frequency choosing

Feb 05, 2004 12 Replies

Hiya all



Anyone in South Africa that can help me with choosing a suitable frequency for ground AND air use?



Sort of planning on a Hitec Eclipse 7, which I will use for everything from experimental cars to kite hung cameras to gliders to anything else that'll fly silently or nearly so.



Should I askall the local flyers what freq they have and get something they don't have?



swarf, steam and wind


-- David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\

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Hi,

You could also try:

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Met vriendelijke groet ;-) Ron van Sommeren near Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Unless SA is different from most other civilized countries, you can't use the same frequencies for both air and ground use.

This page on the SAMAA site lists the legal frequencies. There are several bands to choose from (27, 35, 53, 54, 60 MHz). It appears that only 35 and 60 MHz are aircraft only, so it would seem reasonable to see what the radio mfgr has to offer on 27, 53 or 54 MHz (or buy an RF module for each band you decide to use). Of course it would be a good idea to check with the locals re the future of these allocations and other users that may interfere.

Abel

| Unless SA is different from most other civilized countries, you can't use | the same frequencies for both air and ground use.

Is the US considered civilized?

Here, you could use 27 mhz or 49 mhz frequencies both on the ground and in the air.

You could also use 900 mhz, 2.4 ghz or 5.8 ghz.

If you have a ham radio license, 50 and 53 mhz are open to you, and I believe most of the other bands are too (but I'd have to check the regulations to be sure.)

There's probably some more frequency bands that I've forgotten to mention, but this should get you started. In fact, the only bands are

*specifically* allocated for ground or air use are 72 and 75 mhz.

Would you seriously consider using 27mHz for anything other than a cheap foamie? And, when was the last time you say an RC system on 49mHz, 900mHz

2.4gHz or 5.8gHz? I was only referring to realistic expectations.

Realistic for others may not be as limiting as it is for you!

| Would you seriously consider using 27mHz for anything other than a cheap | foamie?

Well, the danger with 27 mhz has always been CB and people with R/C toys. The CB threat has diminished somewhat -- it's probably on par with the pager menace in 72 mhz now, but the kids with their cars are still a danger.

Still, there's quite a bit of R/C stuff on 27 mhz out there.

| And, when was the last time you say an RC system on 49mHz

All the time, actually. The permitted power is limited, but there's lots of R/C stuff on 49 mhz. Mostly things that don't fly (cars, boats, robots, etc.), but some planes.

| 900mHz 2.4gHz or 5.8gHz?

The poster asked for a sutiable frequency. I don't know about South Africa, but I pointed out that the US has them.

Of course, one could just argue that the US isn't civilized. Certainly, it's been done before ...

| I was only referring to realistic expectations.

27 mhz is perfectly realistic for US use. 49 mhz limits your power too much for many uses, and for the other bands (except for the ham 50/53 mhz ham bands) you'd probably have to make your own equipment.

If you want something you can legally for both ground and air use, and you don't have a ham radio license (easy to get), and you're in the US, 27 mhz is probably your best bet. Of course, the risk of interference is probably higher than in the 72 mhz band ...

Of course, he was asking about South Africa ... obviously neither one of us knows what frequencies they have available.

(Of course, *any* frequency that permits ground vehicles *at all* might be considered unsutiable by you. Even the ham bands. But which is worse -- to be shot down by some kid with his new R/C car on 27 mhz, or to be shot down by somebody setting up his new R/C park flier on 72 mhz? Or shot down by somebody with an R/C boat on 72 mhz, using equipment salvaged from a plane? Or, using the ham bands, shot down by somebody pumping out 1500 watts in the next city? Ultimately, any time you go up, you run the risk of getting shot down ...)

Why are you such an as..oh, forget it. You aren't worth it. Show me one ad in a model magazine for a 5.8gHz RC system.

True enough, but why take unneccesary risks with frequencies not specifically designated for your intended use?

Abel Pranger scribed in :

thanks Abel can't load that page now, may be a web problem so I'll try later

swarf, steam and wind

-- David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\

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Ron van Sommeren scribed in :

vele danke Ron. Ek sal by die groepe aansluit.

swarf, steam and wind

-- David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\

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Paul McIntosh scribed in :

hmmmm. seems SA is not civilized after all, as there *are* dual use frequencies. but then, this is darkest Africa so it's hardly unexpected (-:

swarf, steam and wind

-- David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\

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\ / ASCII Ribbon campaign against HTML E-Mail > - - - - - - -> X If you receive email saying "Send this to everyone you know," / \ PLEASE pretend you don't know me.

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