6M radio Gear

| I have seen some discussion around regarding 6m for RC. | | I have a couple of questions ! | | Does anyone know if this is legal in Australia? So far I have not been able | to confirm or deny it.

I'd ask the local ham radio people. I know nothing of the laws in Australia ...

| If it is, what brand of gear is available? and from where?

All over the place, at least here in the US. Ham radio R/C gear is relatively rare, but most manufacturers do make it. Check Tower Hobbies, check eBay ... | Personally I would love to get 6M gear! if it is legal here in Aus, as There | would never be a freq clash.

Well, you might actually clash with ham radio operators talking to each other. Here in the US, I belive you can use up to 1500 watts on the 6 m band -- that could certainly drown out your wimpy 1 watt transmitter.

| I would be curious if anyone uses any other ham bands for RC.

I believe it would be legal in most cases, but the AMA doesn't allow it for it's members (only 50 and 53mhz) and there's no pre-made equipment for it, so it's almost unheard of.

Of course, a good ham could modify or build new equipment to use other bands ...

Ummmm, I think you might want to think that through a little. It is VERY possible that you would experience a lot MORE "frequency clashes".

MJC

Google search led to this document:

It looks like the primary allocation below 52.0 MHz in the 6 meter band is allocated to broadcast (television channel 0). Amateurs have a secondary allocation, but you have to operate 120 km from main channel 0 stations, cannot cause any interference to reception, etc. So, that could stand in the way of using half of the 6 meter R/C channels (the 50 MHz ones).

As for the other half of 6 meter channels (the 53 MHz ones), there are some conflicts with other uses on the band plan (e.g., national voice calling frequency, simplex data, repeater outputs) that would have to be worked around.

Basically, it looks like using 6 meter R/C transmitters designed for US R/C channels in Australia is quite a bit more complicated than just getting the appropriate license.

As someone else suggested, I'd talk to local hams to get more info.

It is legal here in Sweden and probably in other countries too, but as others hass described it is a shared frequensy.

Guess what, I'm both a ham-operator and a rc flyer, and I live next to one of two remaning TV transmitters using 50MHz in Sweden, so I cant use 50MHz at all... (out of ~700 tv transmitters, we have 2 left on 50MHz, the rest is on UHF)

We actually have our field as close to the antenna as you can get, and although it is a 60 Kilowatt transmitter (60 000W) it doesnt interfere with our 35 MHz flying band, I'm not sure I would trust a 50MHz radio in that enviroment though ;-)

| We actually have our field as close to the antenna as you can get, and | although it is a 60 Kilowatt transmitter (60 000W) it doesnt interfere with | our 35 MHz flying band, I'm not sure I would trust a 50MHz radio in that | enviroment though ;-)

I'll bet it does decrease your range by desensing your receivers. Fortunately, most R/C stuff is good to 1.5 miles or so, and your eyes probably aren't, so you've usually got range to spare.

I imagine that if somebody did get *too* close to the antenna that they would still lose control. :)

As far as legalities in Aus, I really couldnt say. As far as equipment, I have both a Futaba 6XAS and Futaba 9C on 6 meters. Love em both. Not sure if Airtronics or JR does 6 meters. I believe one of them does but couldnt tell ya which. For rx's, if you need micro, FMA sells some for 6 meters and so does Direct RC (Berg 6). I have used both. The Berg 6 is about half the price of the FMA Quantum 6.

I have NEVER had any kind of frequency clashes with my 6 meter gear. I can always turn on just the rx and the plane will sit there nice and quiet without the slightest twitch unlike my planes with 72mhz rx's which usually would act like an epileptic at Starbuck's. The only actual freq "conflict" we have run into was at the Sepulveda Basin field where an elderly gentleman was actually on the same freq my dad uses. He landed, gave up the pin, my dad flew his. I have yet to run into anyone on my channel. If there were more micro receivers available on 50mhz, I wouldnt use 72mhz equipment at all.

| | |I have seen some discussion around regarding 6m for RC. | |I have a couple of questions ! | |Does anyone know if this is legal in Australia? So far I have not been able |to confirm or deny it. | |If it is, what brand of gear is available? and from where? | |Personally I would love to get 6M gear! if it is legal here in Aus, as There |would never be a freq clash. | |I would be curious if anyone uses any other ham bands for RC. | |Bob in Aus

I noticed that JR advertises their high end products as being

50/53/72 Mhz. What do they mean by that? I am assuming that the radios do not come able to be on 6m plus 72.

That would mean they make radios for 50mhz, 53mhz, and 72mhz. Each radio would be single band, not multi. The 50mhz radio would operate only on 50mhz and so on. The Futaba 9C, however, uses a removable RF module to set its frequency. I use mine for both 50.820 on 6 meters and channel 38 on 72mhz by switching the appropriate modules back and forth. Works great!

Thanks for all the responses,

Well, I do have an appropriate VK callsign and was aware of the bandplans.

It just does not clearly say 1 way or the other if it is legal or not!

I was hoping for an answer from someone in Aus who may have had a definitive answer.

Guess I will phone up the regulatory body and ask a direct question then.

For a lot of the reasons already stated, I would love to have a 6M setup, Certainly would be no freq clashes with other pple on 35Meg channels here in Aus!

I guess I will find out if it is legal, then pursue the availability of equipment.

Bob in Aus

VK5THB

Ahh. It sounds like I should have asked you instead of resorting to Google. :-)