Safety considerations

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Many persons consider that if their model will not "Bite" them and they can take off, fly and land safely then everything is fine and safe with what they are doing.
Sadly this idea is often totally wrong and effective their luck will one day run out and someone WILL be hurt or worse.

Safety considerations for operating a drone/Model aircraft:
Is your drone a hazard to you personally in the way you handle or operate it?
Is your drone a hazard to others?
How far could your drone travel if you lose radio communication or control?
What factors can change your ability to control your drone?
What failsafe features are set and have they been properly tested?
Do you carry your drone ARMED?
Where is HOME set for?
Where are the start and end points for the mission and do the flight control program settings agree with actual location and requirements?
If your drone is lost does it present a hazard to others without its partnered transmitter?
Do you keep you transmitter safe from impact, moisture, and other sources of damage?
When flying your drone are you aware of your surroundings and any changes in it that are occurring whilst you are flying?
Did you perform a comprehensive pre flight test and did the drone pass all tests completely?
Are you aware of the signs of a loss of available channel access and if so what is your safety measure or plan?
What level of maintenance do you do on your drone and this includes the quality of any repairs done?
What flight experience do you have and what is the likelihood of something happening outside of your existing experience?
What is the level of skill you might need to demonstrate or call upon if you fly in challenging situations?
How good is your eyesight?
What are the lighting conditions currently?
Can you fly the entire mission profile without being distracted?
How is the weather including gusting winds and turbulence?
Are the speed of the drone and its size compatible with safe flight at the chosen site?
If the drone crashes are you able to determine the actual cause or are all crashes just caused by interference in your mind?


The above are a few considerations I have seen which some persons do not even consider and their considerations are just getting their model/drone airborne if possible with all other considerations rejected.

More will be added as they are observed or experienced

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Just a few myths that are still rampant in the hobby in relation to digital radio control equipment and its operation.

1. the transmitter must be turned on first and off after the receiver or noise will cause the motor to start and you could lose fingers or worse.
Factually the receiver must boot up before the throttle output is enabled and this setting must be for minimum or the ESC may enter program mode and hence not be ready to activate the throttle . The transmitter signal from its bound partner must be received before the receiver will complete its boot up. No transmitter signal no throttle control output, Forever if necessary!!!
The receiver throttle output will be held at the last received or even disconnected upon a loss of a valid partnered transmit signal. On modern ESCs, the loss of a throttle signal from the receiver will cause the motor drive to be removed after a delay measured in seconds, (approx 10), until then the throttle setting last fed to the esc will be maintained. If the last throttle setting was for minimum throttle it will be maintained and then the motor drive will be removed.
If the receiver has failsafe programmed on the throttle channel a loss of received signal will simply and rapidly set the motor drive at the failsafe set level and hold it there until the transmit signal is reestablished.

2. Noise can cause erratic receiver performance including throttle settings.
Factually a digital receiver does not respond to noise at all. If a digital receiver is not receiving a partnered transmission it goes into a sleep mode and it does not set any outputs excepting according to the failsafe settings, (after it has completed its boot up sequence). It is upon identifying its partner transmitter's transmissions that the information is passed to the processing circuity of the "AWAKE" receiver and the values received can be applied to the channel outputs. Noise does not cause erratic receiver performance - the person who programmed it or set it up does!

3. Interference
Factually a digital receiver can suffer from 2 theoretical forms of interference. The first is a lack of available channels on which it can transmit or where is transmissions are interfered with or corrupted by another on channel signal source. As the transmitter identification will be lost during this sort of occurrence, (the radio control version of a Denial of Service attack), the receiver will apply the failsafe settings after a number of failed transmissions. If the issue arises before the receiver is partnered with its bound transmitter the receiver will simply not complete its boot up.
The next interference type is extremely rare and a result of digital radio operation ignorance. Where too many transmitters are operating too close to the receiver a complex intermodulation situation can result in which parts of one transmission can be implanted into another transmission stream at the receiver. Yes this can cause a little erratic operation but for the briefest of moments as different transmitters will have a different selection of channels that it operates on.
Most INTERFERENCE episodes I have even observed or investigated have been the result of a momentary loss of signal to the receiver, (often due to poor receiver antenna polarisation and placement issues). The momentary loss of control has caused the pilot to apply even more control input, (as if that would actually reestablish control). When the receive signal is reestablished the transmitter has the control sticks in a position of an extremely violent manoeuvre and so the receiver responds according to the transmitter signal. What follows is a quick of loss of control due to over-controlling and a smashed pile of foam/balsa and assorted electrics.

4. having the transmitter powered on means that the model is under control and safe to handle.
Factually the only source of motor activation is the transmitter signal. The partnered transmitter signal must be present for the receiver to boot up. The transmitter signal can be lost at anytime due to the required collision avoidance feature of the FCC part 15C requirement for certification. A transmitter signal is subject to a denial of service type event at anytime! There is no noise response of the receiver to suppress. A powered up transmitter is subject to mishandling and the things it will cause in its partnered receiver. MOST pit accidents are from either poorly setup transmitters, mishandled transmitters or incorrect failsafe settings programmed into the receiver


MORE WHEN I GET TIME

Have fun!.

Whenever you have an EPISODE learn from it or be doomed to repeat it from then on. No problem you encounter whilst flying will ever get better by just ignoring it and continuing to fly in spite of it.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
One problem with having the RX turned on first comes up with the autobind RXes that Spektrum has. This applies to more than BNF models, as some of their satellite RXes also will go in to bind mode automatigicaly if the TX they are bound to is not there when they boot up. At that point, it is very plausible that someone else can bind to it and take control, especially if you have two people powering up and ending up in bind mode at the same time. Once the RX is in bind mode, it will not respond to the TX it is already bound to unless A) the RX is power is cycled, or B) a TX binds to it.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Autobind is a standard feature of a large number of the micro planes from Eachine, WLToys, XK, and the like. and is easily managed in a group setting.

As for the issue it seems that Horizon hobby may not be aware of the issue as the managing director has a published letter explaining that a receiver will not enter bind mode if the receiver is powered up first. The power up first being safe is also mentioned as being totally safe in the operation of Smartsafe.

As for older equipment I would love to get my hands upon a receiver which displays such behaviour as all claims of such here have only resulted in a single example being observed and the ESC/BEC had lost its filtering and the occasional bind entry was removed by fitting a new BEC. The same example would also enter bind mode even when the transmitter was powered up first. The fault was rectified and it does now not occur.

An interesting issue on the same line is that a transmitter can lose its bind and setup memory is cases of moisture ingress and impact damage. This behaviour can be random and intermittent. I have observed a plane in flight actually reverse a channel, (back to default) whilst in flight when the operator tried to adjust the models trim. Apparently it was the third plane lost in a month to the same issue. It belonged to the club safety expert and when the issue was realised he sold the transmitter on the internet and so it is now someone else's problem

Regardless of the bind entry or not entering bind mode, standard feature, soft failure, or myth, the real concern is the ability of the transmitter to be mishandled and present a danger to the operator and others. Entering bind mode may be annoying or distressing to the operator but it is better than a quick trip to hospital to have digits reattached or gashes sown up.

Sadly the bind mode entry myth or issue has some refusing to allow a model to be powered up first or powered down last even though the manufacturer and the technology itself dictates that it is safe. I have observed of many incidents where the transmitter was on and the transmitter dropped, failed, or the like and someone received serious injury.

The worst so far at the local club was a person carrying his model to the flight line from the pits and the throttle activated slicing his arm so bad that he did not return to the field for many months and was off work for a similar time period. In this case the transmitter was powered on at the time, the throttle was at minimum and the kill switch was in the kill position. As the club has its TX ON first and OFF last requirement the failsafe was set and obviously not tested. The accepted standard, (and stupid), practice of leaving a transmitter powered up so that it was impossible to forget to turn the transmitter on first added to the diminishing of available radio channels. It was a very busy day with many transmitters in continuous operation and his transmitter could not transmit and the receiver went into failsafe mode whilst he was carrying the model with the powered and partnered transmitter.

What the real issues with safety in this hobby is a lack of how the equipment should work, (so that faults can be detected), the inability of those who make rules based upon their own lack of knowledge are applied in a blanket manner across all club members, (even those who have equipment that is a newer design without the failure modes inherent in older designs), and the obvious acceptance of a degree of plane losses and injuries at part of the hobby. OH the main problem is actually to many STUPID people making the rules at club and national level level..

In the past 4 years I have not had a single motor start that did not involve the transmitter being powered up. The club at the same time has regular incidents involving injuries and close calls all of which are improperly investigated and the actual causes not recognised and so are allowed to remain to catch someone next time!

Some peoples will be mighty upset by my posts on safety and I cannot help their attitudes to information that they might not like or accept but for the remainder I strongly for them to do their research and test EVERYTHING. Get rid of actual safety hazards, injuries, and those crashes that can be avoided or are due to poor technological application knowledge.

If a club will not allow you to do what is safe, leave it, RUN and quickly. The same goes for any national association that will not allow you to do what is safest. I am not mandating a change in operation for everyone out there but rather a change to allow people to do what is safest.

Have fun, and avoid STUPID rules for the safety of yourself and others.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
I think you need to take a step back and restructure your teachings so they are not so generalized. First I don't give a:poop: that grubments around the world have decided everything is a drone. Not a one of us flys a drone. We fly fixed wing RC, which is entirely different then Multi Rotor craft like race quads or freestyle quads. Then there is yet another separate entity when programmed or assisted types of flight are in effect like flying camera based craft or autonomous flights where an automated system actually does the flying.

Each and every one of those things has different start up requirements and procedures as well as different types and methods of failsafe. Same thing with arming processes. Some have arming done with a combination of stick movements so a bump on a switch or movement in throttle does not activate motors. Some use a multi switch set up to arm where logic is in place using a two condition system has to be met.

Some multirotor craft use an idle mode to spin props when armed but no throttle applied. Its like nitro motors they idle when no throttle is applied. Others may be armed to allow gimbals for cameras to work but the motors don't spin upon arming so cameras can be turned on or tested or lens caps removed or lens cleaned.

Fail safes are also set differently. For instance my quad is set to no signal for 10 milliseconds and all motors are turned off. This also triggers a process where the left rear motor shuts down first creating an instant stall rolling the craft backwards so three motors spinning for that extra few milliseconds can arrest the momentum before all power drops. If I am racing and may be facing any possible direction when a failsafe occurs for what ever reason I want my gear to shut down instantly. Where as your flying a fixed wing and can glide for a while and might be set it up to glide down in a circle under no power or even low power to give a chance to regain signal or maybe you fly a race wing and want it to fall as soon as possible on a fail safe. Maybe your flying autonomously planned way points while you concentrate on the filming aspects for cinematic or even movie based flight. You want your gear to fail safe to a hover and hold or to do a return to home process where it will go into a stable hover, raises to predetermined safe altitude and bring its self back to the point of origin using gps with that $10k USD camera on it. Therefore having a process where no signal means motors cant spin or worse meet an already passed condition is more dangerous and likely to cause damage or hurt someone in some instances which is the default for your power on receiver first mandate. This could easily be triggered in flight by a voltage sag where the receiver reboots and was not in a failsafe condition or even during a brown out.

Anyways I can list any number of start up, arming processes, and fail safes and not a one will require the same start up or fail safe conditions. Having a single MUST USE power on or failsafe process does not fit nor work with all systems and aircraft. Like the rest of the hobby BEST safe practices for what you fly is your gears manufacturer recommended procedures and fail safe conditions for the craft you fly. There is not and can not be a one size fits all procedure from either side of the spectrum be it the club you left and have issue with or your own thinking for what should be done.

That said training and familiarization with the specific gear and aircraft you fly is the best safe practice to mitigate chances for something going wrong. Kudos (y)for being this adamant about safety as more people need to be more attentive to what they do
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
I think you need to take a step back and restructure your teachings so they are not so generalized. First I don't give a:poop: that grubments around the world have decided everything is a drone. Not a one of us flys a drone. We fly fixed wing RC, which is entirely different then Multi Rotor craft like race quads or freestyle quads. Then there is yet another separate entity when programmed or assisted types of flight are in effect like flying camera based craft or autonomous flights where an automated system actually does the flying.

Each and every one of those things has different start up requirements and procedures as well as different types and methods of failsafe. Same thing with arming processes. Some have arming done with a combination of stick movements so a bump on a switch or movement in throttle does not activate motors. Some use a multi switch set up to arm where logic is in place using a two condition system has to be met.

Some multirotor craft use an idle mode to spin props when armed but no throttle applied. Its like nitro motors they idle when no throttle is applied. Others may be armed to allow gimbals for cameras to work but the motors don't spin upon arming so cameras can be turned on or tested or lens caps removed or lens cleaned.

Fail safes are also set differently. For instance my quad is set to no signal for 10 milliseconds and all motors are turned off. This also triggers a process where the left rear motor shuts down first creating an instant stall rolling the craft backwards so three motors spinning for that extra few milliseconds can arrest the momentum before all power drops. If I am racing and may be facing any possible direction when a failsafe occurs for what ever reason I want my gear to shut down instantly. Where as your flying a fixed wing and can glide for a while and might be set it up to glide down in a circle under no power or even low power to give a chance to regain signal or maybe you fly a race wing and want it to fall as soon as possible on a fail safe. Maybe your flying autonomously planned way points while you concentrate on the filming aspects for cinematic or even movie based flight. You want your gear to fail safe to a hover and hold or to do a return to home process where it will go into a stable hover, raises to predetermined safe altitude and bring its self back to the point of origin using gps with that $10k USD camera on it. Therefore having a process where no signal means motors cant spin or worse meet an already passed condition is more dangerous and likely to cause damage or hurt someone in some instances which is the default for your power on receiver first mandate. This could easily be triggered in flight by a voltage sag where the receiver reboots and was not in a failsafe condition or even during a brown out.

Anyways I can list any number of start up, arming processes, and fail safes and not a one will require the same start up or fail safe conditions. Having a single MUST USE power on or failsafe process does not fit nor work with all systems and aircraft. Like the rest of the hobby BEST safe practices for what you fly is your gears manufacturer recommended procedures and fail safe conditions for the craft you fly. There is not and can not be a one size fits all procedure from either side of the spectrum be it the club you left and have issue with or your own thinking for what should be done.

That said training and familiarization with the specific gear and aircraft you fly is the best safe practice to mitigate chances for something going wrong. Kudos (y)for being this adamant about safety as more people need to be more attentive to what they do
I think you need to take a step back and restructure your teachings so they are not so generalized. First I don't give a:poop: that grubments around the world have decided everything is a drone. Not a one of us flys a drone. We fly fixed wing RC, which is entirely different then Multi Rotor craft like race quads or freestyle quads. Then there is yet another separate entity when programmed or assisted types of flight are in effect like flying camera based craft or autonomous flights where an automated system actually does the flying.

Each and every one of those things has different start up requirements and procedures as well as different types and methods of failsafe. Same thing with arming processes. Some have arming done with a combination of stick movements so a bump on a switch or movement in throttle does not activate motors. Some use a multi switch set up to arm where logic is in place using a two condition system has to be met.

Some multirotor craft use an idle mode to spin props when armed but no throttle applied. Its like nitro motors they idle when no throttle is applied. Others may be armed to allow gimbals for cameras to work but the motors don't spin upon arming so cameras can be turned on or tested or lens caps removed or lens cleaned.

Fail safes are also set differently. For instance my quad is set to no signal for 10 milliseconds and all motors are turned off. This also triggers a process where the left rear motor shuts down first creating an instant stall rolling the craft backwards so three motors spinning for that extra few milliseconds can arrest the momentum before all power drops. If I am racing and may be facing any possible direction when a failsafe occurs for what ever reason I want my gear to shut down instantly. Where as your flying a fixed wing and can glide for a while and might be set it up to glide down in a circle under no power or even low power to give a chance to regain signal or maybe you fly a race wing and want it to fall as soon as possible on a fail safe. Maybe your flying autonomously planned way points while you concentrate on the filming aspects for cinematic or even movie based flight. You want your gear to fail safe to a hover and hold or to do a return to home process where it will go into a stable hover, raises to predetermined safe altitude and bring its self back to the point of origin using gps with that $10k USD camera on it. Therefore having a process where no signal means motors cant spin or worse meet an already passed condition is more dangerous and likely to cause damage or hurt someone in some instances which is the default for your power on receiver first mandate. This could easily be triggered in flight by a voltage sag where the receiver reboots and was not in a failsafe condition or even during a brown out.

Anyways I can list any number of start up, arming processes, and fail safes and not a one will require the same start up or fail safe conditions. Having a single MUST USE power on or failsafe process does not fit nor work with all systems and aircraft. Like the rest of the hobby BEST safe practices for what you fly is your gears manufacturer recommended procedures and fail safe conditions for the craft you fly. There is not and can not be a one size fits all procedure from either side of the spectrum be it the club you left and have issue with or your own thinking for what should be done.

That said training and familiarization with the specific gear and aircraft you fly is the best safe practice to mitigate chances for something going wrong. Kudos (y)for being this adamant about safety as more people need to be more attentive to what they do
You have many good arguments that I actually agree with but some of those within clubs dictate operating rules for equipment that they do not use and about which they have little understanding.

Here the regulations are equally applicable ot quad copters and the like as well as fixed wing radio controlled aircraft and by default all are referred to as UAVs or Drones. My use of local terminology may have slanted the understanding of my post.

I advocate safety in its maximum form and to achieve that knowledge is key. Therefore I am not dictating to anyone about anything EXCEPT that they should find out ar research for themselves what is safest and according to their local regulations and then for them to be allowed to enjoy their hobby in the safest possible manner, (safe for everyone both those involved and not.

Have fun!

I agree that
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
You have many good arguments that I actually agree with but some of those within clubs dictate operating rules for equipment that they do not use and about which they have little understanding.

Here the regulations are equally applicable ot quad copters and the like as well as fixed wing radio controlled aircraft and by default all are referred to as UAVs or Drones. My use of local terminology may have slanted the understanding of my post.

I advocate safety in its maximum form and to achieve that knowledge is key. Therefore I am not dictating to anyone about anything EXCEPT that they should find out ar research for themselves what is safest and according to their local regulations and then for them to be allowed to enjoy their hobby in the safest possible manner, (safe for everyone both those involved and not.

Have fun!

I agree that

The people you are referring to may lump everything under one tent but you are also projecting the same ideas only your way FOR everything and that just does not work for a lot of other RC aircraft. The reason most people preach the turning on their radio first before the receiver is because the instructions for their particular brands TOLD them this was how to do it.

I am the same way. I learned by having every radio, land, air, and sea I have owned from 1972 to 2017 when I bought my last radio tell me to power on the radio FIRST in the instructions. I have only ever come across one thing about two years ago now that said start the quad copter first. That was helping a kid in the park try to get his new camera quad in the air his grand parents bought him thru sharper image catalog. Sadly he had already stripped the plastic drive gear on one of his motors and all it would do was roll over when power was applied.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
The people you are referring to may lump everything under one tent but you are also projecting the same ideas only your way FOR everything and that just does not work for a lot of other RC aircraft. The reason most people preach the turning on their radio first before the receiver is because the instructions for their particular brands TOLD them this was how to do it.

I am the same way. I learned by having every radio, land, air, and sea I have owned from 1972 to 2017 when I bought my last radio tell me to power on the radio FIRST in the instructions. I have only ever come across one thing about two years ago now that said start the quad copter first. That was helping a kid in the park try to get his new camera quad in the air his grand parents bought him thru sharper image catalog. Sadly he had already stripped the plastic drive gear on one of his motors and all it would do was roll over when power was applied.

I hear you point often and acknowledge it. I raised the matter of the manual with a few manufacturers directly and to my amazement most did not even know how their product and the spread spectrum radio actually works and what the requirements of FCC Part 15C require or mean. It seems that they hired an engineering crew ot make the original design and then they were either moved elsewhere or made redundant. One manufacturer went so far to say that their manual was only for new users and that the write their manuals "To save trees". Incidentally I put to them what was safest and so far they have not had their engineering team provide any feedback to the contrary.

Here there is a mandatory regulatory requirement for the safest possible operation and minimisation of all hazards to other and property. As for liability in the even of an incident, NONE is allocated to the radio manufacturer, the person/s who wrote the manual, or any potential club or association as it is the operator who is wholly responsible. On checking directly with the regulator I was told in no uncertain that regardless of what a manual states, a club requires or even a national association requires an operator is obliged and required to operate their equipment in the safest/least hazardous manner.

If people actually know how the digital radios work and what their issues might be then surely they can chose for themselves as to what is safest for them to do. Sadly the club scene here is run by persons who barely know anything about the radio itself other than the brand and how to set up a model. The infrequent times when the digital technology conspires to inflict pain upon someone is just considered as part of the hobby!

With our new club persons are simply required ot know how to safely set up and use their radio and model equipment and that is all. Incidents are properly investigated and the operator is informed of the issue after which they are assisted in preventing any further such issues.

The operator who was sliced up badly did nothing out of the ordinary, he simply did as he had always done quite safely and the way digital radio actually works caught up with him. It will reoccur at the club as no one knows what the cause was and so no one can help alter the rules to prevent it happening again.

If you are using your radio safely continue to do so but be aware that the manual is not required by law to tell you everything about the digital radio and they accept no legal claim. It is not the civil aviation sector with their holding of the manufacturer as possibly responsible in the event of an accident.

Have fun and keep flying safely.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
So far and I just went back and reread what you posted... you have not proven that powering a TX first is in fact a safety issue. Every thing I have seen you post has been related back to improper maintenance or improper repair after damage. Maybe you explained it in one of the other threads on this topic you have running but this one shows no evidence to me that powering on my tx first is an issue.

I build my stuff with reasonably good components, I set it up properly and I regularly do post session maintenance so nothing gets forgotten or over looked if there was any major crashing. ANY time a component gets replaced the complete set up is checked and tested to actually work INCLUDING fail safe. Which by the way gets checked to make sure the programmers didn't decide to change that with a patch or version change every time I plug an FC into the computer.

I do have to actually read up on the receiver I put in the new DGA-6 and check / set fail safe in that as it was in a different plane before that gets maidened and its been over a year since I even looked at it. While I am in that process I will investigate this whole powering up the receiver first thing and see what the results are. The receiver has telemetry and tells me when I power it up and down with verbal warnings on my radio so it will be interesting to see if Open tx Barbie gets confused or not. :ROFLMAO:
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
@PsyBorg , i acknowledge your great experience and knowledge. In some areas I even might be seen to be envious of your knowledge. I also like the intelligent arguments that you put forward as well as your outspoken nature. Both you, and I, speak out when others bight their tongues and it has cost us both. Your focus is upon your experiences, your knowledge and beliefs and mine is on my experiences, knowledge and beliefs. If we were at the same club I would be looking to you for advice and instruction.

The danger is simply that the transmitter is the source of all motor activation commands, (excluding autonomous aircraft and the failsafe settings programmed into the receiver during the bind process) as well as being required for the receiver to complete its boot up and fictional activation. Any accidental transmitter throttle command can and will cause a risk of injury when the receiver is powered up. It is possible without even considering the possibility of transmitter component failure to have the throttle setting be advanced through operator negligent or accidental actions.

If the receiver is not able to complete its boot up sequence until your hands are out of the model and you are at a safe distance from the sharp end of the model anything that results from any mishandling is less likely to cause harm. If you carry the transmitter and model BUT the transmitter is not turned on and the receiver has not yet completed its boot up then MAXIMUM safe handling is achieved.

The reliance on a kill switch is good, (and I set one for all models), but I have even seen experts forget to activate the kill switch because their attention was drawn elsewhere as well as bumping the switch when they were not paying due attention.
An incorrectly set failsafe can result in injury if after the receiver is allowed to complete its boot up, (because transmitter is powered up), and then the receiver suffers a loss of signal event due to a lack of available free radio channels). This potential LOS is the programmed choice of the transmitter so that it complies with the FCC Part 15C requirements.
Also it can be a juggling act to carry some models and the transmitter at the same time to the flight line. I have observed incidents and the resultant injuries attributable to all scenarios I have just mentioned.

It is sad that you are using the Dale Earnhardt Sr argument to to dispute the need for or to argue against a safety measure or information about it.

As an American you should be aware that Dale Earnhardt Sr argued against the use or adoption of a safety device which has designed to prevent Basal skull fractures in high speed motor accidents. He had raced hundreds of times and have numerous accidents all without serious injury, Due to his vast experience and his massive reputation NASCAR rejected the adoption of the device. SADLY a while later Dale Earnhardt Sr hit the wall during a race and was injured. His only injury was a basal skull fracture. He was dead.

Now the device previously rejected is mandatory in NASCAR.

If you do not understand it, or even the need for it, based upon your own experience, I question if it is wise to simply reject it out of hand and run the risk of allowing others or perhaps yourself during a moment of inattention to be exposed to what has the potential to cause a serious injury or worse. Beginners/Newbies do not have the habits for safe operation that you and other experienced operators have. Many are injured every year. A lot those injured simply give up the hobby and have a permanent injury to remember the hobby by.

I researched the technology and a numerous different radio control offerings because I needed to determine what is safest for use by any single handed operators/amputees. The reduced physical capacity presented increased risks to the operator and others BUT if the motor circuitry is disabled until the transmitter is powered up, the model battery can be fitted, the plane access hatch fitted and the plane carried to the pre flight area all without the risk of any possible motor activation. With the transmitter not powered up it does not matter if the throttle stick is bumped or if the kill switch is defeated because the transmitter cannot pass the information to the receiver AND the receiver has not even completed its boot up and enabled the throttle output to the ESC.

What I advocate is the using of ALL of the safety features and technological features to minimise injuries and harm. A person can only make an informed choice if they are have all of the information and are aware of the choices.

I appreciate your efforts to KEEP IT REAL.

Have fun - Safely.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Ok this will be my last reply to all this so as to not side track your objectives. I am ALL about safety specially when it comes to OTHERS following safe practices as I have been permanently injured due to someone elses failures to follow them.

Once again I am trying to understand this powering the receiver first thing. Again all you have shown me is that inexperience or improper setup was the root cause for the injuries NOT the order of operation for powering up the gear.

So here's what is going thru my head... I power on the radio first, the radio says Hi I am here and this is my ID does anyone want to play with me? So you power a receiver up and it answers I will play with you!!

In the case of powering up the receiver first with no radio I see.. the receiver going Ok I'm awake.. will someone come play with me? Then you power on the TX and that asks if any one wants to play and the handshake occurs. All good working as intended..

BUT... I also see... I power on my receiver, close up my aircraft where I can no longer easily get to the battery to unplug it should something happen and head to the flight line. While walking up to the flight line I come up next to my buddy Joe who taught me everything I know so I emulate him and use the same gear. He is there ripping some awesome 3d on his plane when all the sudden his radio happens to cross the same band and frequency my receiver is now sitting on unbound to MY radio set at zero commands. The receiver goes OH!! someone to play with, latches on to THAT signal and commences to do full throttle 3d movements my buddy Joe is giving his own plane while in my hand where I can not easily get to the battery to unplug it.

I see the point of not having a tx to tell it to spin the prop but on the other hand there is also no signal telling it to NOT listen to any other frequency hop in the same protocol from a tertiary radio either. The only way to mitigate that is to assign a specific unlock code like some of the radios like my old Devo7 used to let me do where only a radio using that code would be listened to even if another radio bounced across the exact frequency my receiver booted up to.

So.. If I were in a club that had recurring injuries like your old one seems to have I would implement rules to be more like Flite Test build tent rules. Where you are NOT allowed to have a prop on AND a battery connected in the pit areas at the same time. You can have one or the other for set up or testing. That way you can power up, do the high five before the flight line, test fail safe by actually using a powered motor spin and then shutting off the radio as the worst case is the motor jumps to full speed with no prop attached even have someone there to watch your control surfaces during a proper range check. That would cover pretty much all of the reasons people in that club got hurt with out opening up other avenues for mishaps.

But then again I don't think like other people.