Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

[shredderteam]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

It may have slipped peoples notice, but the FRA rules are actually far closer to the American RFL rules than anything produced prior to them.
This was done very deliberately in order to make cross Atlantic competition easier.

Nearly all of the rules that have been modified for the FRA were modified either because of the difference in laws over here, or because the solution they are using has already been proved unsafe via issues with past events.

Ill answer the main points raised at the start of the thread:

1. Weight classes do need to be standardised over time, but Id suggest the 12kg limit is the far easier one to stick to.

2. The radio frequencies is none negotiable Im afraid, the ones we are using are the only ones legally available in this country.

3. The power light indicator section of the rules is due an update in version 1.2, the failsafe indicator is being moved to advisory status and only the main power light will be mandatory.

4. Removable links are again none negotiable; there have been far to many situations where the keys have snapped. Popping of links is not an issue from a safety point of view, its just irritating for the builder.. the onus is on the builder to make sure it doesnt happen.

Hope that helps

Sam
FRA safety executive

[geoff]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Sam,
Whats the problem with a temporary weight change on the feathers to help out our friends across the pond? Seems a little mean to me. as you know I fully support the light/link/radio policy as these are directly related to safety, but whats 1.6Kg between friends? Hardly a safety concern, could we not call it a guesture of goodwill?

[typhoon_driver]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

why not go half way and call it 800g?

[s8nsmum]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

I agree with Geoff, bring it on, overweight or not, well still take em. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Joe Townsend

PS. Can I still add extra armour? Please.......

[team_ireland]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Well the only thing with the 1.6kg is for pushers it would give more traction so for all the english pushers i would surgest get 1.6kg of led and strap it in there.

Regards
Ian

[fwsorg]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Or alternatively we could actually think about what were doing and put on 1.6kg of extra armour for the same effect but plus better protection :-p

[blazerbotics]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

but it would slow us down, alphas drive was designed for a 12kg robot. Storm 2 was taking of panels during series 7 to keep as light as possible. If the featherweight limit is changed it should be to 12.5 kg to keep in with the trend of the others (ie half the weight of the next one up).

[fwsorg]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Also in response to the 12kg limit being the far easier one to stick to- I dont see how- surely it is easier to go to one group of builders and say You can have an extra 1.6kg than it is to go to another and say You have to loose 1.6kg. I certainly know which group Id rather be in.

[blazerbotics]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

but the american ones are designed to have the extra weight. Im sure most feathers over here would be different if given the extra weight from the start.

[geoff]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Remember guys, we are talking about a temporary change for one event only. A Eddy says its far easier to temporally add than to temporally loose.

[geoff]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Remember guys, we are talking about a temporary change for one event only. A Eddy says its far easier to temporally add than to temporally loose.

[jim]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

While the frequencies commonly used for ground vehicle remote control in the US are illegal in the UK, the current bands in use in the UK are not the only ones available. So far as Im aware 40Mhz and 459Mhz are legitimate remote control bands explicitly for ground vehicles, and 27Mhz can be used for ground and air vehicles. This does not stop you using remote control equipment not explicitly designed for ground vehicles, such as 802.11 wireless networking and modems running on cellphones. Even IR could be used, so long as it is done safely.

Failsafe should be implemented above the physical networking layer - and it is, at the moment. All the failsafes Ive seen or built are independent of the RF equipment used. There is nothing inherently safe about the 40MHz band; it is just a set of numbers.

[teamchip]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

Jim:

No 459 mhz is not explicitly designed for ground vehicles ..it is still totally ok to use this frequency in model aircaft.

At the mo I have 2 reftec UHF transmitters that work...1 receiver and 1 (much better quality) multiplex Tx and Rx that works great ..all on UHF 259 Mhz and allowable in model aircraft and bots.

One day I will get round to using it in a bot but at the mo we are having no probs with 40 mhz.

Tom

[jim]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

My apologies, Tom. I know better now.

Im actually thinking of going to 40MHz for Cayennes refit due to the latency problems Ive had at 459MHz... but this is way off topic now.

[teamchip]

Encouraging International Competition / Harmonizing Rules

What probs have you had jim?

The main attraction to me with UHF seems to be the very short RX ariel...basically 4 inch or so wire, so very easy to mount in a bot.

From range checks I have done it seems fine and I remember flying a friends model circa 1977 when the British Reftec 1st came out and range was not a problem...the short stubby Tx ariel is also a bonus.

But like I say at the mo 40 mhz with a Quick Uk Rx antenna is working great for us...we read alot of bad reviews about this antenna but we have had no probs whatsoever radio wise since using it.

From asking around fellow modellers Becker UHF gear is supposed to be the dogs bol**cks and I also remember another British maker called Cotswold doing UHF gear.

Of course Roger Plant does a UHF conversion to your existing radio gear which is useful if you want to use your existing gear coz it may be a full computer set but it adds another box to the Rx and a clunky looking box on your Tx and is VERY expensive but evidently works ok.

Decisions Decisions.

Tom