From ARRL:<\/p>\n
ZCZC AG03
\nQST de W1AW
\nARRL Bulletin 3\u00a0 ARLB003
\nFrom ARRL Headquarters
\nNewington CT\u00a0 January 12, 2017
\nTo all radio amateurs<\/p>\n
SB QST ARL ARLB003
\nARLB003 Illegal Drone Transmitters Could Interfere with Air Traffic
\nControl, ARRL Complaint Asserts<\/p>\n
In what it calls an “extremely urgent complaint” to the FCC, ARRL
\nhas targeted the interference potential of a series of audio\/video
\ntransmitters used on unmanned aircraft and marketed as Amateur Radio
\nequipment. In a January 10 letter to the FCC Spectrum Enforcement
\nDivision, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said the
\ntransmitters use frequencies intended for navigational aids, air
\ntraffic control radar, air route surveillance radars, and global
\npositioning systems.<\/p>\n
“This is, in ARRL’s view, a potentially very serious interference
\nproblem, and it is respectfully requested that the products
\nreferenced…be investigated and removed from the marketplace
\nimmediately and that the importers be subjected to normal
\nsanctions,” ARRL’s letter said. Some of the transmitters operate on
\nfrequencies between 1010 and 1280 MHz. “These video transmitters are
\nbeing marketed ostensibly as Amateur Radio equipment,” the League
\nsaid, “but of the listed frequencies on which the devices operate,
\nonly one, 1280 MHz, would be within the Amateur Radio allocation at
\n1240-1300 MHz.” Even then, ARRL said, operation there would conflict
\nwith a channel used for radio location.<\/p>\n
ARRL said the use of 1040 and 1080 MHz, which would directly
\nconflict with air traffic control transponder frequencies,
\nrepresented the greatest threat to the safety of flight. The use of
\n1010 MHz, employed for aeronautical guidance, could also be
\nproblematic.<\/p>\n
ARRL cited the Lawmate transmitter and companion 6 W amplifier as
\nexamples of problematic devices being marketed in the US. Each costs
\nless than $100 via the Internet. The device carries no FCC
\nidentification number.<\/p>\n
“[T]he target market for these devices is the drone hobbyist, not
\nlicensed radio amateurs. The device, due to the channel
\nconfiguration, has no valid Amateur Radio application,” ARRL told
\nthe FCC. “While these transmitters are marked as appropriate for
\namateur use, they cannot be used legally for Amateur Radio
\ncommunications.” In the hands of unlicensed individuals, the
\ntransmitters could also cause interference to Amateur Radio
\ncommunication in the 1.2 GHz band, ARRL contended.<\/p>\n
The League said it’s obvious that the devices at issue lack proper
\nFCC equipment authorization under FCC Part 15 rules, which require
\nsuch low-power intentional radiators to be certified.<\/p>\n
“Of most concern is the capability of the devices to cripple the
\noperation of the [air traffic control] secondary target\/transponder
\nsystems,” ARRL said. “These illegal transmitters represent a
\nsignificant hazard to public safety in general and the safety of
\nflight specifically.”<\/p>\n
The surge in sales of drones has been dramatic. The FAA has
\npredicted that combined commercial and hobby sales will increase
\nfrom 2.5 million in 2016 to 7 million by 2020.<\/p>\n
In Exhibit A of the January 10 letter, “Illegal Drones Threaten
\nPublic Safety,” the League noted that some of the drones and
\nassociated equipment it has come across “are blatantly illegal at
\nmultiple levels,” with some drone TV transmitters described as
\n“particularly alarming.”<\/p>\n
“Rated at 6 times over the legal power limit, and on critical air
\nnavigation transponder frequencies, these devices represent a real
\nand dangerous threat to the safety of flight, especially when
\noperated from a drone platform that can be hundreds of feet in the
\nair,” the exhibit narrative asserted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From ARRL: ZCZC AG03 QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 3\u00a0 ARLB003 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT\u00a0 January 12, 2017 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB003 ARLB003 Illegal Drone Transmitters Could Interfere with Air Traffic Control, ARRL Complaint Asserts…<\/span><\/p>\n