hobbico frequency checker and 14mz

[r/c_outlaw]

At the field the other day i was aproched by a pilot with a hobbico frequency checker and i turned on my 14mz ...he was asking about my chanel ..I am transmitting on 44 and when he turned on the checker ever single channel available was lighting up ...i turned off my 14mz and they starting turning off...again i turned on the 14mz and the checker started lighting every channel...he was about 3 ft away......There is 2 of us on 14mz's at our field and both did the same thing to the checker ...the checker at out field is in a metal box and was not affected by the radios..but 2 checker out side of the box were going nuts when either of us powerd on the 14mz and started transmitting....is there something wrong with this ????please any information you can give to resolve this or convience the people at our field there is no problem???HELP

[tnreefguy]

Thats neat. I really dont have a clue why but it may be the frequency ocilators in the 14mz at such a close range making all of the noise.

[RCfan]

Interesting find. I've got one of those checkers and don't trust it, especially with the optional antenna installed. I'll try running some tests and compare with a 9c to see what happens.

[ClayK]

I have a Hobbico Frequency Checker and a 14MZ. I was unable to duplicate this error.

However, I had other channels light up during the experiment, but it's not entirely implausible that someone else would be in my AO. I tried the 14mz with antenna and without. I tried frequency checker with antenna and without. My TX is on 13, it consistently lit up on the checker regardless of antenna or not. Channels 11, 17, 35 and 54 came up periodically, but that could be because someone in my housing development was using air RC or something else because when I turned off the 14MZ, those channels remained lit.

You guys put your checker in a Metal box? Ever hear of a Faraday's cage?

The only thing close to your results was when I was attempting to reposition the antenna on the frequency checker during one of the experiments. While my hand was on the antenna, it lit up all channels from 11-39. I must have moved my hand, because it stopped lighting up the LEDs. On the subsequent pass, it cleared the lit channels that it erroneously lit during my manual movement of the checker antenna. I was able to partially duplicate this effect by applying undue pressure to the antenna and it's female connection on the checker a second time with similar results to the first anomaly. This would leave me to believe that the error doesn't lie with the 14mz, but with either the operator or the frequency checker. :dontknow

[Phaedrus]

Get this "checker" close to ANY transmitter and it can do that. I have stopped using mine since I have found it to be unreliable.

[RCfan]

The antenna on the Hobbico FC makes it extremely sensitive; so much so that it reports inaccurate results IMO. Here's a bunch of videos, reach your own conclusions:

(if you can't see the videos, then get the FFDSHOW (http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow))
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/14mz_ppm_18.avi):: 14MZ - PPM ch 18 - FC no antenna
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/14mz_ppm_18_ant.avi):: 14MZ - PPM ch 18 - FC with antenna
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/14mz_ppm_18_ant2.avi):: 14MZ - PPM ch 18 - FC with antenna (fully extended)
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/14mz_pcm_18_ant.avi):: 14MZ - PCM ch 18
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/14mz_g3_18_ant.avi):: 14MZ - G3 ch 18
AVI-VIDEO (http://www.rcfan.com/files/14MZ/fc/9c_ppm_18.avi):: 9C - PPM ch 18

[WillJames]

I agree with you guys. I stopped carryiung my "checker" a few months ago because it is just something extra to keep up with I was not using due to wide variations in how it performed.

I would definitely not run any RF power with your 14 (or any other radio) without the antenna installed. Not sure if you guys meant you didthat or not, sorry, I'm kinda in lala land and need some sleep.

[RCfan]

The antenna "issue" is with the checker itself, not the radio. ;)

[r/c_outlaw]

i was in pcm and the ever chanel was lighting up...the other guy was in 1024 and almost ever channel from him was lighting up...but not as bad as the pcm band...glad to hear its most likely not my radio... :D

[r/c_outlaw]

oops sorry i was on 1024pcm and the other guy was on pcmg3 2048...there was major talk around the field about the 14mz...i had that uneasy feeling all day thinking i was scattering every channel...