in aeromodeling. There is no reason for the dangers to scare
anyone away from this power source. The intent of that
column was to increase the respect for and knowledge of
Li-Poly batteries and charging systems in order to reduce
the number of incidents.
Being slightly afraid of those
batteries isn't a bad thing if it increases the focus and
care with which we use them. It is probably a good thing if
it results in learning more about how to use them safely.
Avoiding Li-Poly batteries because of fear is an
overreaction and results in people not being able to enjoy
the benefits of this wonderful technology.
It's important to
be careful while using these batteries, but there is no good
reason to be paranoid about it. Learn as much as you can,
and apply that knowledge and you will be as safe with these
batteries as you are with other power sources. Knowledge and
diligence are the keys. If you don't know the answer, don't
be afraid to ask a friend or go onto the Internet and
research the question. One difficulty I have seen with many
Li-Poly batteries is the need to solder a connector onto the
pack before it can be used, and the soldering skills of our
average member are not as good as we would like.
If you are
experienced at soldering this type of connector and have the
proper equipment to do the job, you might consider
volunteering to put on a soldering demonstration during a
club meeting.
Or you might offer to help your fellow club
members solder their packs. You might do the job for them or
it could serve as a little one-on-one soldering class. If
you are a club officer, you could recruit someone to do such
a class during a club meeting.
I'll offer a hint: a 40-watt
iron with a larger tip, which acts as a heat reserve, will
help when soldering these connectors. Using a lighter iron,
which takes too long to heat things, will result in
overheating the connector and the wire. It shouldn't take
more than a few seconds to heat the connector enough to flow
the solder and complete the job. MA
Until next month ...
Dave Brown, AMA president
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