170
NEWS FROM Colorado: Continued from
last month is the story of the Arvada
Associated Modelers Airpark. The photos
and information were contributed by Chris
Sturm.
Creative Frequency Control: Now that
we had two runways, separated by
approximately 1/2 mile, we needed to have
some way to providing frequency controls.
One of our members designed a unique
way to monitor frequencies for both fields.
The resulting frequency control system
consists of two impound buildings connected
by approximately 2,000 feet of 200 wire-pairs
telephone cable. Each control board consists
of 54 individual modules, one for each
channel.
The channel numbers are painted on the
mounting board above each module so that
all of the serviceable modules are identical.
In the event of a failure, a replacement
unit can be easily installed for any frequency
and location. There are 50 modules for the 72
MHz channels and 4 modules that can be
customized for any of the 50 and 53 MHz
channels.
The modules measure two by six inches,
with three physical locations for the
placement of a magnetic frequency pin. The
top location marks the frequency as “in-use,”
the center location indicates someone is
waiting for the frequency, and the bottom
location parks your pin when you are not
ready to fly.
There are three light emitting diodes
(LEDs) on each module. When a pin is
placed at the top location, the magnet closes a
reed switch which activates a green LED at
that location and a red LED at the other
location. If placement of the pin fails to
activate the green LED, then a system failure
is indicated and the frequency is not cleared
for use.
When a pin is placed at the center
location, a yellow LED turns on at both
locations to indicate that someone is waiting
to use this frequency. When a pin is placed on
the bottom location, no LEDs are turned on,
pins can be stacked one on top of another in
order of who is next to move to either the
wait position or the flying position.
One club member controls fabrication of
the magnetic frequency pins to assure that the
proper magnetic polarity is maintained. The
pins consist of a piece of 1/16 plywood the
size of an address label with two permanent
magnets glued to the back and a plastic label
holder glued to the front.
When a club member pays his or her dues
and shows proof of AMA membership, the
club membership coordinator issues a pin and
an address label for each channel the member
has that shows the name, channel number,
year, and club logo. The label holder on the
pin can hold all of the channel labels the
member has with the current channel-in-use
showing.
There is a telephone system between the
two impound buildings for direct voice
communication. “Hey! Who is hogging
channel 24?”
A small solar panel and a 12-volt car
battery at each location powers the entire
system. If both telephones are on hook and
there are no pins on any frequency location,
then no current is drawn by the system. All
that is required to activate the system is to put
up a pin or pick up the telephone.
This was a very labor-intensive
undertaking and thanks to the 20 club
members who donated more than 1,822 manhours,
we were able to complete the project
in two months.
The cost/value of the system is as
follows:
Donated material $ 4,050.00
Parts purchased by the club 3,617.85
Donated labor at $16/hour 29,152.00
Total value 36,819.85
Pit Benches: The same club member who
designed and built the starting tables,
mentioned in last month’s column, designed
the pit benches. The material and type of
construction for the tables was in keeping
with the decor already established in the
design and construction of the impound
structures we had just built. Consideration
was given to durability and functionality.
The design also included the addition of a
tray at the end of many tables. The tray is
intended for flight boxes and preserves the
table area for airplane assembly.
With the help of many club members,
this project was completed in short order and
the tables now provide both pleasing and
functional support for our fliers.
Funding: As one of the largest clubs in
AMA, Arvada Associated Modelers set up a
new field fund and strict annual operational
budgets each year. A $75 field fee from each
new member augmented the new field fund.
Our Free Flight training program, offered
each Thursday night when the flying field
opened to students with instructors, proved to
be our greatest fund-raiser. A constant flow
of new members helped our new field fund
grow to a point where the fund provided
more than 50% of our new field cost.
Assessing all current members a one-time
fee of $200 covered the remaining cost. We
currently have more than 300 members, two
flying sites, and believe it or not, very little
“waiting” to fly.
The gravel mining operation adjacent to
the flying site provided 500 tons of gravel for
the parking lot and pit areas at minimal cost.
Several local equipment rental businesses
gave us discounts on equipment rental, and at
least one-third of our members gave many
hours of their time to design and build this
new flying facility.
The flying site is on open prairie land,
and there were some prairie dogs in the area.
We worked with the city of Arvada and the
prairie dog specialists to relocate them from
our building site to the overfly area. With all
of the construction in the Arvada area, the
overfly area was also an ideal location to
relocate many of the prairie dogs that had lost
their homes due to urban development.
It has been a long process to acquire a
location and implement the design and
construction plan for a world-class model
airplane site, but through the efforts of the
site committee and the support of the city
government and the citizens of Arvada,
Colorado, the Arvada Associated Modelers
have a beautiful new permanent home.
We invite all AMA members to come
visit our new facility.
Associate Vice Presidents
Max Hansen, 1909 Wisconsin SW, Huron SD
57350
Nathan Lancaster, 3597 S. Kendall Street, Denver
CO 80235
Fred Hildebrand, 4015 Somerset Circle, Casper
WY 82609-3161
Troy Lapp, 1619 Wichita Dr., Bismarck ND 58504
Travis McGinnis, 8027 W. 81st Circle, Arvada CO
80005
Don Moden, 410 Hart St., Salina KS 67401
Jim Ricketts, 4921 Fernwood Drive, Sioux Falls
SD 57103-5573
Jack L. Sibert, 3611 Kimberly Circle, Lincoln NE
68506-4524
Mark T. Smith, 14632 W. 50th Street, Shawnee
KS 66216
Mike Weidner, 6535 Foxdale Circle, Colorado
Springs CO 80919-1788
Frequency Coordinator
Steve Mangles, c/o Radio Service Center, 918 S.
Sheridan, Denver CO 80226
Colorado / Kansas /
Nebraska / North Dakota /
South Dakota / Wyoming
Russ Miller
Vice President
980 N. 3rd St.
Carrington ND 58421
Phone: (701) 652-2321
Fax: (701) 652-2994
E:mail:
[email protected]
District IX Report
mar03.qxd 12.19.02 10:28 am Page 170
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/03
Page Numbers: 170