Originally Posted by
AllModesR/C
I have only used 72mhz equipment since I seriously into planes several years ago and see no reason to go 2.4ghz. My JR and Futaba have all the features of the newer systems and I'll probably never get advanced enough to use all of them anyways. Plus, I have heard that exposure to 2.4ghz is not exactly good for you. 72 is virtually harmless. Being exposed to spinning knives, chemicals like glow fuel , and speeding models in the hobby why compound health risks further is the way I see it.
Anyone know what this business about 72 being for air and 75mhz for surface is all about? When you're taxi-ing a plane around you are certainly using it as a ground vehicle. I can see using a 72mhz system in a boat but not the other way around.
Using an air band radio for surface models (and taxiing a plane that is intended to fly does
not count as surface) is a truly bad idea because almost nobody sensible running a surface model wants to mess with a flying plane. And hovercraft and airboats count as "surface". So separate bands for flyers and surface. Unlikely to be enforced by law agencies, but good manners says not to do it.
2G4 is highly resistant to interference, either electronic noise or anybody on the same band. Rather than use a set frequency band that somebody with the same frequency crystal is using, it picks an unused slot, reserves it against anybody else who is on air at the same time, and stays there.
2G4 is very much microwave frequency, but the power that a model transmitter puts out is a really minute fraction of what a microwave runs at. Harm brought about by radiation from model transmitters running at approved power output is pure BS intended to frighten the gullible, and is invaribly promted by people intent on achieving a bit of their 15 minutes of fame one way or another. Radiated power from old style radios could be harmful if the transmitter was powerful enough. But at permitted model power levels, harmless.
An up to date 2G4 outfit capable of boat control can be got for probably less than the cost of converting a crystal set to either 2G4 (to keep the facilities) or the appropriate legal frequency.