AN INTRODUCTION
TO R/C EQUIPMENT
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CHAPTER 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO R/C EQUIPMENT |
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Modern radio control equipment is extremely reliable and easy to use. You don't have to be an electrical engineer to install and operate a radio control system. Radio systems normally come complete, ready to take right out of the box and install in your airplane. All you have to do is plug the connectors together, charge the batteries, and it should work! A typical R/C system consists of the following four major components: Your new radio system will probably also include several other accessories
such as a plastic servo mounting tray, different sizes and styles of servo control
arms, rubber servo mounting grommets, a servo extension chord, and a frequency flag.
The instructions included with the radio system will help you Identify all of these parts.
1) The transmitter is the hand-held control box that the pilot
uses to fly the model. It transmits a coded radio signal through the air,
in much the same way that a radio or TV station does. The transmitter is powered
by a built-in rechargeable battery.
2) The receiver in the airplane picks up the transmitted signal, interprets it,
and then triggers the actions of the servos.
3) The servos are small electric motors mounted in the airplane
that actually move the control surfaces on the model. There is normally one servo for
each control surface. The servos take their signal from the receiver and they
move in proportion to the stick movement on the transmitter.
4) The battery in the airplane provides power to the receiver and servos.
Nickel-cadmium batteries, usually called nicads, are used in most R/C models because they
are rechargeable.
RADIO FREQUENCIES Only one R/C model can be flown on a frequency at one time! In order to fly more than one
model at a time, they must be on different frequencies! The signals from two transmitters
broadcasting on the same frequency would interfere with each other,
resulting in a total loss of control and both models crashing. The R/C system you buy will be pre-tuned to broadcast on only one of these approved frequencies,
and unlike a TV set or AM/FM radio, it cannot be quickly switched to another
channel simply by turning a dial. In order to change the frequency of an R/C system,
it must be sent to a factory authorized repair center for re-tuning. For this reason,
it is important for you to give some serious study to the question of what frequency to
select for your new radio. Take time to ask the experienced R/C fliers in your area for
their advice on frequencies. They will be able to tell you if there are any frequencies
you should avoid locally. Some of the frequencies may be overcrowded with fliers, meaning
your flying time will be limited when you go out to the field. There could also be one or
two frequencies in your part of the country that suffer from interference from
high-powered non-modeling transmitters that operate on nearby frequencies
(this is rare, but it does happen occasionally).
One of the first things you must decide when buying a new radio system is
to select which "frequency" (channel) you want it to broadcast on.
Currently there are 50 frequencies approved by the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) for the
exclusive use of R/C model aircraft. These 50 model aircraft frequencies are in the 72 MHz
(megahertz) band of the radio spectrum.
FCC APPROVED RADIO FREQUENCIES
FOR MODEL AIRCRAFT USE ONLY
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Channel 11 |
- 72.01 MHz |
Channel 36 - |
72.51 MHz |
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Channel 12 |
- 72.03 MHz |
Channel 37 - |
72.53 MHz |
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Channel 13 |
- 72.05 MHz |
Channel 38 - |
72.55 MHz |
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Channel 14 |
- 72.07 MHz |
Channel 39 - |
72.57 MHz |
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Channel 15 |
- 72.09 MHz |
Channel 40 - |
72.59 MHz |
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Channel 16 |
- 72.11 MHz |
Channel 41 - |
72.61 MHz |
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Channel 17 |
- 72.13 MHz |
Channel 42 - |
72.63 MHz |
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Channel 18 |
- 72.15 MHz |
Channel 43 - |
72.65 MHz |
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Channel 19 |
- 72.17 MHz |
Channel 44 - |
72.67 MHz |
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Channel 20 |
- 72.19 MHz |
Channel 45 - |
72.69 MHz |
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Channel 21 |
- 72.21 MHz |
Channel 46 - |
72.71 MHz |
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Channel 22 |
- 72.23 MHz |
Channel 47 - |
72.73 MHz |
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Channel 23 |
- 72.25 MHz |
Channel 48 - |
72.75 MHz |
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Channel 24 |
- 72.27 MHz |
Channel 49 - |
72.77 MHz |
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Channel 25 |
- 72.29 MHz |
Channel 50 - |
72.79 MHz |
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Channel 26 |
- 72.31 MHz |
Channel 51 - |
72.81 MHz |
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Channel 27 |
- 72.33 MHz |
Channel 52 - |
72.83 MHz |
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Channel 28 |
- 72.35 MHz |
Channel 53 - |
72.85 MHz |
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Channel 29 |
- 72.37 MHz |
Channel 54 - |
72.87 MHz |
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Channel 30 |
- 72.39 MHz |
Channel 55 - |
72.89 MHz |
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Channel 31 |
- 72.41 MHz |
Channel 56 - |
72.91 MHz |
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Channel 32 |
- 72.43 MHz |
Channel 57 - |
72.93 MHz |
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Channel 33 |
- 72.45 MHz |
Channel 58 - |
72.95 MHz |
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Channel 34 |
- 72.47 MHz |
Channel 59 - |
72.97 MHz |
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Channel 35 |
- 72.49 MHz |
Channel 60 - |
72.99 MHz |
FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION: Most active flying fields use
some sort of frequency control system to help avoid interference. Typically, this
involves a series of clothes pins, each with a channel number, which requires you
to have the correct pin before "switching on." Also, be sure that your transmitter
is equipped with an AMA-approved "frequency flag" to enable other
fliers to readily see which channel you are operating on.
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