There seems to be at least two different methods of frequency control used by the majority of active clubs, the "get the pin/leave ama card", or the "cover the channel number" system.

Which system is in use at your field? What are the pro's and con's of each?

For those of you that are not familiar with the "cover your channel" system, a photo of a frequency board is shown.

The way this works is as follows. ("cover your channel")
You show up at the field with your own pin, clothes pin, or other. If you wish to fly on a particular channel, you approach the frequency board, locate your channel number, place (clip) your pin over that number, and go fly. Of course this assumes that there's no one elses pin (clip) already placed over the number.
When you're done flying, you remove your pin, and place your transmitter in the impound (hopefully you remember to turn it off).

we have a round poard were you put a peg on your frequency (55-90 in the UK at 35mhz) and thats it. no TX rack no nothing, just a peg

WE pick up a pin, and put it on the transmitter when we want to turn on. At our other field we have an impound to go with it, but use the same method.

The pros are, no one turns on without the clip. The cons with the impound are, someone can grab the wrong radio if they are not carefull and turn it on. The one without the impound doesn't have that problem, but radios on a table can also be turned on. Haven't seen it happen there, but that doesn't mean it can't. I use a transmitter case and when I am not flying, the radio is in it and doesn't come out till it I have a clip in my hand.

The cover the freq method has too many pit falls. Pins get nocked off, or moved accidently, or fall off, or many other ways for it to be screwed up. I don't think that method is as safe.

I don't seem to fit your poll very well...

I'm not sure the intent of the "public land" question. Even if it's public land, the rules may be that only club members and guests with AMA cards can fly...

Anyway, three fields:

Two of them on public land, but for all practical purposes, only club members and guests can fly. Both have a frequency board, no pins. To reserve a channel, you stick your AMA or club membership card into the slot with your channel number on it. The only problem is occassionally people leave their cards. If that happens, you have to ask around, count the cars in the lot, etc., to make sure nobody's out looking for a plane in the woods, etc., before removing the card and putting it in the "left cards" slot. At one club, we have our pictures on our membership cards, which not only makes it easy to find folks on your channel, but helps you meet people as well!

The other field is on private land, only club members allowed. I don't belong to the club, but fly there as a guess occassionally. There is a clothes pin with a number on it for each frequency. You take the pin and clip it to your transmitter antenna. When you're done, you replace it. Huge problem with pins disappearing. What do you do if there's no pin, but nobody is flying on your channel? I guess you fly, hoping that nobody else (including the guy who took the pin home) wants to fly on your channel!

All three clubs have impounds, but they are not used religiously. Like most, I only use the impound if there's another flyer on the same channel as I am, which is very rare.

Mike, I clarified the question. I consider a "private" field one whereby club members and guests have exclusive right to fly, even if it's on public land.

A public field would be one where club, guests, and ama non-club members can fly.

The significance of the question is to attempt to proof my notion that the "cover" method is mostly used at public fields as a way to manage the missing 'pin' problem.

So, you yourself have discussed the inadequacies of your current method of freq control.

Does knowing that there are a lot of fields using the covering method fix that? NO!
Does knowing more flying clubs use the same freq control system save planes from getting shot down? NO!

Does another poll fix these inadequacies? NO.

Are you going to solve your problems here? NO!

Would updating your old freq system to a new system that is more safe solve all of your shoot downs? No, but it will solve some of them.

Why don't you just fix the problem and quit talking about it. It isn't going to go away no matter how many clubs use it.

You can sit and whine about it, or you can go think about it and design a better system. What kind of person are you, a fixer or a whiner?

Hahahaha..........

No to all of the above. I just like to tweak you guys, and show how wrong you are. The best way to do that is "by the numbers".


Sounds like to me you're the only one whining!

We use the numbered pin. No pin - do not turn on TX. It works well except when someone takes the pin home. In that case we ask around and if the channel is not in use we fly. People who depart the field with the pin take a lot of flak but it is good natured ribbing.

well, I guess I got my answer on that one. Your age just started showing through.

If you ever want the problem solved, drop a note, I have lots of good ideas that will work.

Have fun picking up the pieces in the mean time.

We have this old, I think it was a sign of some kind, anyway it has this steel rod that runs from one leg to the other and that's were you hang your #. We make them out of clothspins and a square piece of balsa that is glued to the clothspin with your channel written on it and when you get to the field and on the off chance a stranger is there you check the numbers to see if anyone is on yours, if not hang up your tag and go fly. We all have our channels marked down and no-one gets a new radio on your channel, if someone new joins and they are on your channel you try and buy them out, if they won't go for it you just have to share. Very,very simple and it works for us as we have had one shootdown in the last ten years.

Both clubs I belong to use the "cover the frequency" method. Both clubs fly on land that is easily accessed by anyone. Pins left there for the "remove a pin" method would soon disappear.

In the eight years I've been with one club, and three years with the other, I've never directly witnessed anyone shoot another down, and only heard of it happening twice. Once when the person flying had failed to put up a pin.

I doubt that either method will prevent someone getting shot down, and I seriously doubt that either is superior.
Dennis-

I voted for both one and two since I fly at two different clubs, and one method is used at each field.
Both are private fields (club members only).

Cleary the "take the pin" method is superior, but I can see the problem with the pins disappearing at the public fields, such as forrest preserves and parks where anyone can fly.

Too true. Both methods are only as good as the people using them.

With the way these guys are posting on the subject and the number of threads they have started, one would guess it is a problem where they fly.

Either work well if the members have the least clue, but the take the pin method has less room for error, unless someone takes the pin home with them.

You could always wire the pin to the impound with a 50 foot cord for those guys! hahahaha

We get a new magnet, complete with your name on it, for the season. (so you can tell who'se using l;ast year's magnet..) Our board is metal, so you jsut slap your magnet over the channel / frequency, and you are considered to have blocked it.

Of course, I'm sure with many clubs, that ther are alway a few who slpa it up, then leave it tehtre for the day. Nope, they do impound their radio, and do check to ensure the frequency is in fact, free. laziness I gues,s and when you're only one of three flying, it's pretty certain, you won't 'shoot anyone down'

We actually use 2 different methods of controlling Freq's, depending upon which field we are flying at.

East field (Private Field, members and guests only) We have a pole made of pvc with a peg mounted in the pvc for each freq. If we want to fly, we go and check the peg to see if it is clear. If it is, then we take our name badge and clip it on the freq.

West Field (City Property But only Club Members and guests can fly) We have a carousal with Freq's Pins. all we do is Take the Freq Pin, place it on our Tx, Take our Name badge and leave it on the carousal. That way if we should forget to return the pin ( or hogs the freq ) the other club members knows who has that pin.

So far these systems have worked very well for our club.

below is a picture of the carousal. The yellow pins have visiting pilots names and the Red pins is the Freq pin for the Transmitters.

Thanks Danny. This sounds like the 'cover the number' type system whereby you put a clip, or pin, on the "peg" that represents your channel number.

So you're argueably vague and presumably adamant in your polls validity. Now you're also arrogant. Not the best method for selling people on a new idea. As a synopsis, in the past week you've generalized the following: Responsibility for crashes due to shoot downs, responsibility for payment when someone else damages your plane, and now frequency control board design. These, your prior comments, and the above seem to point to an accident you've experienced, and possibly not come to terms with. You're gonna proves us all wrong? I don't think so, and you're intelligent enough to know better. The bottom line; what happened, what are your thoughts, and what conclusions/ideas have you come to?

**edited out response to personal attacks***


To all the rest, my apologies for having to "deal" with these attacks.

I wasn't so much attacking you as summarizing the obvious using the humorous "tweaking" method you statedly enjoy. Look forward to a real response to my questions, and our future interaction (and no doubt debate!) in attempts to better this fine hobby.

We have a set up of metal pipes, with a pin on one end, so they hang. They are numbered for the different freq options, as well as Ham band.

When we arrive, place your AMA/Club member card on the pipe according to the freq you use, after flipping it to the up position. Works pretty well.

Or when on our alternate runway, we simply ask each person what freq they are on and make note of duplicates. Most of us know who is on the same freq, take precautions as such.

Ed

I honestly thought this poll along with responses would provide good information about frequency control. I was going to respond how our club recently changed control methods and it’s effects, but since this thread has served more a purpose of throwing sand around the sand box I’ll pass.

Jeesh, it takes all kinds......

Anyway, we have PVC Tee's that have a short length of pipe attached to them to the center of the tee.

All the tee's are threaded onto a pipe that allows the short length of pipe to hang straight down. Each length has the channel number on it.

Just above each row of these hanging pipes is a wire rope going the full length.

When you use the board, you take the pipe that has your channel on it, swing it to point upward, and use your clip to attach it to the wire rope above it.

This system works pretty good in that the club doesn't supply any pins. You bring it to the field.

It's similar to the "cover the channel" method.

Have you had any problems with pins getting nocked down and people turning on when they are in the air?

It sounds like a little more positive system than others because you have more than just a clip covering a freq that can easily get bumped. Just wondered if you ever had any mishaps.

Sounds like it works from what you are saying though.

We have a series of numbered 3/4"tubes mounted verticly that you put a flag in that should have your channel, name and AMA. Since AMA is not required at the field and nobody is in charge you see people claiming chanels with screw drivers, broken props and whatever.

I've seen someone shotdown on chanel 41 and when we found someone also on the chanel they showed us that they had a flag up, only it was on 14. People ask around for a chanel to find out who has the flag and sometimes pull it while someone is up. People leave without taking out there flag (I've done it) and you get to search for 2 hours and then worry that they will come back and turn on. There is a posted 15 minute limit but nobody honors it.

The best thing is when you have your name, picture and cellphone number on the flag. More than once we have called the cellphone to find out they were at home and apologized for leaving the flag up, at least you have some piece of mind when you go up after that.

I havn't heard of another field as busy as the Basin and if someone has a better system we'd sure like to hear about it. After 45 years I think this is the best that the local clubs could come up with.

Branded, RSands asked some legitimate questions that were not an attack IMO, why not step up and answer him. Your "I just like to tweak you guys" comment makes you sound like a troller with a lot less credibility.

Basin, how many fliers are there at one time? Probably a lot from the sound of it on other threads.

about a simple board with plexi glass covered slots to put an ama or club membership card into, or maybe a drivers licence. That way you would know who it is and it would have a picture on it. They can put the card into the slot, and maybe have a slider on it so they can close it or a small pin on a chain that locks the card in so the wind or something else can't take the card out without removing the pin. That way the card can't fall out. If you have minors flying, they can use a school ID card or something like that.

You still don't have to take a pin to turn on the radio, but the ID card will be in the freq slot and can't come out on accident.

If someone is looking for the person who is on that freq, they have a pic of who they are looking for.

If someone forgets the ID, maybe have them put their cell number and home phone on the back.

Just some thoughts.

I would think you would want tighter freq control on the larger clubs to stop as many shoot downs as you can.