diff --git a/flight/OpenPilot/System/inc/FreeRTOSConfig.h b/flight/OpenPilot/System/inc/FreeRTOSConfig.h
index c2a07fa67..6336639a4 100644
--- a/flight/OpenPilot/System/inc/FreeRTOSConfig.h
+++ b/flight/OpenPilot/System/inc/FreeRTOSConfig.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ NVIC value of 255. */
 #if defined(DEBUG)
 #define configGENERATE_RUN_TIME_STATS 1
 #define INCLUDE_uxTaskGetRunTime 1
-#define portCONFIGURE_TIMER_FOR_RUN_TIME_STATS() PIOS_RTC_Start()
+#define portCONFIGURE_TIMER_FOR_RUN_TIME_STATS() PIOS_RTC_Init()
 // Note: Using the tick count defeats the purpose here, need some timer on the scale of 10khz
 #define portGET_RUN_TIME_COUNTER_VALUE()  PIOS_RTC_Counter()
 #endif
diff --git a/flight/OpenPilot/System/pios_board.c b/flight/OpenPilot/System/pios_board.c
index ccbf8fced..57605ad9d 100644
--- a/flight/OpenPilot/System/pios_board.c
+++ b/flight/OpenPilot/System/pios_board.c
@@ -1049,6 +1049,7 @@ void PIOS_Board_Init(void) {
 
 #if defined(PIOS_INCLUDE_SPEKTRUM)
 	/* SPEKTRUM init must come before comms */
+	PIOS_RTC_Init();  // Spektrum uses RTC to check for frame failures
 	PIOS_SPEKTRUM_Init();
 
 	if (PIOS_USART_Init(&pios_usart_spektrum_id, &pios_usart_spektrum_cfg)) {
diff --git a/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/Libraries/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM3/portmacro.h b/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/Libraries/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM3/portmacro.h
index 81839c07f..caee2a839 100755
--- a/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/Libraries/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM3/portmacro.h
+++ b/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/Libraries/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM3/portmacro.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ extern void vPortYieldFromISR( void );
 extern void vPortEnterCritical( void );
 extern void vPortExitCritical( void );
 
-void PIOS_RTC_Start();
+void PIOS_RTC_Init();
 uint32_t PIOS_RTC_Counter();
 	
 #define portDISABLE_INTERRUPTS()	portSET_INTERRUPT_MASK()
diff --git a/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/pios_rtc.c b/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/pios_rtc.c
index 0a950e913..1f1769621 100644
--- a/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/pios_rtc.c
+++ b/flight/PiOS/STM32F10x/pios_rtc.c
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@
 
 #if defined(PIOS_INCLUDE_RTC)
 
-void PIOS_RTC_Start()
+#ifndef PIOS_RTC_PRESCALAR
+#define PIOS_RTC_PRESCALAR 0
+#endif
+
+void PIOS_RTC_Init()
 {
 	RCC_APB1PeriphClockCmd(RCC_APB1Periph_BKP | RCC_APB1Periph_PWR,
 			       ENABLE);
@@ -44,7 +48,7 @@ void PIOS_RTC_Start()
 	RTC_WaitForLastTask();
 	RTC_WaitForSynchro();
 	RTC_WaitForLastTask();
-	RTC_SetPrescaler(0);	// counting at 8e6 / 128
+	RTC_SetPrescaler(PIOS_RTC_PRESCALAR);	// counting at 8e6 / 128
 	RTC_WaitForLastTask();
 	RTC_SetCounter(0);
 	RTC_WaitForLastTask();
@@ -55,6 +59,15 @@ uint32_t PIOS_RTC_Counter()
 	return RTC_GetCounter();
 }
 
+float PIOS_RTC_Rate()
+{
+	return (float) (8e6 / 128) / (1 + PIOS_RTC_PRESCALAR);
+}
+
+float PIOS_RTC_MsPerTick() 
+{
+	return 1000.0f / PIOS_RTC_Rate();
+}
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/flight/PiOS/inc/pios_rtc.h b/flight/PiOS/inc/pios_rtc.h
index c9ad5661f..0c9183d00 100644
--- a/flight/PiOS/inc/pios_rtc.h
+++ b/flight/PiOS/inc/pios_rtc.h
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@
 #define PIOS_SERVO_H
 
 /* Public Functions */
-extern void PIOS_RTC_Start();
+extern void PIOS_RTC_Init();
 extern uint32_t PIOS_RTC_Counter();
+extern float PIOS_RTC_Rate();
+extern float PIOS_RTC_MsPerTick();
 
 #endif /* PIOS_SERVO_H */