Frequency control at your club
 

Besides designing a new logo for the club one other task I've undertaken is designing and building a new frequency control board and radio impound.

Since the club has experienced many frequency mishaps in the past couple years we need a different frequency control system (along with stricter enforcement of impounding radios).

Our current frequency board is just a matter of the pilot placing a clothespin on the corresponding frequency he/she is using.

We have a couple ideas, but would like to hear what other clubs have implemented and what the positives and negatives are?

Any pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Frequency control at your club
 

We have the board full of frequency pins and a flier needs to exchange his AMA card for the pin. If you have the pin, you have the channel. If someone turns on their transmitter, they just purchased your plane!

Frequency control at your club
 

Geistware, that's certainly a favorite.

Do you have trouble with pins disappearing into the dark reaches of flight boxes?

How are the pins stored when nobody is at the field? One concern I have is we're on public land even though vandalism hasn't been a big problem it's always a possibility. We would need a lockable board to keep the pins in but when something gets locked it automatically becomes irresistible to bust it open to see what's worth locking.

Frequency control at your club
 

We have a plexiglass board with slots for your AMA card for every freq. People leave their cards often, but that doesn't cost the club anything. I always ask first and trust the board second, but our club is pretty small.

Frequency control at your club
 

We use the same system as Geistware. Pins do dissapear on occasion but usually the person with the pin also leaves there membership card so you know who to call to get the pin back.

Frequency control at your club
 

sdr, at one club that I belong to, we use the same method as you, pin your frequency on the board......at another club I belong to, you must take a closepin with the frequency number attached to it in 1.5" letters and display it on yourself somewhere. You must have a pin before you can turn on a radio.....unfortunately, no method is fool-proof.....and you'll always have that guy that swears he didn't turn on his radio right after your plane goes down.

Mike

Frequency control at your club
 

We have a Plexiglass board and right underneath the Number board is shelves for the transmitters. Pretty basic. You take a pin, clamp it on the number you're using and then leave with your transmitter. IF you're planning on flying, then there's 4 colored cards. Red, yellow green and blue. There's 4 pilot boxes. red yellow green and blue. if you want to fly out of an empty box, then you take that colored boxes coordinating card, and clamp that with your pin to the number you're using. Then you own the box, and the frequency. We had pins engraved with our names on them and our frequency number so no matter what you know what number they're using, what box they're in, and who they are. Not fool proof, and not much different than most clubs, but it's worked so far for us. I think the most surest way to avoid a mishap is to double check every one. "Hey, you got yer pin up?" whether you know if they do or don't. And then it just becomes habit. one hands gets the radio off the shelf, and the other is posting the pin.

Frequency control at your club
 

Our club uses the same as Geistware's... and this is the same at other clubs I've flown at.
I believe it to be the best method, short of having a fulltime radio impound officer :)

You put up your card to get the freq pin. The reason this is so much better than
'putting a pin on the frequency' is that anyone can simply fling your pin into the weeds.

On the "take the pin" method... he who has the pin controls the frequency. No chance of confusion.
Even if they toss your AMA card aside, it doesn't matter... they won't have "the pin".

Frequency Board
 

Our club utilizes two rows of numbered PVC pipes very effectively - even #'s on top, odd #'s below. The pipes - 3/4" x 8" with a tee - are arranged adjacent to one another (ie: side-by-side) where a metal pipe passes through the tee's. The metal pipe is supported at each end by 4x4's sunk into the ground. Then, a PVC [numbered] coupling is slotted half way through and slips over the top of the 8" portion when in the upright position (ie: "not in use"). A length of 1/8" cable runs the length slightly above the pins which the slot in the coupling slips over and onto the 8" portion and holds the pin upright. When in use, the coupling is removed, the pin is allowed to swing down and the AMA or club member card is clipped to the down-hanging pipe. The coupling (frequency pin, in this case) either slides over the Tx antenna or can be wedged onto the antenna using the slot. We've been using the system for over 10 years now and since the PVC is very durable, the frequency board is largely maintenance-free except for the occassional pin that walks. Materials are reasonable - Two 6' 4x4's (end supports), @ 20' 1/8" galvanized cable, cable clamps, screw eyes, 2 lengths of 6'+ 1/2" galvanized pipe, 50 3/4" pvc tees, 50 3/4" pvc couplings and about 30-35' of 3/4" pvc pipe. Numbering can either be done using vinyl graphics or can be done with a permanent marker (Actually, the numbering part is the bigger PIA). I wish I could share a picture of the system - it'd make it much clearer to understand even if my description above "isn't"...! :rolleyes: But it works and it works well!

The radio impound is a simple doghouse roof perched on top of four 8' 4x4's with wire shelving mounted at an angle to support the transmitters.

Ted

Frequency control at your club
 

I like our system as there is no parts that can "walk away". There's two large sheets of plexiglass. They are about 3 feet tall and about 1/4 inch wider than 2 AMA cards the long way. Between the two sheets of plexi there is a 1/4 x 1/4 spacer that makes a gridwork just the right size that fits AMA cards. Glued to the back of both sheets are the frequency numbers so that you can see them through the plexiglass. When someone is using a frequency they put their card in the slot. Very simple.

Frequency control at your club
 

We use a Plexiglas with a slots behind the numbers on the Plexiglas. We put our club cards in (or AMA card). Then it is up to everyone to watch the frequencies. I am lucky, I think only one other member has my frequency and he does not fly a lot.

Bill

Frequency control at your club
 

THe box has a front wooden cover that goes over the whole thing. Pins do disapear but as said before, the person's card is usually left behind. Most people I find will be honest enough to replace the pin if they destroy or loose it. If I am not mistaken, each pin is about $4 or so.

Frequency Board
 

This is the frequency board I made for our club.

It is 19" wide X 26" tall X 4" thick when closed.
The box is made of sheet metal, 14 ga.I think.
The white part inside is 1/2" ply.
The dividers are 1/4" Lexan vertical and 1/8" for the horizontal.
The divider spaces are 3" wide by 4 1/2" tall. (4" tall would be plenty)
The pins were printed and laminated in luggage tag holders from The Lamination Station. (about $20 for 100 holders and 100 clips)
It was designed to only hold the 72mhz. channels as we only have One Ham band flier.

When you take the pin you leave your AMA card in the slot

Gary VanFossen
Stuarts Draft VA

Frequency control at your club
 

Here is a pic when it is not in use

Gary

Frequency control at your club
 

thats a very genius idea! club i go to sometimes is like Giestwares club

Re: Frequency Board
 

I visited a club in Nashville that has a board like that. It was very functional. My concern was when multiple pilots are on the same frequency it was difficult to know the order in which you were to fly. I fly Channel 38. There were two other people on 38. With our system (freq pins), the next card in line is the person up and you just put your card in the rear. the pin is passed to the next person and it flows smoothly. With the other system (PVC), the guys past the pin back and forth and I felt I was a bother because I had to keep asking for the pin.

Other than that, I did like that system.

Frequency control at your club
 

Gary,

That looks great. Did you by the box off the shelf? If so, where did you get it?

Frequency board
 

nav8tor,

I had a friend bend the sheet metal on a brake at work, then I welded the corners and did the rest at home.
I don't know of any thing commercially available.

Gary

Frequency control at your club
 

Sdr,
At our club we have a similar system to yours. We have about a dozen "mini" impounds lined up along the pitts, which is about 20 or 30 yards long. Each impound has 4 frequencies on the top, and when you want to fly, you put your pin on the corresponding bolt. It also keeps all the same frequencies in one area, so pilots can keep better track of who is using the frequency.
Also try to get club members to store their pin in an obstructive place on the TX when not in use. I store mine on the left stick of my radio so I have to pin up and get it out of the way.

Frequency control at your club
 

First I want to thank those that contributed so far.

After a discussion with a fellow member we feel the "take a pin" system may be the best for diminishing the clubs high "shoot down" ratio.

Another question and some input needed.

- Do any club control boards have accommodations for 6-meter "ham" band? We don't have anybody (that I know of) using this in our club, but you never know about the future.

- This is the design I have in mind right now. The frequency pins would clip to a metal rod and in each corresponding spot below would be a clip to hold the membership or AMA card of the individual that has the pin. Directly below that would be a Plexiglas slot for cards of flyers waiting for the pin, an on-deck slot of sorts.

Input?

Frequency control at your club
 

Additional frequency control suggestion:
If feasible- put a sign at the entrance to your flying field instructing that radios are not to be turned on unless you have the frequency pin, or words to that effect.

Reason for this suggestion is that I once lost an airplane when a person totally new to the hobby showed up at the field and as he exited the car flipped on his transmitter. Unfortunately he was on the same frequency as I and my airplane drilled a hole in the ground. This person was a young teenager, and had no concept of frequency control. Parents had bought him a complete setup- radio, engine, arf plane, etc.

Frequency control at your club
 

The ham ban would be a good idea whether or not you need it right now. It will only take a little more work right now rather than re-doing everything later.
I also agree with the warning sign as redrocker said. Just be sure to make it big and noticeable. We have one on the dirt road to our field that is brown with black lettering and it can be rather hard to see some days. The excitement of being at the field for the first time can sometimes distract beginners away from it.

Frequency control at your club
 

SDR,
We only have one Ham band flier at our field, so I didn't make pins for them. However, it would be a very good idea to include them.
We very seldom have multiple flier conflicts, as we only have 45 members and of those only maybe 15 regular fliers.
We recently had 2 that were on the same channel and one of them switched to a channel that no one had been using while they were at the field.

Gary

Frequency control at your club
 

Gary, one time you had two members on the same frequency and one switched? I need to fly at your field.

It's funny how there are 50 frequencies available, we have 70 members with about two dozen regulars and it seem every time I have to share a frequency. Murphy's law I guess.

I'm thinking for the ham band just one pin to cover the 6-meter spectrum. One 6-meter user in a club is rare but two, and on the same frequency... what are the odds?

Frequency control at your club
 

Just adding 2 more cents to what has been said.
Our club uses a board with closeable doors that has slots for all the frequencys including the ham bands. The board is located in the impound area which has cabinets for the transmitters. The slots have plexiglass faces with the frequency numbers on them. You simply put your AMA card in the slot and go fly. Everyone just goes to the board, checks the slot for his frequency and inserts his card. If someone is already in the slot he notifies that pilot and tells him he is also on that frequency and waits till that pilot is done flying and waits till that pilot pulls his card and then the frequency is open for use. It is a very simple process and we have been using it for years with no problems. We found that the clothes pins on the transmitters really did nothing for making it any better.