Microlighters

I now know why many people on Avcom complain about Microlight radio transmissions in the Special Rules areas….

I flew to FAWB on Saturday from Barberton to watch the rugby and then on Sunday to Solitude to drop my plane off for a service. I fly a JK-05 and have fitted a Garmin SL40 radio with a backup Icom A5. On my trike I have an Icom A4 with a good intercom.

I just can’t believe how many almost completely unreadable radio transmissions there were from Microlights and Gyro’s in the Special Rules West on Saturday and Sunday morning.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your radio and intercom, but you have to spend some time to make sure that it works correctly, there are many “experts” on this forum who have often offered to assist fellow aviators to get there systems sorted out and I believe that enough is enough.

My suggestion is as follows: The radio transmission should be checked from a predetermined range during the annual inspection and if the transmission is not clear the plane should not be passed. Our lives and the lives of other pilots depend on good readable radio transmission and it is the PIC responsibility to ensure that he is audible.

I look forward to your comments

Cheers

Phil

Hi Bumpy,

Nice meeting you at barberton. I must agree with you that some or maybe most systems work like c...p. Your idea might not be a bad one. Also more pressure should be placed on the manufacturers to ensure their products are of good standards. As you rightly say we rely on this equipment to keep us all safe up there.

I can understand the frustration for some people, but having a radio on board is not even a legal requirement for NTCA, and I think that is the way it should stay.

Your eyes are your best companion in flight.

It will be far more important to teach people proper radio procedure, but also remember, that with a 1A transmission strength for the average portable radio, some of the bad transmissions are just due to the a/c being far away.

Fairy Flycatcher wrote:I can understand the frustration for some people, but having a radio on board is not even a legal requirement for NTCA, and I think that is the way it should stay.

Your eyes are your best companion in flight.

It will be far more important to teach people proper radio procedure, but also remember, that with a 1A transmission strength for the average portable radio, some of the bad transmissions are just due to the a/c being far away.

Agreed, but it is a requirement in the special rules area. I have found radio technique a problem so would agree with FF there. think grounding a trike because he won't spend R10K on a panel mount radio is a bit harsh, not to mention impracticle if it has not power source.

Some installations rather than the radio are not great. I have flown with some trikes in formation where I can hear 1 guy clear as a bell and another with same radio not at all. Often there is the whine of the rotax in the background, although I have heard a couple K@K Jabiru powered 3 axis as well. I have used my Yaesu with the rubber antenna to land at Rand when the panel mount went out in the C182 and they did not even know I was on handheld (I went up to apologise for k@K radio transmission quality and they said they did realise and wondered why i kept asking for radio check). The radio's work, but often are not used properly(technique) or are badly installed IMHO.
2c

Hi Guys

Bad transmissions doesnt really depend on the distance of the transmitted signal, depending on what you class as "bad transmissions"!! Maybe Zulu will explain a bit more on this subject for us. Clarity should be the nr1 issue for everyone. If a radio transmits garbage then the reciever will recieve garbage, just amplified. A radio can also recieve garbage from an absolute clear transmission. OK my point is that I have a Icom handheld in my aerie and transmitt and recieve extremely clear messages. Most guys I know with "real" radios have less clarity and more hassels recieving than me.
Just my 2c

San

Bumpy
The problem is that some of the so called "experts"some times dont know how to work on our radios.I took my new A24 radio and intercom to one of the "experts" in GP to help make the radio transmit with the intercom.I had to take the radio back because it was still not transmitting as it should.After the second time I had to take the radio to our local radio agent(not aircraft radios),and they fixed the problem.
It seems that some radio agents needs more training to help us with our transmition problems,and how to work on newer model radios.
Keep your eyes open,and look for the pilot in his Microlight,gyro,or blik errie with radio trouble.
nicow
ZU-AWA

Some radios transmit a little too well, this weekend flying between vaal dam and circus there were some transmissions from as far as Bronkhorstspruit dam, or people flying from petit to Nigel.

All these transmissions make the airwaves really busy when in the circuit at one stage had to fly the whole downwind leg before getting my call in. there was another plane in the circuit and a couple in the area so did not want to fly in silence. Then had a guy in Heidelberg constantly checking position with someone near Bapsfontein he thought was conflicting traffic.

Dre'man wrote: Then had a guy in Heidelberg constantly checking position with someone near Bapsfontein he thought was conflicting traffic.

Dam GT450's we need to put airbrakes...

Every time I fly around Hartes, there's a chick in a helicopter that talks too much and her radio screams too much, then there's a guy in C172 that sounds like an open cockpit 747.

Here's a question for the wise? Why is that ALL my instructors look at my old radio and say "Hang on to that, it's the last good one they made!" Surely a 10 year old radio can't be better than a modern one? Heck I don't even know what model I've got, yet we have new trikes in the school that have to be turned towards our intended "listeners" before continuing enroute - gr8 when flying in formation.

RV4ker wrote:

Fairy Flycatcher wrote:I can understand the frustration for some people, but having a radio on board is not even a legal requirement for NTCA, and I think that is the way it should stay.

Your eyes are your best companion in flight.

It will be far more important to teach people proper radio procedure, but also remember, that with a 1A transmission strength for the average portable radio, some of the bad transmissions are just due to the a/c being far away.

Agreed, but it is a requirement in the special rules area. I have found radio technique a problem so would agree with FF there. think grounding a trike because he won't spend R10K on a panel mount radio is a bit harsh, not to mention impracticle if it has not power source.

Some installations rather than the radio are not great. I have flown with some trikes in formation where I can hear 1 guy clear as a bell and another with same radio not at all. Often there is the whine of the rotax in the background, although I have heard a couple K@K Jabiru powered 3 axis as well. I have used my Yaesu with the rubber antenna to land at Rand when the panel mount went out in the C182 and they did not even know I was on handheld (I went up to apologise for k@K radio transmission quality and they said they did realise and wondered why i kept asking for radio check). The radio's work, but often are not used properly(technique) or are badly installed IMHO.
2c

I agree, most of the time the problem is a bad installation, you have to look at grounding, matching mike inpedance to the radio/intercom and keeping RFI out of the whole lot while making sure you antenna is matched and fed with low loss co-ax. Many things to get wrong but if you get it right the results are great.

The difference in power output between most handheld and panel mount units are so small that you won't know the difference !

Regards,
Rudi