does 2.4 have more range than 72Mhz?

How far can I fly my airplane with either of these remotes? (FPV)

No one can give you a distance that will represent every brand of transmitter/receiver or installation. It just doesn't work that way. To learn more will require a substantial commitment by you regarding obtaining an education in RF electronics, law, current rules structure, etc.


Ed Cregger

Both are basically line of sight, and I believe neither AMA nor Homeland Security allow flying your air vehicle out of direct sight .

Alex keeps exploring this line of thought.

Alex please remember that all it takes is ONE idiot ( and I don't mean you ) to ruin this hobby for the rest of us.

Current AMA rules prohibit Remotely Pilot Vehicles, as does the FAA.

First person view is also not permitted as a means to control the plane.

Two people must be involved when using FPV equipment in a plane.

The Pilot must maintain and fly the plane w/o FPV equipment, while the "guest" or passenger, may operate and use the view.

At all times line of sight control must be maintained.


Consider merely mounting a camera on the plane.

This is much cheaper, easier to do, and is a better investment.

You will tire quickly of the FPV stuff, and it will be money wasted. It doesn't hold interest for very long.

what was the question?: How far can I fly my airplane with either of these remotes?
I don't have any other questions, when I do, I will post that specific question. thanks

The actual question you posted was "How far can I fly my airplane with either of these remotes? (FPV)"

The answer to "How far can I fly my airplane with either of these remotes?" is
Properly installed, farther than you can see with the naked eye.

That is the LIMIT of the range.

The actual answer using the AMA & FAA rules is "As far as you can see it to control it without using FPV to pilot the plane."

i think opjose was just hitting home at the point you were asking the question in relation to - going by the other posts made in the beginners section i think it was about making the plane fly extreme distances, etc on cameras

Other factors enter the equation, which is why the OP cannot get an exact number, assuming that one is possible, which it isn't. Yes, there are theoretical maximum operating ranges, but much of that is as it is because of legal considerations. Which brings us to our first set of info from the OP that needs to be known. Which country are you intending to operate from? Then, which available band are you planning to use that is available in that particular country? Some countries use different RF bands with different power levels and antenna types being permissable. This is just the beginniing of the things we need to know in order to accurately answer the OP's original question.


Ed Cregger

How far will the frequency ranges listed fly your model? Far as you can see the attitude of the model. This can change depending on the size, type and shape of the model, but seeing as you can't actually see what the model is doing regardless of the foregoing beyond about 1/2 mile, and the radios have an airborne range of several miles, the absolute range of the equipment is of no practical interest other than the range of most modern radio (park fly stuff excepted) is 'adequate'. If you don't know what the model is doing, you can't fly it so 'range' is only what you can see.
Evan, WB #12.

His profile states that he is in Florida.

Maybe he wants to do some airborne gator hunting?

Just as long as he doesn't want to incorporate a remote detonation feature. Those poaching laws can be a bear here in the USA. <G>

I can understand having the curiosity to question such things. After all, that is one of the reasons that I became an electronics technician specializing in RF equipment, deployment and propagation. But, just as the OP is discovering, that old two word phrase that has thrown a bucket of water on many a fiery curiosity ("It Depends") hit me square in the face. At that point some folks continue forward, undiscouraged (me), but many decide that finding the answer really isn't worth spending any time on the subject, so they move on to something else, such as baking, pulling teeth, selling anything and on and on.


Ed Cregger

Yup Jose - that's actually my plan...go far out west and fly over the everglades - not for gators though...just for fun - BUT - a tuna spotter plane out in the ocean would be very cool too! thanks for the idea!!!- I can think of lots of ways I can "land" back "on" the boat or close enough if I use a glider - or big floats ... now that's a project!!! hahaha

Experimenting different things is why I love this hobby. I am most conformable when I step outside of my comfort zone because that's when I am experimenting new things and getting unexpected results therefore surprising myself- - So many cool ideas, so little time and money []

Now, if people don't like to experiment new things and just "go by the manual" that's fine and I respect that because it's safe and enjoyable, but please...respect my ways too, if I want to try different things. I am taking all the precautions necessary and that's all you need to know.

Even with precautions it is unfortunately illegal no matter that you may be flying over uninhabited areas, even if it seems silly that it is so.

Your mistake may cost the rest of us, if it happen to incurr publicity.

We modelers object when our resources are being abused by someone that hasn't done their homework. Meaning that there are legal frequency resources available as well as commercial grade equipment that would make your endeavor legal and much safer, albeit a tad more expensive.

By misusing our hobby's frequencies and equipment, your mistakes may cost the rest of us dearly.


Ed Cregger

I cherish the right to have radio control Models, and do not want some idiot to wreck it for the rest of us.

Some more things to also take into consideration when talking about range: Which reciever you're using, where/how it's mounted in the plane, proximity to anything metallic in the fuselage, metallic structures in/around the airfield, level of terrain, etc.
All of these things can and will affect the useable range of your aircraft.

you are breaking the law...simple! i dont even live over there and i know that. there are laws in place to protect everyone...and by some select few messing around with the laws it puts a poor image on the rest of us. i will respect anyones view and quite frankly every person can do their own thing but as others have said...it has an impact on all of us when your doing something very silly and not using the correct gear.

i would LOVE to do something like you want to do myself...fly away a good distance and use cameras to fly...but simple matter is...i am not going to buy the right gear and am not going to risk being an idiot and ruining the hobby or endangering somebody else just because i want to have fun.

may i ask what fpv cam you are thinking about useing?
because unless you spend some serious cash, the range on that video cam will much less than line of site, maybe 500yards if that.

this is a non issue because a $100 fpv viedo cam cant (or the ones that i have seen) transmit very far.
also i have a $50 video cam. it transmitts about 200-300 yards in the air. enought to climb to altitude, look around and see the world around me. its cool but the video feed is unreliable and will drop off quickly without being able to see the model it could be very ugly .
the picture quality is not great and i could do the same thing w/ a digital camera and get a much better result

What a load of bologna.
I cannot "respect your ways" at all.
From what I can tell you are going to intentionally violate laws that could encourage the government to take my toys away.

Hey guys it was a tech question not a legal or moral question. As a amateur extra class license holder for 20 years I can tell you that the lower the frequency the longer the range and the more efficient the transmitter. I fly IMAC and really large aircraft and we get out there but my data logger on my 33 percent edge rarely show any frame losses... Radios are really good for what they are designed to do. Nothing is worse than the helpless feeling of still having control but unable to read the attitude until you hit the ground... Which get easier to lose as the years go by..

I have 9000 hrs of flight time full scale and believe me models are very small and way below us.. It looks like you are much higher than you actually are when standing on the ground. Flying over our local field in a Cessna it looks like flies buzzing around down there... Way down there! and I am at 1000 to 1500 AGL..

As a practical thing I remember when rc planes flying off was a common occurrence and somebody lost one almost every weekend.. Stomping thru tall grass looking for them. They were much larger and not made of foam back then..... And we never killed anybody... Nor did the paranoid government give a damn... Maybe that's why companies like the Dragon Link folks sell so much stuff.. And nobody really dies. An electric, styrofoam airplane can't get very far in the 10 minutes the batteries last. Couldn't hit anything if you tried more than likely and this discussion is pure fear... Actually the only accidents I have ever seen are some idiots who can't fly getting over his head trying to hit the runway or what ever and ending up in the parking lot.. It usually takes human intervention to really screw up and hit something of value when flying.. I remember when this hobby was fun, creative, innovative and this country free..

I think when using of the shelf commercialy availble radios 72 and 2.4 proberly have simlar range in any case they both will allow you to get the model
farther away than you can see it. That being said about 1 to1.5 miles is about the best you could hope for using the standard of the shelf made for
hobby radios. The AMA has a rule that 72mhz flying sites have to be at least 3 miles from each other unless they have a freq sharing agreement.

So think about it if planes can be flown at two sites 3 miles apart with out interfearing with each other that lets you know what you can expect as
far as range although range can vary based on location and terrain.

Its a two year old thread, hope he got his answer by now

It was an old thread but a reoccurring one... Thanks for the logical reply Ira d.

The problem is all it takes is ONE story to ruin it for everyone.

There was a backlash because of the idiot who decided to fly a small electric 450 size heli in a park, only to have an equally idiotic bystander walk right into his flight area....
That person ( "victim" ) received many deep cuts to the face, and made national news.... as did the RC UAV over New York, the 33% hit by an stunt pilot during a low pass, etc. etc. etc.

Many who discount the problem, haven't looked into the repercussions faced with such "tiny" accidents.

Only by having fairly controlled flying rules are we able to keep the FAA out of our hair.... so blowing off efforts to keep amature UAV pilots in line only makes things worst.

Heck I've seen a small foamy glider pilot get sued because his plane hit a spectator's new car parked in our club's parking lot...
Furtunately the judge was quite reasonable and put the risk and consequences on the driver... but this too made the news.