Focus on Competition-2004/12
Technical Director Steve Kaluf [email protected]
I'm sorry I've missed a couple of months' worth of columns. (Did you even notice they were gone?) I'll try to fill you in on a few important topics that you may need to be aware of.
Broadband Over Powerlines (BPL)
We've talked about this quite a bit in the last year or so. First and foremost, it's important for me to say that to the best of our knowledge (and we have done a great deal of research), BPL sites are not causing any interference issues with RC systems currently, nor do we expect them to.
As you probably know, AMA has filed comments with the FCC regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that was issued on the topic. AMA is also closely aligned with the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) and other organizations/companies in this matter. Many AMA members have asked me why BPL could be so injurious to amateur radio (ham) operations and not bother radio control much or at all. This is a concept I struggled with early on. However, if you look at it from the standpoint that ham operators listen for a signal from (typically) a remote radio station—a signal that is very weak in power because of the long distance it has had to travel—things begin to make more sense.
In contrast, our RC systems operate in relatively close proximity to each other (transmitter to receiver). The signal is also line of sight, which increases the strength of the signal hitting the receiver. In the case of ham radio, it does not take much to interfere with the signal.
AMA continues to monitor BPL. We look for new test and operational sites to monitor. Additionally, the legal firm that represents AMA before the FCC continually looks for information on our behalf.
On a BPL-related matter, a couple of months ago an apparent interference issue was reported to AMA HQ at Darby Dan Airport, just outside Columbus, OH, during a large flying event. A couple of high-end aircraft had been lost, and the organizers of the event were searching for answers.
Because of the interference being encountered, the organizers made the tough choice to close the event down. This cost them several thousand dollars, yet it was the right choice to make from a safety standpoint. I applaud them for making this tough call. I worked with the organizers early on to try to help them locate the source of the interference. Unfortunately there was not too much that could be done remotely, and decisions had to be made quickly.
Roughly two weeks after the cancellation of the event, we decided to take the opportunity to monitor the Darby Dan site and see if it could be determined what took place at the event. AMA Special Services Director Carl Maroney and I went to Darby Dan along with Frequency Committee member Dan Williams. Dan has a great deal of technical expertise; District II is very lucky to also have him as its frequency coordinator. We brought equipment to help locate any interfering signals:
- Dan Williams: a couple of different antennas and an ICOM scanning receiver.
- AMA: a spectrum analyzer.
- Additional gear: a trainer aircraft and an FMA FS-8 receiver with viewer software (thanks to Fred and Tim Marks from FMA Direct for supplying this equipment).
To make a long story shorter, after a whole day of monitoring and flying the FS-8 receiver, we found nothing. The Darby Dan site is very clean. A complete report of our findings is available on the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/comp/Frequency%20Report-Darby%20Dan-ver3.htm. We did make a contact that relayed a possible problem with another person flying RC less than one mile from the Darby Dan site. We are currently trying to confirm that, which leads me to the next point.
When a member calls about a possible interference issue, one of the first things I ask is, "Have you checked the local area (at least a two-mile radius) for other people flying RC?" Nine times out of 10 they tell me they have. Unfortunately, the majority of the time they have not checked closely enough for what we currently have flying. Simply stated, aircraft are now available that did not exist even five years ago and are capable of flying almost anywhere. This means that driving around looking for runways is no longer a valid method. I even have an electric helicopter I fly in the house; how's that for a nonstandard flying site?
The point is that we have to be more careful than we had to be five years ago. Someone may be a half mile from your flying site with a half-acre yard. He pops out for 10 minutes one Sunday afternoon for a quick flight. He never gets the aircraft more than 50 feet from himself while flying, so operations at your flying site don't bother him. In the meantime, someone at your flying site crashes a 60-size sport aircraft. It bothers this aircraft because it is 1,000 feet or more from the transmitter. By the time you go looking for an interference source, the person who flew the yard-size aircraft is back in his house watching TV. So you must now be much more diligent than you ever were when looking for this type of thing. I also suggest traveling around with a scanner at times to look for sources of interference.
So what else do you do? I wish I had a really good answer to that question. Some practical steps that can help include:
- Work hard to involve everyone in your area with models in your club's activities.
- Work with your local hobby shop, if you have one, to educate customers who buy these types of models.
- Provide a simple flyer about your club—its location, contact info, services, etc.—for the hobby shop to distribute. This will at least let people know where you are.
The popularity of this type of aircraft continues to increase and is a boon to our hobby. However, it is also creating some interesting problems in some areas. Keep your eyes open!
The 2005-2006 Competition Regulations
The 2005-2006 Competition Regulations (rule book) will appear on the AMA Web site on roughly January 1, 2005. As I mentioned a month back, several significant changes have taken place that may affect the way the book is produced. One of the most significant is that the Web version—not the printed version—of the book is official. This was done to ensure that all off-cycle amendments, such as urgent changes, are immediately incorporated and available in the online rule book.
Also, rule books will no longer be automatically mailed with sanction certificates. We will still have printed copies available; however, they will not be in the form we are used to. They will be available in sections (e.g., RC Aerobatics), produced on decent-quality paper by a copy machine at HQ.
Again, it is important to understand that the books will only be current at the time they are sent to you. If a new rule change goes into effect, your hard copy will be obsolete the next day.
Our rules-change cycle is now only two years instead of three. The new cycle starts January 1, 2005. Basic rules-change proposals will be accepted until the end of September 2004. If you want more information on the whole process, the complete Contest Board procedures are available on the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/Contest%20Board%20Procedures%20Changes_v2final.pdf.
If you are in the northern areas of our great country, winter is closing in on you; it's time to get your equipment winterized. However, if you are from the South, why are you not flying? Burn some fuel, wind that rubber motor, or do whatever you do to fly; it is the only way to stay on the top of the competition ladder.
'Til next time ... MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
