Focus on Competition
Technically Speaking ...
Greg Hahn Technical Director [email protected]
FCC licensing issues: There's been quite a bit of wrangling about the use of non‑FCC‑certified equipment to fly our model aircraft and the fears that go along with that unknown.
While AMA Flying Site Assistance Coordinator Tony Stillman is working on our technical statement of the issues, I'll give a quick outline to help quell some of the fear and set expectations.
The official stance of the AMA is that all radio equipment used for the control of model aircraft must be FCC certified. This rule seems simple and cut‑and‑dried and has been in place for a very long time.
Today, however, with global marketing and sales, we are able to acquire radios and other equipment that were, for the most part, never intended to be used in the U.S. and therefore didn't need to be FCC certified. Luckily, most of this equipment transmits on 2.4 GHz, so it doesn't cause the interference problems from one system to another that non‑narrowband 72 MHz equipment could create. That fear of interference is the cause of much of the unrest in our ranks.
Thanks to the way our 2.4 GHz systems operate, interference is generally not an issue. The main FCC concern in testing is power output.
Responsibility for ensuring equipment is FCC certified falls on the owner/user of that equipment.
If you read through the FCC rules and laws, you'll find language stating that it's illegal to import and sell non‑FCC‑certified radio equipment into the U.S. The big question is whether it is illegal to purchase non‑FCC‑certified equipment for personal use. We have our FCC legal team in Washington working on that question now, so we should have an answer shortly.
In the meantime, if you have purchased a radio system from an overseas vendor and would like to make sure your system is certified, try the following:
- Look for an FCC label somewhere on the transmitter or module.
- If you don't see one, look up your system on the FCC website—certified systems are listed under the manufacturer.
- You can search for the license at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp.
I'll keep updating you as more information becomes available. Fly safely and have fun. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
