Robert Johnson

Recent changes in the amateur radio regulations can put a ham license within easy reach of almost anyone. Many RC fliers have taken advantage of the new licensing regulations, and many more are thinking about it. Discussions at club meetings and fly-ins have convinced me that many new and prospective hams do not have a clear understanding of the rules and practices relating to the "remote control of model craft" (Federal Communications Commission terminology) via amateur radio. Many six-meter "old-timers" who are not active in other phases of ham radio are not aware of the newer types of non-RC activities in the six-meter band. Club officers and contest directors who have responsibility for frequency control and compliance with the AMA Safety Code and Radio Control Utilization Plan seem to be singularly uninformed as to what constitutes legal six-meter operation. This article represents an effort on my part to change all that.