I seem to have missed this thread, I have no technical light to shed on the subject, but i do have anectdotal evidence of a few experiences to share. Duckies: If you love em use em, 99% of the time under normal conditions no problems occur, and the key word here is "normal conditions" given all the other parts of your system are up to snuff. Fact: At Elmira 99 aerotow, with as many as 15 or more pilots flyng simultaneously, and admittedly probably closer together than recomended by the book. there were about 1/2 dozen "incidents". Not all were crashes, interference, splattering, etc. 80% of these incidents involved radios with duckie antennas. I can not prove any corolation. This kind of busy radio environment is a test of any equipment. We had two scanners working to identify problems at the event. Cell phones. Under the same "busy" environment cell phones could wreak havoc if used on a crowded flight line, third order, reflection issues, whatever. No body seems to have the facts, nor can anyone rule out potential problems. At Elmira 2000, because we fly in conjunction with spectators, full size aircraft, and not to mention the value of the large scale aircraft, as a precaution NO cell phones will be allowed on the flight line. We made this descision months ago. Rubber duckies will be allowed, as usual, as the majority work fine, BUT, be prepared to have your transmitter checked with a scanner. (This goes for all radios). If you have doubt, bring a spare factory antenna. This is not an inditement of rubber Duckies, just caution based on past experience. Many factors contribute to a reliable radio system, not the least is how you install the flight pack. Don't use metal pull pull cables, period. Sometimes they work OK, keyword, SOMETIMES. There are too many other things to list here, use your head or consult a local knowledgeable person. Notice I did not say expert. Stay away from anyone saying he is an expert. They have shut down the synapses to further learning. A knowledgeable person is the quiet guy who doesn't crash much, and has been around awhile.(and doesn't post here):-} John Derstine E-mail; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Scale Soaring: http://www.Geocities.com/~scalesoar RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
