License when required

Buk

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Reading the paragraph below and operating a Phantom V1 and a Fat Shark 250mW, is an FCC license required in the United States?

You DO NOT need a Commercial Radio Operator License to operate the following:
1. Coast stations operating on VHF frequencies with 250 watts or less of carrier power;

2. Ship stations operating only on VHF frequencies while sailing on domestic voyages;

3. Aircraft stations which operate only of VHF frequencies and do not make foreign flights.

If this paragraph is not relative to obtaining a license for operating a Phantom and a 250mW Fat Shark, where is the regulation located on the internet so I can read it and attempt to understand it.

Thanks,
 
This question came up a few weeks ago. To FPV legally you will need an FCC amateur radio license to operate legally within the US.
 
miskatonic said:
This question came up a few weeks ago. To FPV legally you will need an FCC amateur radio license to operate legally within the US.

Where on the internet is that stated in an official FCC web page/site that you must be licensed to operate at 5.8Ghz and what mW? Not that any government web pages are functioning during this shutdown.

Sorry, I'm trying to find and hopefully understand the FCC document that clearly states this regulation regarding 5.8.

Is flying around with 2.4 of the Phantom transmitter/receiver then not regulated?
 
5.8ghz @25mw or below does not need a licence, the use a higher powered transmitter you need to be licenced! I can't remember when I got that info, but I'm an Australian, and I know the majority of the US regs related to RC+cameras.

I'm not exactly sure what the transmitters Mw rating actually is? The 2.4 range would have a limit but it could be much higher (or lower!).

EDIT: done a quick search, 2.4ghz has a 10Mw limit.
http://www.air802.com/files/FCC-Rules-a ... ations.pdf
 
miskatonic said:
To operate the Phantom no you do not need an amateur radio license. To transmit audio and video you do need one.

Here is one of the forums I found: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1571048

That link has no more info than is already in this thread? You could link this thread on the rcgroups one and help them out lol.

2.4Ghz (with our set up) has a 10mw limit
5.8Ghz has a 25mw limit.
 
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An Amateur radio license is required to transmit video at 5.8 GHz only if one is transmitting with greater than one watt (1000mw) of power.

There are three levels of license in the US: Technician, General and Amateur Extra. The Technician level is sufficient for transmitting video on 5.8 GHz at greater than one watt of power.

William
KK6GBY
 
Ots said:
An Amateur radio license is required to transmit video at 5.8 GHz only if one is transmitting with greater than one watt (1000mw) of power.

William
KK6GBY

Hey, can you link where you saw that? I trust you, just want to see it in writing.
 
The above information leads me to ask:

Is a Fat Shark A/V transmitter/receiver set an ISM device? From what I've read and DO NOT understand 5.8Ghz is in two bands, one being ISM and the other not and requiring licensure.

Shouldn't there be a Part 15 compliance label on Fat Shark equipment if ISM and less than a watt?
 
Buk said:
The above information leads me to ask:

Is a Fat Shark A/V transmitter/receiver set an ISM device? From what I've read and DO NOT understand 5.8Ghz is in two bands, one being ISM and the other not and requiring licensure.

Shouldn't there be a Part 15 compliance label on Fat Shark equipment if ISM and less than a watt?

If you read the opening lines of the link carefully you will see that the bands were originally set aside for use with industrial scientific and medical equipment (ISM). However, in the early nineties the FCC allowed three of the bands to be opened for unlicensed communication equipment.

Fat Shark and others are operating in this 5.8 GHz band and no license is required for low power transmission.
 
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Thank you for taking the time to make these clarifications.
 
I've learned some new information and I thought I would pas it along.

Everything I put forth in this thread is true as long as we are talking about using a transmitter that carries FCC approval and has an FCC identifier number on the transmitter. That is, anyone can use it as long as it has < 1 Watt of power.

If it does not have FCC approval an amateur radio license is required to use it, regardless of its power output. If it is FCC approved then there will be the FCC logo on it and it will have the identifier number on it. This is required. If it has "FCC" stamped on it only it is not approved. The FCC logo has one 'C' inside of the other and there has to be the number.

So the link I posted above that explains that the use of < 1 Watt transmitters is OK without a license is referring to the use of approved transmitters only.
 
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Good afternoon,
Let's see if I clear this up for many of you. I have addressed this is numerous forums and most readers have been positive.
First, the FAA. If you do not fly for compensation in any way, you do not have to worry about Part 107 or the FAA Airman Certificate. You will, however, be bound by the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. The most restrictive part of that in my view is the 5-mile limit to any airport, requiring notification if you intend to fly closer. Under part 107, the mileage requirement does not apply; so long as you are in uncontrolled airspace you may fly near an airport. Note that some Class E airspace has a floor of 700 feet AGL and would not be a factor at the 400 foot limit we must follow.

Next, the FCC limit on transmitters. There are (2) separate issues here; the control transmitter (in your hands) and the FPV transmitter in the aircraft.
For the hand-held unit, most comply with 47 CFR Part 15 and do not require a license to operate. Look for the certification sticker on the unit. The 1-watt reference that many cite is about station identification; if the transmitter is not certified AND it operates in the amateur radio service AND it's output power is less than 1 watt, no identification is necessary.

Finally, FPV transmitters. I will limit this to the 5.8 GHz band as that is the most popular segment. It all comes down to part 15 certification; if it is compliant (has an FCC certified sticker) then an FCC license is not required. If not, you need an amateur radio license (Technician Class or higher) to use the transmitter as the frequencies are within an amateur radio service allocation.

By the way, part 15 certification is very rigorous. The (2) primary limits are:
--> The antenna must be permanently connected to the transmitter. No common-type RF connector may be used. (47 CFR 15.203)
--> The radiated field must not exceed 50mV/m at 3m distance (47 CFR 15.249(a)). This calculates out to 0.75mW EIRP, or typically 0.5mW output power.

Note that the above is milliwatts! Claims that licensing is not required below 25mW or other powers is incorrect. Even with 0.5mW, you can expect a range of 100 - 200 meters in the clear, although you may experience dropouts.

So there you go. Enjoy your FPV but please know that there are limits in place that may require you to get some sort of certification.

Regards, Marc
 
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So, a bit off-topic but, the DJI Spark and Mavic Pro (and I assume other DJI drones) have FCC certifications (see labels on the drones) and I assume the certifications cover the video transmitters. So, if my assumption is right, you don’t need a Ham license to fly them/turn them on according to the info provided here by others.

If interested, see FCC certification info here: FCC ID SS3-MM1A1702 Spark by SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD and FCC ID SS3-M1P1607 Mavic Pro by SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD from FCC ID Search.

If other FPV or video transmitters are FCC certified (I assume the really cheap stuff isn't), you should be able to find the certification info on a label on the device and at FCC ID Search.
 
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