AMA News
by Bob Underwood
Sticker Stations
Several years ago the Academy began checking RC transmitters at trade shows and special events to determine whether they met the narrow‑band criteria. The checking procedure has provided valuable information to the Frequency Committee, industry, and individual Academy members. The process evolved into a cooperative effort involving the AMA and the Radio Control Manufacturers Association (RCMA). Transmitters that are checked are stickered; silver and gold stickers are being attached to increasing numbers of transmitters to indicate they have been checked.
To provide this service to modelers, AMA and RCMA set up sticker stations where checking and stickering may be performed. At present there are approximately 36 such stations around the United States. Some stations have requested not to be listed because they supply the service only on a limited, local basis.
To become a sticker station, an individual or company must apply and state qualifications, the type of equipment to be used for checking, the method and frequency of calibration, and must submit transmitters for cross‑checking. Upon verification, a code number is assigned by RCMA; that code number appears in the lower right‑hand corner of the official RCMA‑AMA sticker.
In many cases the transmitter check is performed free of charge. Some sticker stations may request a small fee, usually $1–$5.
Listing as a sticker station does not imply qualification to service radios. It simply indicates willingness and ability to test transmitters for conformance to narrow‑band specifications. The listing contains three basic groups: manufacturers/importers/distributors (typically service radios they manufacture or import, sometimes through a network of service centers or through headquarters), independent radio repair service centers (which service a variety of brands), and individuals (often willing to check transmitters but who may not service radios). Anyone on the list can sticker a radio; if you require service work, check whether the agency services the brand involved.
At the present time the Academy has no general requirement to sticker transmitters; the program is informational. Effective December 20, 1990, stickers will be required on transmitters used at AMA‑sanctioned events. In addition, chartered clubs may require stickers; adding such a requirement to club rules automatically makes it part of the AMA Safety Code (Item Number Three, General section).
Information pertaining to transmitter specifications can be found in the Membership Manual, page 12, under the heading "RC Transmitter Technical Guidelines — Measurements." For additional information, contact Bob Underwood at AMA Headquarters.
Approved Transmitter Sticker List
- 01 AMA, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090
- 02 Ace RC, Inc., 116 W. 19th St., Higginsville, MO 64037
- 03 Airtronics, Inc., 11 Autry, Irvine, CA 92718
- 05 Beemer RC West Dist., 7725 E. Redfield, Suite 102, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
- 06 Cannon Electronics, Inc., 2828 Cochran St., Suite 281, Simi Valley, CA 93065
- 07 Hobby Dynamics, P.O. Box 3726, Champaign, IL 61821
- 09 Custom Electronics, P.O. Box 1332, Alta Loma, CA 91701
- 10 Futaba Corp. of America, 555 W. Victoria St., Compton, CA 90220
- 17 Polk's/Aristo‑Craft, 346 Bergen Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07304
- 19 Tower Hobbies/Hobbico, P.O. Box 543, Champaign, IL 61820
- 21 Kraft Midwest, 115 E. Main St., Northville, MI 48167
- 23 GSP Products, 2238 Rogue River Dr., Sacramento, CA 95826
- 101 Hobby Radio, 626 S. Gallatin Rd., Madison, TN 37115
- 103 Artex Aircraft Supply, 10714 S. Township Rd., Canby, OR 97013
- 104 Seville RC Hobbies, 9818 Guilford Rd., Seville, OH 44273
- 105 D & J Electronics, 900 Lucy Rd., Howell, MI 48843
- 106 Aero Models, Route 5, 7021 Chippewa Rd., Medina, OH 44256
- 107 Francis S. Key, 1072 Brick Rd., Mt. Holly, NJ 08060
- 108 Ocean County RC Service, 2123 Vermont St., Toms River, NJ 08755
- 109 Lon's RC Service, 2062 Rabbit Ln., Phoenix, NY 13135
- 110 TSA, 10903 Indian Head Hwy., Ste. 304, Ft. Washington, MD 20744
- 111 Wollitz RC, 8996 Barco Ln., Jacksonville, FL 32222
- 112 Anything RC, W3029 Hoffman, Spokane, WA 99205
- 113 Ron's RC Service, 5180 East Lake Rd., Sheffield Lake, OH 44054
- 114 John Hickey, 1624 Maple Ave., Hatfield, PA 19440
- 115 Lance Halle, 12644 N. 28th Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85029
- 116 Charles D. Ehinger, 1910 Virginia Ave., 1403B, Ft. Myers, FL 33901
- 117 Steve Whitehurst, 9025 Oels St., Ft. Worth, TX 76108
- 118 Kraft Southeast, 2713 Baldwin Brook Dr., Montgomery, AL 36116
- 119 John Hill, RC Squadron, Inc., P.O. Box 313, Chelmsford, MA 01824
New phone numbers
Note: Calls cannot be transferred between these numbers.
- AMA Headquarters: (703) 435‑0750
General AMA business; Model Aviation subscriptions (member and non‑member); back issues and copies of articles; changes of address; advertising in Sanctioned Events Calendar.
- Model Aviation Editorial: (703) 435‑0760
Magazine article submissions and information; full‑size plans from Model Aviation; hobby shop resale accounts; advertising billing questions.
- Model Aviation Advertising: (703) 434‑0350
Advertising rates, specifications, schedule, etc. (not applicable to Sanctioned Events Calendar).
Good News!
The AMA Film Librarian now has Beta video tapes available for sale at $25.00 each. Titles available:
- "Those Marvelous Miniatures" — 46 mins.
- "Airdrift On the Air" — 30 mins.
- "Diamonds in the Sky" — 30 mins.
- "Grand Illusions" — 36 mins.
- "The Pioneers" — 27 mins.
- "Wired for Excitement" — 30 mins.
Order from: AMA Film Librarian, 1810 Samuel Morse Drive, Reston, VA 22090. Include $25.00 for each tape and be sure to specify "Beta." All shipping charges are prepaid by AMA.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
