Ran D. St. Clair
Member
I would like to start a respectful but potentially passionate discussion about FPV Video Frequency Etiquette. I am primarily talking about the 5Gh frequencies commonly used by quad racers and sport flyers in general.
I would guess that anyone who flies FPV with any regularity has been “shot down” by someone powering up on their video frequency and blinding them. I know I have…
It seems to me that this is actually a complex topic with many conditions and points of view, but there is a simple solution. Before powering on, check your goggles to make sure the frequency is clear. Do this each and every time. This does not guarantee that someone else won’t turn on and crash you, but it does virtually guarantee that you will not crash someone else.
Now for some of the angles…
If you are flying in a controlled environment, like a club field, and your club has a method of frequency control, like clothes pins or tokens of some sort, then you can be reasonably assured that you have the frequency. As a matter of convenience, you might skip checking the frequency before you power on, but it is still a good practice.
If you are flying in an organized event, like a quad race, with some sort of organized system of frequency control, then you might skip checking the frequency….
If you are flying in an uncontrolled location, like a public park, or any place where access is not controlled, or no one is “in charge”, then you should always check to make sure the frequency is clear.
When entering an uncontrolled area, it is polite to speak to whoever is already flying and try to coordinate your frequency use, but that alone is not enough.
If you are flying as a group in a public space, like a group of buddies who regularly get together and practice quad racing, “might does not make right”. You do not have the right to claim ownership of certain frequencies nor do you have the right to demand that every private citizen who enters that public area coordinate through you for access to a frequency. Writing your name on a frequency board, or some similar activity means nothing in a public space.
Obviously, you do not have the right to “turn on” in an effort to chase off anyone who is not a part of your anointed group.
I should also mention in passing that the 5Ghz band that we use is not supposed to be open to the general public. It is reserved for use by Hams, which means you are supposed to have at least a Technicians license. You are also expected to self identify which can be done in several ways, but one of the easiest is to display your call sign in your heads up display. I realize that most FPV pilots are not Hams, and may not even be aware of the requirement, but it is worth mentioning that Hams have long standing procedures for sharing frequencies and they include checking to make sure the frequency is clear before you transmit.
More angles…
We don’t all have the same equipment. There are multiple overlapping channels within the band, and it is often difficult to figure out how Boscam, Fatshark, or Raceband, etc. channels relate to one another.
Also, different equipment has different ways to control what frequency is being transmitted. Some are controlled with buttons and LEDs, some are controlled via the heads up display (HUD), some are controlled via transmitter stick inputs like “pit-stick”. Some transmit at full power immediately when powered on, and some transmit at very low power until you set or at least confirm the frequency via the HUD.
All of these confounding issues make a real mess of the situation, but none of them prevent you from looking for “snow” in your goggles before transmitting.
If your gear has no provision for changing channels without powering on and transmitting at full power, then I suggest you invest in some 50 ohm loads that you can install in place of your transmitting antenna. Even then, the power you transmit may be excessive. An alternate solution is to just wait until your pre-set frequency is clear.
Attitudes…
I have spoken to some nice folks who seem to think that the idea of checking to ensure the frequency is open before powering on is unacceptable. Their exact words were, “That is not going to happen”.
When I asked them why not, it came down to one issue. They considered it too inconvenient. It is inconvenient to use their HUD to select a different frequency, it is inconvenient to change the frequency with buttons, or it is inconvenient to remove the antenna and temporarily install a 50 ohm load.
They can’t even be bothered to look into the goggles for snow before powering on, and as far as they are concerned, they should not have to. They are, some of them, expert pilots, and they have been operating this way for years now. It is almost beyond their ability to imagine why they should check to see that the frequency is open before powering on. As far as they are concerned, anyone who doesn’t check with them to clear their frequency gets what they deserve…
Comments?
I would guess that anyone who flies FPV with any regularity has been “shot down” by someone powering up on their video frequency and blinding them. I know I have…
It seems to me that this is actually a complex topic with many conditions and points of view, but there is a simple solution. Before powering on, check your goggles to make sure the frequency is clear. Do this each and every time. This does not guarantee that someone else won’t turn on and crash you, but it does virtually guarantee that you will not crash someone else.
Now for some of the angles…
If you are flying in a controlled environment, like a club field, and your club has a method of frequency control, like clothes pins or tokens of some sort, then you can be reasonably assured that you have the frequency. As a matter of convenience, you might skip checking the frequency before you power on, but it is still a good practice.
If you are flying in an organized event, like a quad race, with some sort of organized system of frequency control, then you might skip checking the frequency….
If you are flying in an uncontrolled location, like a public park, or any place where access is not controlled, or no one is “in charge”, then you should always check to make sure the frequency is clear.
When entering an uncontrolled area, it is polite to speak to whoever is already flying and try to coordinate your frequency use, but that alone is not enough.
If you are flying as a group in a public space, like a group of buddies who regularly get together and practice quad racing, “might does not make right”. You do not have the right to claim ownership of certain frequencies nor do you have the right to demand that every private citizen who enters that public area coordinate through you for access to a frequency. Writing your name on a frequency board, or some similar activity means nothing in a public space.
Obviously, you do not have the right to “turn on” in an effort to chase off anyone who is not a part of your anointed group.
I should also mention in passing that the 5Ghz band that we use is not supposed to be open to the general public. It is reserved for use by Hams, which means you are supposed to have at least a Technicians license. You are also expected to self identify which can be done in several ways, but one of the easiest is to display your call sign in your heads up display. I realize that most FPV pilots are not Hams, and may not even be aware of the requirement, but it is worth mentioning that Hams have long standing procedures for sharing frequencies and they include checking to make sure the frequency is clear before you transmit.
More angles…
We don’t all have the same equipment. There are multiple overlapping channels within the band, and it is often difficult to figure out how Boscam, Fatshark, or Raceband, etc. channels relate to one another.
Also, different equipment has different ways to control what frequency is being transmitted. Some are controlled with buttons and LEDs, some are controlled via the heads up display (HUD), some are controlled via transmitter stick inputs like “pit-stick”. Some transmit at full power immediately when powered on, and some transmit at very low power until you set or at least confirm the frequency via the HUD.
All of these confounding issues make a real mess of the situation, but none of them prevent you from looking for “snow” in your goggles before transmitting.
If your gear has no provision for changing channels without powering on and transmitting at full power, then I suggest you invest in some 50 ohm loads that you can install in place of your transmitting antenna. Even then, the power you transmit may be excessive. An alternate solution is to just wait until your pre-set frequency is clear.
Attitudes…
I have spoken to some nice folks who seem to think that the idea of checking to ensure the frequency is open before powering on is unacceptable. Their exact words were, “That is not going to happen”.
When I asked them why not, it came down to one issue. They considered it too inconvenient. It is inconvenient to use their HUD to select a different frequency, it is inconvenient to change the frequency with buttons, or it is inconvenient to remove the antenna and temporarily install a 50 ohm load.
They can’t even be bothered to look into the goggles for snow before powering on, and as far as they are concerned, they should not have to. They are, some of them, expert pilots, and they have been operating this way for years now. It is almost beyond their ability to imagine why they should check to see that the frequency is open before powering on. As far as they are concerned, anyone who doesn’t check with them to clear their frequency gets what they deserve…
Comments?
