Absolutely. 126.7 is almost useless and results in nothing but
distraction while flying. Somehow nearly everybody in a power plane
has started making departure calls or overflying calls even when well
above any circuit traffic and in the absence of any announced traffic
making taxiing, line up or inbound calls that might indicate a
conflict. The area frequencies are useless too. I'm thinking of
adjusting the squelch thresholds on the BD4 radios as I don't need to
hear people doing circuits 100nm away.
If you got the "open mic" sound are you sure the squelch is enabled?
You don't have interference from other equipment in the glider? This
can be frequency specific.
While we are on the topic would everyone making calls please be sure
they are doing what they say right now. "Joining crosswind" means
just that, not "about to join crosswind in one minute". Likewise
position in circuit.
I think we might have to have individual frequencies for each
airport. That too has its problems with people being on the wrong
frequency and frequency changes at boundaries. Having learned to fly
without a radio and not having had one until I'd been flying for 7
years I find it remarkable that people seem to think that the
aircraft won't fly without a radio.
When I flew contests I used to turn the radio off after starting much
of the time or at any time when I needed to concentrate and turn it
back on for the 5Km call.
I did better when I did this and there is some evidence that the
concentration involved in listening and talking causes narrowing of
visual perception. See the studies on mobile phone use while driving.
We actually introduced a pretty good system in November 2003 that was
was screwed up completely by a combination of vested interests, those
who wouldn't accept short term minor disadvantages for long term
gains, sheer bastardry and a weak and pathetic Minister.
Mike
At 10:21 PM 26/10/2008, you wrote:
I have just had a week out at Darling Downs, Jondaryan Qld. (DDSC)
on 126.7. Even during the week the noise was excessive with what
sounds like open mikes almost continually. Not being a radio
boffin, is this caused by transmissions from very far away?
I flew yesterday Saturday and it just got worse with over
transmission almost continuously and transmissions from Tangalooma
(Moreton Bay) to Rainbow Beach being heard. 126.7 was almost
useless at times, especially when the fleet was being launched at
DDSC. Once on Xcountry, we changed to 122.7 which was bliss compared
but I was still monitoring 126.7 on my hand held and it got better
later on in the day but still "open mikes".
On 122.7, there were two presumably glider pilots chatting without
call signs, unlike our DDSC pilots who were very brief and pertinent.
As RAPAC rep for Gliding Qld. and RAPAC South Qld, please give me
some feed back for the next meeting on Nov. 19th.
PeterS
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