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For a quickly changeable frequency flag to use with synthesized RC transmitters, Bob has fashioned a placard from part of an old photo album. He writes the channel number on this placard with a dry erase marker. Every time he changes a channel on his Polk’s Tracker II synthesized transmitter, he erases the old channel number and writes in the new one.

This is the identification flag Hitec supplies with their synthesized transmitters. It does the job, but it requires you to open a plastic pouch, remove a series of numbers, and flip them around until you find the needed digits. This can take time and requires a little extra patience while at the flying field.

Q-37: I just started using a synthesized transmitter where I can easily change my operating channel (frequency) at the flying field. My particular transmitter came with a frequency flag (or placard) that requires you to select both digits from a group of numbers. I find this time consuming and somewhat frustrating to do at the flying field. Can you suggest a better way?

A-37: The reader is referring to the frequency flag that is supplied with the Hitec Eclipse transmitter when using the Hitec Spectra synthesized-frequency module. It is basically a plastic pouch containing two sets of numbers (ranging from zero to nine). If you set the synthesized module for CH-48, you would select the digits "4" and "8," but you have to open the pouch and spend some time selecting the numbers.

At my club's flying field we found that several members got lazy and didn’t bother changing the channel number on the flag when they changed the frequency on the transmitter. Several solved the problem by making a couple of clips for the several channels they might want to select for a day's flying. That works until you select a channel that you don’t have a clip made for.

What I did recently was to make my own placard out of a piece of clear plastic taken from part of a photo album. I inserted a piece of cardboard inside the clear plastic pouch along with a piece of white paper. Then I went to a Staples store and bought a black dry erase marker. It is not permanent ink and can be erased easily with a paper towel. I use this marker to write my channel number on the placard.

The placard is attached to the transmitter antenna with a single clothespin. I was concerned about misplacing the marker, so I actually attached it to the rear of my transmitter case with hook and fastener tape. With this arrangement, I can quickly and easily change my channel number on this "ID flag." I use this on my Polk’s Tracker II transmitter where frequency changing requires pushing only a couple of buttons. I’m sure you can come up with other variations of this simple scheme.

—Bob Aberle