ORIGINAL: bruce88123
I have no problem with him swapping the TX crystal for a BRIEF test like he did as long as he made sure no other pilots were flying at the time. Improper crystals CAN (but not always) do strange things in the way of spurious signals. Swapping in a friends RX crystal and seeing if the friends TX could control the plane would be a valid test. (TX must be a compatible type of course).
Even a brief test is a no-no!!!!
I was flying a new 50cc plane on a specific channel. It's third flight.
While flying low over the field I experienced a glitch, the engine cut out and the plane augured in HARD.
I went to talk to another person there who had co-incidentally turned his radio on at this time. He was NOT on my channel....
A few months went by...
This time I was flying a smaller EP aircraft.... same channel as before... same guy at the field...
I noticed that whenever it passed in front of his location while he was flying my plane would glitch....
I went over to talk to him
It turns out he had changed his TX crystal.
I pulled out my new frequency checker which dynamically displays over/undertones, interference, etc....
Sure enough, his TX was producing an overtone signal smack in the middle of the channel that I was using ( ch 45 ).
This is because he swapped the crystals and in so doing "detuned" his TX.
I told him he owes me at the least a new airframe, but he refuses to own up.
Fortunately he also doesn't show up anymore as well.