Written by Don Belfort Tips for transporting your transmitter As seen in the Winter 2015 issue of Park Pilot
Most of us take great care in packing and transporting our models to a flying site to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition. The transmitter’s need for care and handling is often overlooked—left to become part of an “RC omelet” getting scrambled in the trunk of your car. This can easily lead to switches, sticks, or your transmitter’s antenna breaking. There are many commercially available transmitter cases that can hold one or more transmitters and support supplies, depending on your needs and available space. A walk through the reusable plastic container section of your local supermarket with your transmitter’s dimensions in hand is an inexpensive way to go. The plastic container could be fitted with soft foam to create a protective enclosure for your transmitter. In a pinch, a soft towel wrapped around the transmitter, which is then placed in a beverage tray, will offer some protection. Now that you have gotten your transmitter safely to the field, how is the battery performing? I have been at my local flying site and witnessed fliers not even getting two flights out of their transmitter’s battery before the low-voltage alarm sounded. You should cycle your batteries once or twice a year, depending on the type of battery chemistry you are using, and replace them when their performance falls below 80%. Usually, your transmitter’s battery performance will slowly degrade over time, allowing you to preplan for replacement. In the pre-2.4 GHz days, careful handling and routine cleaning and lubrication was required to keep your 72 MHz antenna looking good and working well. No one wanted to have one of those ugly bends on the thinner sections of the antenna. This happened whenever the antenna would not easily slide when collapsing the section. Our 2.4 GHz antennas can pivot from side to side. It is common to crack the antenna housing, allowing the antenna to rotate around its mount and possibly break the internal antenna wire, resulting in reduced range.
A transmitter with a broken antenna should not be used. Antenna replacement cost is reasonable and can be done by a modeler or the transmitter’s manufacturer.
A buddy of mine crashed three models before realizing that the transmitter antenna was the problem. Some pilots will continue to use a transmitter with a broken antenna mount, with the antenna being held on by only the internal antenna wire. This is unsafe, asking for disaster, and should never be done! Replacements are inexpensive and can be installed by the modeler or the manufacturer. At the field, your transmitter is at the mercy of the elements. A cold day can reduce an already weak transmitter battery pack’s performance. A rainy flying session that soaks your transmitter can come back to haunt you weeks later from the effects of the water. You may have seen fliers putting plastic bags over their transmitters when flying in rainy conditions. At the 2014 NEAT (Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology) Fair, Saturday, September 13, was a rainout. Throughout the day, fliers took to the air with expendable models, despite the rainy conditions. Some covered their transmitters with plastic, while others let them get soaked. A great piece of support equipment to put on your wish list is a Radio Glove by LIMAC Products (limacproducts.com). This high-quality canvas, felt-lined glove has a transmitter retaining strap and easy open/close Velcro seams, an internal structure that keeps the glove from interfering with transmitter sticks, and a clear, hard window to view the transmitter with a slot for a neck strap.
The Radio Glove by LIMAC Products is a must-have for any all-weather pilot. It will bring new comfort to your flying. This high-quality product should last a lifetime.
On your next grocery-shopping trip, check out the reusable, plastic container aisle for an inexpensive transmitter case. Line it with foam for protection.
In a pinch, a beverage tray and towel can offer your transmitter some protection to avoid the RC omelet syndrome in the trunk of your car.
Although there are some safety concerns when you cannot clearly see your entire transmitter, safe operation is possible with caution. A great YouTube video by LIMAC Products gives you a tour of the Radio Glove in action. With a little cleaning, care, and battery replacement when needed, your transmitter will give you years of reliable service.
Because of good care and handling, Art Pesch’s Futaba transmitter has remained in new-in-the-box condition for more than 30 years.
While attending a fly-in at the beautiful Eli Field in Monticello, Illinois, during the summer, I spoke with Art Pesch of Hobbico. Art was flying his model with a 30-plus-year-old single-stick Futaba transmitter that looked brand-new. I asked Art how he did it and he replied, “Just treat your transmitter well and it can last a lifetime,” as he slid it back into its carrying case. Till next time, fly safely.
