Frequency management at a large event

[Chairman]

Hi IOM sailors

For my sins (which are clearly considerable!) I've been asked to be the Race Officer for the GBR IOM Nationals in 2004. One of the problems that worries me is frequency management. We have about 47 frequencies we can use in GBR, but we could have up to 84 competitors sailing in 5 heats, with potentially up to 37 frequency clashes over the fleet. So up to 74 competitors could be sharing a frequency, and only 10 could be clear.

At the 2003 IOM Nationals, some of the biggest hold-ups to the start of any heat (apart from one of my knuckleheaded trips to the Protest Room!) were unresolved frequency clashes. These obviously involved promoted boats, and were usually well anticipated by keeping an eye on the previous heat results. More subtly, however, they involved demoted boats and these were worse, occurring on the water with the starting sequence already underway, and often blind-sided the team.

Any ideas on how to manage this problem are very welcome!

[ralph kelley]

If I were in this position, I would have a staff member assigned to the task of frequency management. This would include:

- every contestant would have a minimum of 5 or 6 frequencies available

- those on the water, either being promoted, or demoted, and who must sail right away in the next heat, would have frequency priority over all others in the next heat for the frequency assignments for the next heat.

- those constestants with similar radios, and swappable crystals, would be identified and posted, so that as a last resort, someone could borrow a proper radio matching crystal for a heat. This would augment the 5 or 6 crystals each contestant brings to the event for many contestants.

- the frequency control staff member will, during the end of the heat, pretty well know the boats that will stay on the water before the end of the heat race. He can then check to see who is scheduled for the next heat and verify they don't have a frequency problem, and if so, select which boat (or boats) needs to change. They can start the process of changing their frequecies befor the end of the heat in progress.

- with a large attendance having 5 or so heats, the frequency control man can, during the heat, be looking over the contestants assigned to the other 4 heats and have the contestants make any changes necessary to ensure that, for the 16 contestants that are pre-assigned to a heat, don't have any conflicts. Any last minute conflicts, if any, would then be limited to the 4 boats staying on the water.

This suggestion is based on having those getting ready to go on the water for the next heat make any necessary crystal changes. Those staying on the water won't have to pull their craft to change frequencies.

With a typical max of 20 contestants on the water in any one heat, and everyone having multiple crystals, plus "loaners", I don't see how there could be many delays of any significance. Granted that some delay will occur but probably infrequently.

[Chairman]

An idea that has been suggested is as follows.

• Allocate the 47 available frequencies to the first 47 seeded sailors. (In the UK, we would simply take the first 47 names on our national ranking list in order to seed.)
• These frequencies are then known by the name of the seeded sailor using it. For example, 40.825 would become 'Gilbert'.
• All un-seeded sailors are allocated one of the seeded frequencies, and become "share" sailors. For example, Joe Bloggs would be allocated the Gilbert frequency.
• Every effort is made to keep the frequencies of the top 10 seeded sailors unshared. These become the pool of available frequencies to resolve clashes. This pool is continuously notified on the official notice board.
• During the event, the responsibility lies with all un-seeded share sailors to know the heat that their frequency is sailing. For example, Joe keeps track of the heat that Gilbert will next sail.
• If an un-seeded share sailor finds that he will be in the same heat as his frequency, he must change it. For example, if Joe is scheduled to sail in the same heat as Gilbert, it is Joe who must change his frequency.
• To change a frequency, an un-seeded share sailor goes to the pool of available frequencies, takes one out, and places his old frequency into the pool. For example, Joe goes to the pool, finds that he has crystals for the Bantock frequency, takes that out of the pool, and puts the Gilbert frequency into the pool.
• If an un-seeded share sailor changes frequencies, he should let the seeded sailor know. For example, Joe should mention to Bantock after his heat that he is now using the Bantock frequency.
• Seeded sailors should keep a watch on how their share is doing in the race. For example, Gilbert and then Bantock should know the heat that Joe is sailing next. Seeded sailors should know if their frequency is in the pool or not.

This scheme is designed to do two things very clearly. One is to allocate responsibility for frequency sharing to one sailor of the share, and not to both "jointly". The other is to have the pool of available frequencies known and maintained.

[Ken Dobbie]

What has happened in the past? The only foolproof method where frequencies have to be re-allocated during an event is to impound radios not being used in the current heat.

Regards


Ken Dobbie

[ralph kelley]

I'd suggest those who have this problem contact their local RC car racing group to see how they address the problem. Like our craft, these folks have a lot of radios in use at one time and I'm certain that they need frequency control too. My guess is that they impound radios, or use the clothespin technique frequently used.

Another guess. Far more important to model owners of surface craft are aircraft frequency controls. Typically they do not have nearly as many craft in the air as we put on the water in a major regatta; the most I have seen are 10 planes in a RC combat meet. I cannot talk about their techniques, but everytime I have been to one of their meets they use either radio impounds or the frequency identifier clothespin technique.

Ralph

[IanHB]

Lester, Is it possible in England to have some more frequencys made available on a temperory basis? If you approach the Radio licence authority and ask for a temperory dispensation to use the so called aircraft only frequencys, with a letter to the local model aircraft club in the area of the regatta telling them that you have been given permission and that they are respecfully advised not to fly in close proximity on the following dates you have the use of several more channels.
You might also request the use of " foreign" frequencys to enable international guests to compete using their home allocations thus expanding the selections.
We are fortunate here in NZL we have available, 27,29,35,36,40,72& 75 mhz. Good luck.