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Skycat Rescue Radio

Skycat Rescue Radio

from €42.90

Skycat Rescue Radio is a professional radio system designed with just one dedicated goal in mind: to eject your Skycat parachute system reliably. It's also compatible with many other parachute systems on the market.

Mounts easily to your RC transmitter's handle, or to your belt/pocket with the included belt clip.
Ready-to-use, battery included. Also available without the radio module, for DIY users.
Built-in launch button allows using an external launch button for added reach (optional).

Designed and made by Skycat in Finland.

Skycat Rescue Radio:

With no radio module Ready-to-go with a TBS 100mW radio module 1 receiver Ready-to-go with a TBS 500mW radio module 1 receiver External eject button set with 1 m cable, open ends Additional receiver, bound with radio module

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General

Skycat Rescue Radio was designed with just one goal in mind: to reliably eject a parachute on a press of a button, either an integrated or external button, at same time or individually. There's no arming or settings: just power up and you're good to go.

Ready-To-Use Rescue Radio with TBS Crossfire module supports 868 MHz (EU, Russia) and 915 MHz (USA, Asia, Australia). Frequency in use could be changed afterwards from TBS Crossfire interface (500mW only). 100mW version requires either TBS Tango or Taranis transmitter to access settings. Skycat Rescue Radio supports various JR radio modules, and therefore the frequency could be selected to meet local rules.

Ready-to-use kit

Radio with TBS Crossfire 500mW module
OR
Radio with TBS Crossfire 100mW module
OPTIONS
External button cable 1 m open ends
External button

Skycat rescue radio 2.jpg — DIY kit

If you are familiar with RC radios and know terms like PPM, BIND, FailSafe etc. you can buy a Rescue Radio without a radio module, and do the radio module settings by yourself.
For a package w/o radio module, add an external button set to cart separately.

Quality

Skycat Rescue Radio is manufactured for highest durability: the radio enclosure is machined from a single aluminium block, and then covered with carbon fiber plates.
We didn't make any compromises and aimed only for the best.

Skycat rescue radio power switch.jpg — Secure power switch

Accidental powering OFF is not possible due a safety rocker switch.

Professional connector

Industrial-grade M8 connector for an external eject button.
One radio unit can control several parachute launchers. Each copter has their own receiver, and the radio unit can be swapped from one to another in seconds.

Steel eject button

Vandal proof button for parachute eject. The button has a safety function against accidental activation. Button presses shorter that 0.1 s are ignored.

Belt and handle clip

Steel clip for attaching the Rescue Radio to your RC controller's handle bar, or your side pocket, belt etc. The clip can be rotated between 4 positions for convenient positioning.

JR radio module slot

The enclosure supports most JR modules in the market, and we have chosen TBS Crossfire as our default module.
By choosing Skycat Rescue Radio with a TBS module installed, we prepare everything that is required for use: update firmware, basic settings, apply moisture protection for the receiver, mechanical installation and extensive testing.

Compliant

Skycat Rescue Radio is tested according to EMC standards. We stretched the standards even further, and the power lab was unable to make the Rescue Radio fail under any power/radio circumstances.
Skycat Rescue Radio is CE marked.

Eject button within reach

The eject button is within immediate reach, under the pilot's thumb.
For multiple RC controllers, add one additional external button for each controller, and one additional receiver for each copter.

Direct fit for DJI RC controllers

Snap it to a handle bar, and connect the M8 connector, and the Rescue Radio is ready to use. It works as stand support on the ground too.

Compatible with DJI Inspire 1 and 2 mounts

Ready-to-use kit's receiver fits nicely on side of the V3 Pro Trigger, securely behind a wall.

Legal requirements of Rescue radio

Note that your country regulations may limit max. power used and determines legal frequencies used. Radio modules we use allows these settings changed afterwards by a customer. For instance if you fly at different countries you could adapt to meet local regulations.

Radio module options are 100 mW max. power version and 500 mW max. power version. We recommend to use 500 mW version because it allows to change settings directly by integrated interface of radio module at any time anywhere without any special tools. 100 mW version requires either TBS Tango radio transmitter or Taranis radio transmitter to access these settings. We are happy to adjust settings before shipping as customer requires.

Before shipping if not otherwise requested by a customer we configure Rescue radio frequency to meet buyer shipping country regulation, if easily available online. Max power is set to module default as an adaptive setting. Module use minimum 10/25mW power required for flight situation automatically. In case flight distance or environment requires, radio module adjust power up to max. power. Max. power can be limited by a customer from settings.

Rescue radio supports two alternative frequencies, 868 MHz and 915 MHz, and these can be changed by a customer afterwards.

Software functions

IDLE: the radio is always IDLE when powered, unless the eject button is pressed
EJECT: when the eject button is pressed more than 0.1 seconds continuously, the parachute eject command is sent to the receiver on the aircraft
BATTERY INDICATOR: led indicates, when the battery is running low, and when it is time to change the battery
EJECT INDICATOR: led indicates, when ejection is activated

Receiver functions

Default ready-to-use package with TBS Crossfire has 4 channels
Rescue Radio supports up to 6 channels
Channel 1 LO at idle state, HI when button is pressed
Channel 2 HI at idle state, LO when button is pressed
Channel 3 LO at idle state, HI when button is pressed, delay 0.2s
Channel 4 LO at idle state, HI when button is pressed, delay 0.4s
Channel 5 LO at idle state, HI when button is pressed, delay 0.6s
Channel 6 LO at idle state, HI when button is pressed, delay 0.9s

Specs

Unit weight: 440 grams with battery and TBS radio module
Dimensions (without antenna) 130x78x53 with TBS module
Dimensions without radio module 130x78x40
Battery 3S LIPO 800 mAh, max 60 x 31 x 24mm (included)
Battery connector 2 pin JST
EMC tested
CE approved
Reliability 99.998% based on 29000+ test hours
TBS Crossfire has adaptive power; it uses as low power as possible for minimal interference with other radio equipment's.
TBS Crossfire radio module air range is kilometers. More information about TBS Crossfire radio module here
100mW TBS module tested ground range receiver and transmitter 2 meters (7ft) above ground open field: 1.7 kilometers (1.05 miles)

Radio modules used during R&D

TBS Crossfire 868 / 915 MHz - 100mW and 500mW
Immersion RC EzUHF 433 / 459 MHz
FrSky DJT 2.4 GHz
Graupner HoTT M-G2 2.4 GHz
Several other JR and Futaba modules. Futaba-style module is not mechanically compatible with Rescue Radio.

R&D background

This is the short story of how Skycat Rescue Radio was designed and verified before release:

We started to implement the Rescue Radio in early 2016. The first airworthy version was ready in early Summer 2016, and has been tested ever since. We and select test pilots have now used the Rescue Radio for over a year, with real aerial filming work in all weather conditions the Finnish/Scandinavian climate offers, from freezing Winter to hot Summer.

We run a continuous automated test bench 24/7. Skycat Rescue Radio has numerous flights and over 29 thousand test hours booked with various radio modules. We have also visited personally an EMC test lab to put the Rescue Radio to the ultimate test. The lab ran all the standard EMC test procedures, but also additional standards-based tests with the maximum power their equipment could deliver. The Rescue Radio worked as designed, every time.

The last software change was made 23000 test hours ago. The last electronics change was made at autumn 2016. We use exactly the same HW and SW as at the launch date.

So, what have we have done with all that time since the last SW/HW change? Testing, verification, and confirmation. We have tested this product to no end, to be sure it really works with the reliability a safety device should have.