dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

I have heard that when the number of 2.4GHZ users exceed the number of 72MHZ users that the AMA will stop lobbying the FCC to keep the 72MHZ frequencies. This will allow 72NHZ to be phased out.
I got this from a roundabout source and would like to know if anyone knows more about it.

Silent-AV8R

If that were to happen I suspect that it will be quite some time in the future. There are too many 72 radios out there still for this to happen. Since we are secondary users on the 72 band as it is there is no reason for the FCC to change our status based on usage of 2.4 GHz band radios.

As far as the AMA lobbying the FCC, it is not like that is an ongoing effort to constantly keep the FCC from taking our frequencies away from us. I sure would not lose any sleep over it.

MetallicaJunkie

i wouldnt completely phase out 72, but i know recently i have started to........ there are certain models that i will only fly on 2.4 and others that i will fly on 72 (PCM)....

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

This is exactly what I heard. Except what I heard was that other users(not the FCC) would like to take over our lightly used frequencies.

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Dirtybird,

Would you care to identify your source and provide a quote?


Thanks,
Dave Olson

Silent-AV8R

Again, there is not really much to "take over" we are already secondary users and it is hard to imagine who would want to be in that position. I wonder who would be interested?? Being a secondary user means you really have no claim per se to the portion of the spectrum and that you must accept any and all interference from the primary band user and of course cause no problems for them.

Ham radio is getting hit with this now. In NORCAL we have basically lost a whole segment of the 440 band due to the government shutting down repeaters that might interfere with the PAVE-PAWS early warning radar.

carrellh

Copy of recent email exchange with AMA President Dave Mathewson on this subject

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8612922

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

I overheard a friend of mine telling another person that a consultant to the AMA told him that while in the AMA booth at the electric festival held in the new Phoenix stadium last week. Obviously I can supply no quote.

mrbigg

My Feedback: (21)

I hope they do get rid of 72mhz. How many crashes, accidents, people being killed/hurt, etc. from interference or someone's stupidity of grabbing the wrong pin or dialing to a different frequency and forgetting that they did that? 72 has always been unsafe, but was all we had. There is a better/safer option now. Times are a changing. Thankfully, in this area of our hobby, it's for the better.

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

I have no doubt that the radio manufactuers would love to see it phased out.
I must be lucky, in 15 years I've never personally seen anyone shot down. Of course I would rip their head off for being so stupid!

skyraider71

Seems to me that the radio manufacturers are pushing 2.4 Ghz on us, not the government. JR has already
phazed out 72 Mhz, Futaba will probably soon follow.
I have never had interference problems on 72mhz. I can only recall only one frequency conflict: A few years
ago I was sharing the pin with a rookie who left his buddy box switched on. Luckily I detected the problem
during the take-off roll, not in the air. I've had few issues with 75mhz also.
I just bought a 2.4 system, but I will continue to use my 72Mhz gear while I can. I bought my last 72 Mhz
system in 2004, I planned to get ten years out of it.
I think the manufacturers brought out 2.4 so we would all go out and buy new radios, mission accomplished.
Think about this: Futaba 127DF Rx- $60. Equivelant FASST Rx- $100. A hard pill for those of us who model on
tight budets.

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

You can buy a complete 2.4ghz system for $30. The receiver is $15. You may say that is a cheap Chinese knockoff but it seems to work OK. And Futaba is also made in China these days. In the end I think the 2.4 stuff will be quite a bit cheaper than 72mhz was. The RF section contains no expensive, fragile crystal and can be made completely in a chip. They could stamp them out for a few pennies.

mrbigg

My Feedback: (21)

Time to forget about Futaba.

ira d

I would not doubt that to be the case but I think we will just have to wait and see
how it all plays out, IMO in the next 3-5 years 72mhz will largely be a thing of
the past and at some point someone will want the band.

Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

I don't think I will ever be able to trust 2.4 G- my only experience with it resulted in complete lockout of control- on my first flight using it. Once the link is lost, you never can get it back and in goes the plane. 72 MHZ has never screwed me this bad, so I will probably use it until parts/components are no longer available. Hopefully your prediction does not come about.

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

Sorry to hear of your loss.
I have been using 2.4 for two years and have never lost an airplane that was not due to my own ineptness.

skyraider71

I went to Airtronics for my 2.4 system. I wanted the 10C so I could fly 2.4 and my 72Mhz gear with one Tx.
When I saw what they wanted for it I said no thanks.

Sport_Pilot

Since many of the adjacent bands on 72 Mhz are now unused, at least the pagers, then it would make more sense for them to lobby for those unused channels and incorporate the same technology on 72 Mhz.

ira d

Once the 72 band is lost there will still be a lot perfectly fine 72 radios out we just
wont be able to use them, 3-5 is time that I predict there wont be any 72 radios
available new for sale as to how long it will be after that till we loose the band it
will be hard to say and would depend on how long before its really wanted by
some other users.

Sport_Pilot

I suspect this is an opportunity for Hitec and others to sell 72 Mhz, where Jr and Futaba do not. I don't see the demand going completely away. And as I said earlier spread spctrum could be used on 72 Mhz.

ira d

You are right about spread spectrum for 72mhz but because 72 is lower
in the band than 2.4 it would be more subjective to interference so I dont
see that happening.

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

With only 10KC bandwidth I don't think spread spectrum would work on 72. At least it would not be very useful.

Sport_Pilot

I fly 72 Hz and haven't had interferance in a decade. interferance is nonexistant because the adjacent pager bands are no longer used.

Sport_Pilot

I don't see how that matters, but we can change the bandwidth if we want to abandon the older systems.

mrbigg

My Feedback: (21)

I don't know about that. We have a pager tower close to our field and there has been mysterious crashes before-all in the same area. I got hit about 5 years ago in that area.