Range checking your radio
 

Hi all

Anyone got any comments on the most meaningfull way of performing a range check ?

My usual is, helper with the plane with rx on, walk about 100 yards away with tx on and aerial up, then completly collapse the aerial and get a thumbs up from the helper re control movements.

Now how well does this equate to having confidence in remaining in full control whjen the model is at xxxx yards from me ?

Model = "Sparky 400", converted to Glo with Thunder Tiger 09.
New GWS "Micro 6" 35mghz rx with proper GWS xtal (not dual convertion as far as I can tell)
rx antenna fed through the fuselage (leaving 18" hanging out the back)
~ 10 year old Futaba 6 channel TX fitted with new Futaba xtal and new nicad pack.

No problems so far, but I havn't been flying that high or far away (yet)

RE: Range checking your radio
 

The only thing different from the situation you described is to do that with the engine running. You want to it with the engine running because it will show you if the vibration is causing problems in your electronics, also if there are any RF interference problems (this is more common on gas motors, but not unheard of on glow models). Also, as you range test move the radio with the collapsed antenna pointing at the model to it pointing away from the mode. Other than that, what you describe is doing just what you need to do.

Hope this helps

RE: Range checking your radio
 

Thanks for the input Ken :)

Does this proceedure pretty much guarantee that my model will still be in range when flying at a distance of ...... having trouble now relating "percived distance on the field" to actual feet !! - lets say a distance where, with care, and my average eyesight, I can still make out the full shape of the model and see what direction / attitude it is in. (The Sparky 400 is about 50" span, with full fusalage and tail feathers)

RE: Range checking your radio
 

If you are doing the range check at 100 yards with the antenna down you can feel pretty safe that you will be able to control the plane as far as you can still see it. With today's radios you can still control the plane further away from you than you can see.

RE: Range checking your radio
 

100 Yards? Do you mean 100 feet? There is a big difference, and there is no reason for you to be walking 300 feet away from your model for a range check. 100 feet is sufficient. A lot of radios will run out of range with the antenna down at over 100 - 150 feet anyway. Mine will fly with the antenna down (don't ask how I know :eek:), but I wouldn't try it again (knowingly).

RE: Range checking your radio
 

Yeah, I agree. 100 feet away is very good (normal) with the antenna collapsed. 100 yards is doubtful.

RE: Range checking your radio
 

To go one better, do the range check with the engine off, then do it again with the engine running. The range check should be the same, or very very close. A noticeable drop in range means you have a problem you should look in to. This applies to electrics as well. Turn the motor on and off at just under max range.

RE: Range checking your radio
 

I gotta share my range check story. Went to the field Sunday, last weekend, with my new Sukhoi. I had flown it Saturday, but was using a receiver borrowed out of another plane. So Sat. PM it got its own receiver, new servos on the rudder/elevator (Hitec 6345's, nice for the $$). Sooo, Sunday am I went to do another range check. Range check was 4.0 with engine off, but with engine on I only got about 10 feet away before it started going crazy. "Great" I think, and start thinking about what metal on metal contact I could possibly have that would be inducing that much fluctuation. Well, the throttle servo had twitched and killed the engine, so I looked around the engine, and seeing nothing suspucious, I started up again and started walking away. This time I got more like 20 feet away, but it was back, just as bad as before. Now I'm getting mad, lost a flying day because I'll have to go get another receiver. It's then that I notice that my flying buddy has laid his transmitter down in the shade of my wing while he warms up his Twist.
"Hey" I say, "Is that thing on"

"Yeah"

Well duh. Once he turned off his transmitter, not suprisingly the range check was good. Talk about unnecessary scares.

Andy

RE: Range checking your radio
 

Yes sorry I meant feet !

Thanks for the info guys, I was asking because I started another thread on this forum, re tip stalling, and I was recomended to get up wind and high up, and practice doing it on purpose to learn how to recover.

Therefore I wanted to know how high I could safely go, to give me the best chance of recovery before the hard stuff jumped up and bit my model !

So this weekend it's "go out and practice spin recovery" time - wish me luck :)

RE: Range checking your radio
 

Your biggest concern should be if you experience a significant difference from previous range checks. Of course there has to be a 'first time' for everything :)

Jerry

RE: Range checking your radio
 

Yeh - I used to do allot of thermal soaring with 3mtr gliders, when you get into a "brick lifter", and your model is just a speck in the sky, you always have that urge to do an odd control movement, just to check it's still in range !

That was on 27mg A.M. a few years ago now !
I have to say I don't ever recall getting any glitches, ever with that faithful old "medallion" radio.