FAA Transponders?

[Power_Broker]

If the FAA is serious about compliance, they'd enforce it at the manufacturer level. Basically, once the FAA says you can't sell a new RC air vehicle or receiver that doesn't have remote ID built-in, then manufacturers will include it in their new designs, and eventually all RC air vehicles will have it (even if it takes 10-20 years).

 

[MrKilometer]

If the FAA is serious about compliance, they'd enforce it at the manufacturer level. Basically, once the FAA says you can't sell a new RC air vehicle or receiver that doesn't have remote ID built-in, then manufacturers will include it in their new designs, and eventually all RC air vehicles will have it (even if it takes 10-20 years).

As far as I understand it, the date for manufacturers to include RID with their products has come and gone (https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id, scroll down to "effective dates"). From what I've seen, only DJI and a few other consumer-grade quadcopter companies are actually including RID in their products (and Rotor Riot definitely isn't, which is pretty funny).

 

[tamuct01]

As far as I understand it, the date for manufacturers to include RID with their products has come and gone (https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id, scroll down to "effective dates"). From what I've seen, only DJI and a few other consumer-grade quadcopter companies are actually including RID in their products (and Rotor Riot definitely isn't, which is pretty funny).

Correct. Any complete UAS (transmitter and craft) built today must have standard remoteID. As I understand it, only DJI products currently have this. It is quite unclear from the FAA (see xJet's videos on the subject) as to what classifies as requiring standard or broadcast remote ID. Is the line drawn only at RTF (plane+transmitter) or do BNF (missing transmitter) require standard or broadcast remoteID? If you ask John Doe off the street who bought a plane from a friend, does he know? What about ARF (need Rx+Tx) or other kits that need significant build time? The FAA doesn't have a freaking clue how the hobby works and their rules reflect that, and IMO, deserve our noncompliance.

 

[Merv]

...is anyone actually making a Remote ID module that does everything that the FAA wants it to do?...

I found this one, $300, not exactly cheap.
Still, it would cheaper than 2 years of AMA membership plus club dues.

Welcome to Vertigo Drones - We're the Professionals

 

[JasonK]

Correct. Any complete UAS (transmitter and craft) built today must have standard remoteID. As I understand it, only DJI products currently have this. It is quite unclear from the FAA (see xJet's videos on the subject) as to what classifies as requiring standard or broadcast remote ID. Is the line drawn only at RTF (plane+transmitter) or do BNF (missing transmitter) require standard or broadcast remoteID? If you ask John Doe off the street who bought a plane from a friend, does he know? What about ARF (need Rx+Tx) or other kits that need significant build time? The FAA doesn't have a freaking clue how the hobby works and their rules reflect that, and IMO, deserve our noncompliance.

there is only module vs built in, it is all only broadcast now, there isn't a "report home on wifi/cell network" category.

 

[Power_Broker]

From what I've seen, only DJI and a few other consumer-grade quadcopter companies are actually including RID in their products (and Rotor Riot definitely isn't, which is pretty funny).

Are all other flight controller manufacturers just not going to sell in the US???

 

[JasonK]

Are all other flight controller manufacturers just not going to sell in the US???

a flight controller != a completed done. they can be used for lots of things.

 

[MrKilometer]

Are all other flight controller manufacturers just not going to sell in the US???

Rotor Riot put a disclaimer on their quadcopter saying that the consumer needed to install RID... That's against the rules, but as far as I'm aware, the FAA hasn't done anything. I don't know what other manufacturers of RTF/BNF/PNP drones will do.

As a side note, I feel like it shouldn't be legal to write legislation if the governing body doesn't have a clue about the things they're actually regulating. As XJet demonstrated, the FAA doesn't know the difference between RTF and BNF. What other knowledge do they lack? A former aerospace engineer recently told me how an FAA representative he worked with didn't know how to read lat/long coordinates in DMS (for instance, he thought 25 degrees 35' and 25.35 were the same). The FAA doesn't know squat about R/C airplanes, and the incompetence isn't limited to just that.

 

[Power_Broker]

I think everyone here will love this:

 

[hankflies03]

OMG! is that real! 0/100 on that quiz!

 

[MrClean]

I heard the back and forth on the radio. I believe the rules are that the Nominee has to have an aviation background. This guy sounds like the only aviation background was flying from gov job to gov job. Then again, I was watching a video of a 172 pilot who I don't know where he decided to learn to fly. He obviously can. He was good on managing the systems needed for IFR and all BUT he didn't understand stalls, never had spun an aircraft and then just some weird questions that yo'd know better had you bought one of those dimestore windup balsa models. Guy had no clue. Frankly I wonder if he just went down the I'mma be a pilot route after loosing a bet.

 

[MrKilometer]

I think everyone here will love this:

This is fantastic! It's like he's unwillingly taking a checkride!

 

[MrClean]

As a side note, I feel like it shouldn't be legal to write legislation if the governing body doesn't have a clue about the things they're actually regulating.

Dude! This is Government were talking about. The only people in there that KNOW anything about what they're working on in legislation CNN calls kooks and weirdoos that are a threat to our nation. Meanwhile, good, honest, worthy people like Diane Feinstein want to ban all Assault Weapons, you know, your grandfathers hunting rifle or better yet, anything that isn't a muzzle loader is an assault rifle. Wait, Minet Balls are pretty scarey, that makes muzzle loaders with rifling Assault Weapons. NOW, Maryland has decided that due to the human brain not being fully developed on average till the age of 25, you can't be held liable for fellony murder till after that. IF, however, you are 17, you can get your parents signature and have 37 different shades of koolaid in your hair but still don't know what gender you are, YOU can join the Armed services and they'll hand you a fully automatic weapon and send you someplace to kill people, IF the situation determines you get the chance.
Ya, THATS Politicians. Pretty much the 21st century Roman Senate and we all know how that ended up. Might have been the lead flavoring in everything. Might just be Greed and Corruption and the desire of Control are a human trait. Seems to have been done everywhere humans have been.

 

[FishbonesAir]

You will be able to swap an RID module around from aircraft to aircraft. One should be enough.

Weight is expected to come down to 15-20 grams and price is projected to (eventually) be somewhere around 30-35 bucks.

Cheapest approved RID module is currently around $115

I saw one today that comes in, with shipping, at $85. Mind you, shipping was €30! So a group buy would greatly reduce the cost, since they could send a bunch of these postage stamps in one box.

DroneBeacon MAVLink db202mav standard RemoteID transponder - DroneScout

This is a cost-effective standard RemoteID transponder with only a MAVLink interface that can be integrated into your drone (product). The module has an IPEX3 antenna connector and no antenna is included!

dronescout.co

 

[MrClean]

AND here's a video showing WHY you must go through this. If not NOW then very soon.

 

[CappyAmeric]

AND here's a video showing WHY you must go through this. If not NOW then very soon.

Zipline operates mostly in extremely rural places like Rwanda (I grew up less than 100 miles from where Rober was in Rwanda).

Dropping a payload down by line 400 feet keeps the main drone up where it is quiet, but it does not resolve all the congestion and collision issues - on the contrary - instead of operating in uncontrolled (but Remote ID'ed) Class G airspace, they will be up in controlled airspace - but EXTENDING down into Class G with their payload. It actually makes congestion worse. Imagine all the legal Mavics that will be down in that Class G below Zipline - and then Zipline drops a payload line down into a suburban yard. Remote ID tells Zipline that there are UAS operating below, but can't avoid. Failed delivery.

My guess is even systems like this won't be cost effective for a while except in highly urban areas like LA or Manhattan - and then imagine the congestion... like early FedEx - not cost effective unless you are a corporation where timeliness is absolutely necessary and not merely a convenience.

 

[CappyAmeric]

An interesting question comes up with technology like Zipline: Where are they going to get all the savvy engineers to develop and improve such systems?

The FAA is determined to kill the R/C hobby. It is purposeful.

The Wright Brothers were hobbyists that tinkered with aerial toys, and eventually designed and built the first powered aircraft (with ZERO grant money, or government help). It is rocket hobbyists in Germany, Britain, and the US that gave us the visionaries that built rockets to take us to the moon. Young people in rocket clubs in the 1920s and 1930s became the rocket engineers of WW2 and the Cold War. Neil Armstrong and many other early test pilots and astronauts built and flew model aircraft when they were young.

The FAA, as usual, is short-sighted, and forgetting their mandate in favor of those with the most money. Promoting aviation is one of the main reasons the FAA exists - and yet they discourage early aviation education. Maybe if they thought the R/C hobby was "woke" it would be different.

 

[MrClean]

I understand Zipline's idea and in remote, or hard to get to places it might be economical instead of using a Bushplane. But the idea here reminds me of that "Hiking" Robot Hitchbot. It'll drop packages into your backyard? Where's your backyard? So congested area deliveries? Oh there's going to be a bunch of places where that's juts not happening. And dropping anything by parachute inthe central states where it seems the average windspeed of not less then 15mph gusty to 25? How do you get your package out of your neighbors tree? Lessons learned by HitchBot?

HitchBOT’s U.S. Tour Ends With Vandalization in Philly

It was a robot part of a social experiment in how humans relate to machines taking a tour across the U.S, but hitchBOT met an untimely end in Philadelphia.

www.nbcnews.com

STAY OUTTA PHILLY!

 

[Thomas B]

Here in the DFW metroplex, we have had drone delivery in action for almost a year.

Wing and Walgreens drug store in Little Elm have an ongoing pilot program since last April.

Wing appears to have a good system They drop small packages on a line to the delivery site.

I have been checking for any news stories concerning this program, but no crashes or problems have made the news here.

You can google for more info.

 

[Thomas B]

Rotor Riot put a disclaimer on their quadcopter saying that the consumer needed to install RID... That's against the rules, but as far as I'm aware, the FAA hasn't done anything. I don't know what other manufacturers of RTF/BNF/PNP drones will do.

As a side note, I feel like it shouldn't be legal to write legislation if the governing body doesn't have a clue about the things they're actually regulating. As XJet demonstrated, the FAA doesn't know the difference between RTF and BNF. What other knowledge do they lack? A former aerospace engineer recently told me how an FAA representative he worked with didn't know how to read lat/long coordinates in DMS (for instance, he thought 25 degrees 35' and 25.35 were the same). The FAA doesn't know squat about R/C airplanes, and the incompetence isn't limited to just that.

My understanding that nothing except for fully RTF RC aircraft will require Standard RID. Ergo, all PnP.and BnF offerings, in addition to anything you build, will be able to use an RID module. Horizon has already done some repackaging of certain products to fit this approach. Items previously considered a RTF package will have the battery and charger removed, or some other mod so that not everything you need is in one box.

If the quad you speak of was not 100% complete and RTF, they are legal. Also, if fully RTF and manufactured before the cutoff date last year, that production model is exempt from Standard RID and can be sold until that stock runs out. You would need to add an RID module later this year.