FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
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Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#2This appears to be "video streaming" style transmitters, not an ADS-B out sort of location transmitter or anything.
And it seems that HobbyKing just... hoped nothing would happen.
> As spelled out in ARRL’s 2017 complaint, the ARRL Laboratory had documented that the operating frequencies of these drone TV transmitters near the 1.3 GHz amateur band were dip-switch selectable for frequencies internationally assigned for use by Aeronautical Navigation, GPS, GLONASS L1, ATC Mode “S,” as well as to both the interrogation and reply frequencies used for Air Traffic Control Air-Route Surveillance “transponder” radar systems. “Transmissions from these drone TV transmitters would have caused harmful interference to these essential Navigation and ATC Radar systems, presenting a real and dangerous threat to the safety of flight,” Carlson said.
That's impressively ballsy. I'm glad the FCC smacked them down pretty hard. It's not like global frequency allocations aren't well known.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#3This is unfortunate but I’m more displeased with the ARRL. They spend millions on lobbyists and politicians, pay the President A quarter of a million a year, and they’re really not doing that much for it. The website is seriously lacking an up-to-date information about state and federal issues, and I’m very dismayed at what seems to be a lot of money spent but very little to show for it. Ive been an Extra since 2002 and I didn’t renew my membership last year. To me, a humble Ham in tornado country, ARRL just seems like a lot of people hanging on feeding at the trough.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#4This appears to be "video streaming" style transmitters, not an ADS-B out sort of location transmitter or anything. And it seems that HobbyKing just... hoped nothing would happen. > As spelled out in ARRL’s 2017 complaint, the ARRL Laboratory had documented that the operating frequencies of these drone TV transmitters near the 1.3 GHz amateur band were dip-switch selectable for frequencies internationally assigned fo…
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Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#5This appears to be "video streaming" style transmitters, not an ADS-B out sort of location transmitter or anything. And it seems that HobbyKing just... hoped nothing would happen. > As spelled out in ARRL’s 2017 complaint, the ARRL Laboratory had documented that the operating frequencies of these drone TV transmitters near the 1.3 GHz amateur band were dip-switch selectable for frequencies internationally assigned fo…
Linux allows individuals to override tx frequencies and power on many devices, but at least that’s done in software. I could understand if the dips were for setting bits on a frequency divider and could allow selecting any frequency, but having them directly correlate to reserved frequencies is beyond the pale.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#6This appears to be "video streaming" style transmitters, not an ADS-B out sort of location transmitter or anything. And it seems that HobbyKing just... hoped nothing would happen. > As spelled out in ARRL’s 2017 complaint, the ARRL Laboratory had documented that the operating frequencies of these drone TV transmitters near the 1.3 GHz amateur band were dip-switch selectable for frequencies internationally assigned fo…
All that for a dip switch that isn't normally accessible?
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#7This is unfortunate but I’m more displeased with the ARRL. They spend millions on lobbyists and politicians, pay the President A quarter of a million a year, and they’re really not doing that much for it. The website is seriously lacking an up-to-date information about state and federal issues, and I’m very dismayed at what seems to be a lot of money spent but very little to show for it. Ive been an Extra since 2002…
Also an Extra. I actually delayed renewal this year, but then re-upped when I remembered that I'd been using the callsign@arrl.org email forwarded for a bunch of stuff and shelling out for one more year was easier than hunting down all the places I'd used it. I'll probably address that soon and let it go for good after this year.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#8This appears to be "video streaming" style transmitters, not an ADS-B out sort of location transmitter or anything. And it seems that HobbyKing just... hoped nothing would happen. > As spelled out in ARRL’s 2017 complaint, the ARRL Laboratory had documented that the operating frequencies of these drone TV transmitters near the 1.3 GHz amateur band were dip-switch selectable for frequencies internationally assigned fo…
Linux allows individuals to override tx frequencies and power on many devices, but at least that’s done in software. I could understand if the dips were for setting bits on a frequency divider and could allow selecting any frequency, but having them directly correlate to reserved frequencies is beyond the pale.
>but having them directly correlate to reserved frequencies is beyond the pale.
The whole point of this cheapo hardware is that it can be used for whatever just by setting switches and therefore achieves massive economies of scale. They sell the same hardware to the drone makers and the radio makers and so on.
IIRC these switches were not user accessible. The manufacturer set them in the right position.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#9This is unfortunate but I’m more displeased with the ARRL. They spend millions on lobbyists and politicians, pay the President A quarter of a million a year, and they’re really not doing that much for it. The website is seriously lacking an up-to-date information about state and federal issues, and I’m very dismayed at what seems to be a lot of money spent but very little to show for it. Ive been an Extra since 2002…
Lobbyists is exactly what I pay them for.
But other than that, a quarter million sounds huge, but that's not huge for a big, heavily-government-involved national non-profit.
For my own benefit, they orchestrate the classes and testing that I used to get my license, publish excellent reference materials, etc. I'm no longer in tornado country, but in earthquake country and a bigger city, the many different HAM activities are nice to know about.
Re: FCC reaffirms $3M fine for marketing unauthorized drone transmitters
#10Ahh, hobbyking. I used to order RC and electronics stuff from them, back before off the shelf drones became common enough that regulations ramped way up.
Their checkout pipeline used to have a drop-down box for what percent of the orders value to declare on the customs documents. IIRC, the default value was 30%...
It was also always interesting seeing what machinations they were using when orders of LiPo batteries would get shipped. I had a very large battery order for a workshop I ran that was shipped from HK to the west coast via Fiji post - and by the postal tracking, took the long way around, and showed up with a surprising lack of stickers related to the contents.
They still have the best battery searcher in the business if you need to find pouch cells with specific dimensions.
Not surprised that regulators have been catching up with them.