CMRC Micro Series Meet 1 in Curtin Enforces 50g Limit, 25mW VTX

The Canberra Multirotor Racing Club tightened the rules at Meet 1 of its 2026 Micro Series, holding the 1S, ducted‑prop micro class to a 50 g maximum quad weight and a 25 mW video transmitter limit. Those technical edges were central to the evening at Holy Trinity School in Curtin, where qualifying used the two‑fastest consecutive laps format to determine grid order and the club streamed the action for remote viewers.

Organizers listed the event as public and hosted by Timothy Crofts, Dave Aitchison and CMRC - FPV Drone Racing Canberra, with the primary reported session running Friday, January 30, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM AEDT. CMRC’s live broadcast infrastructure has been in place for at least a year; the club’s 2025 series materials welcome viewers: “Welcome to the 2025 Micro Racing Series presented by the Canberra Multirotor Racing Club (CMRC). New features for 2025 include: - New stream.”

The technical caps are more than bureaucratic detail. A 50 g weight ceiling and 25 mW VTX limit explicitly favor lightweight, efficient ducted designs and low‑power video systems, tightening the equipment envelope for builders and manufacturers. For pilots, the rules shift emphasis from raw speed to setup finesse - motor tuning, prop selection and battery optimization become decisive when every gram matters. For local shops and component makers, demand will likely tilt toward ultra‑light frames, smaller motors and higher‑energy 1S battery cells in compact packages.

CMRC’s micro series has run regularly at Holy Trinity since earlier seasons; association material from 2023 noted monthly meets at the school site and lists the micro equipment baseline as “ducted frame, 1s battery.” That continuity, paired with the club’s streaming push, helps convert backyard fly days into spectator events with broader reach. Listings on third‑party calendars show continuity across seasons and even surface entries such as a “2026 MultiGP Australian ProSpec Wildcard,” hinting at competitive pathways beyond Canberra for pilots who perform well in local series. One third‑party listing gave an alternate date of January 17 for Meet 1, a discrepancy the club’s own event page and livestream scheduling reconcile around January 30.

Beyond hardware and airtime, the meet underscores a cultural shift in grassroots FPV. Spec limits like 50 g and 25 mW lower the barrier to entry by containing costs and curbing nuisance factors such as video interference and noise. They also foster a spectator-friendly format: short, sprint laps decided by two consecutive efforts reward precision and make live broadcasts compact and exciting. For pilots eyeing higher‑level competition, CMRC’s format provides a proving ground that prioritizes pilot skill and setup savvy over budget‑driven horsepower.

For readers and local pilots, the immediate takeaway is practical: build to the 50 g, fit a 25 mW VTX, and tune for consistent back‑to‑back laps. CMRC’s Micro Series cadence and streaming availability mean more chances to race, watch and refine setups as the season progresses.