Many of us attend funflys thoughout the year and most events have some form of transmitter impound. I was approached by a couple of flyers in the zone asking about the right way to have an impound. This seems like a simple request, but for every club you’ll get a different answer. 

Two things that are common with many successful systems are a frequency board in clear view and shared responsibility between pilot and impound personnel. The following is the method used by the Fredericton Model Aircraft Club (FMAC). This is a method that works for them if you can adapt it wonderful. This is not the only way to run a safe transmitter impound, if you have a system that works, stick with it. If you are looking for a way to run an impound here is an option. 

Brent Johnstone of FMAC provided the following information: 

"Right off the top let me tell you that I can't take credit for the method of frequency control that the Fredericton Model Aircraft Club has used at the last three funflys, it was shown to me by Fernand Deschand (who I think modeled it off the gang at Pokemouche). That said, we use two sets of lettered "pins"- A, B, C, D, and E. Five letters because we allow a maximum of five airplanes up at once (or five radios out of the impound). One set of pins (the larger of the set) are of a size that when "pinned" on a standard MAAC Frequency Control Board cover three channels (i.e. the frequency the radio is on plus one frequency on each side). The other matched set of pins are much smaller and are used on the transmitters while they are out of the impound. 

During registration each pilot gets a nametag that also has a "pilot number" on it. As the pilot gives us his transmitter(s) we put a clothespin on it/them that has his pilot number on one side and frequency of the transmitter on the other (checking the frequency sticker/crystal on the radio as we go). We group all transmitters belonging to a pilot together and all go in numeric order (by pilot number) so they can be quickly located as a pilot wants the transmitter. 

Now the easy part, as a pilot comes up and wants a transmitter you look at his pilot number (on his name tag), get his radio from the impound, check the frequency board to make sure the frequency is clear. Here you look at the backside of the clothespin (on which you have marked the frequency) and the frequency sticker on the radio. DON'T take the pilots word that he has the correct frequency. 

If the frequency is clear, we place the larger pin on the frequency board (covering the frequency that will be used), put the smaller "lettered" pin on the transmitter. Take the clothespin that has the pilot number from the transmitter and temporarily attach it to the larger pin that is now on the frequency board. This "piggybacking" of the larger pin and the pilot's clothespin allow us to keep track of which pilot has what frequency out. 

When the pilot returns the radio to the impound we just look at the small lettered pin that is on his radio, then remove the corresponding big pin from the board, pair them back together for the next pilot. Place the clothespin (that was temporally attached to the large pin) back on the radio, MAKE SURE THE RADIO IS OFF, and place it back in the impound. 

Like any system, if a radio gets placed in the impound and is not off- something bad will soon happen- so I ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK. As I have been given the job of being in charge of the impound I keep control over who goes near the radios- NO ONE BUT ME. Sometimes it gets a little busy with radios coming in and out continuously. I just make sure that I follow the same steps each time. Check frequency before pilot gets radio. Check that radio is the proper radio on the frequency the pilot THINKS. I have had a pilot say; "I want my 6ch Futaba that is on CH45". As opposed to the 4ch radio on CH16 to notice when I have handed him the radio he wanted that it was on the other channel from what he thought. Make sure when the radio is returned IT IS OFF (again, I always check rather than take the pilots word that it is off). I have had helpers in the last three years, and have selected a couple of responsible flyers from the club. 

The only other tasks are keeping a list of people who want their radio once a frequency is clear and getting a radio back that someone may have out for a long period of time."