A.P.: What you need to know about the DJI drone ban in the U.S.

[Rhinodrone]

More people need to do this.

What steps has the Drone Advocacy Alliance taken with first responders and LEO to help them reach out to their local representatives? Everyone congress is up for re-election and they last thing they want is be denounced by local by first responders/LEO

Done. This is unbelievable.

 

[franklinskite]

The APnews article linked in the first post includes this curious paragraph:



Modern drones "use" GPS for navigational functionality, yes, but certainly can also be operated without GPS. In any case, they only use the GPS signal in a receiving capacity. How can access to receiving GPS signals be denied to only DJI drones?

Furthermore, the "flow of data and instructions necessary for stable flight, precise control and real-time visual feedback" is not in any way "critically dependent on communication infrastructure". All of that communication is handled directly by DJI's own equipment from the controller in your hands to the aircraft and back. You don't need cellphone or internet access.

You could turn off power to the entire American "communication infrastructure" grid, and DJI drones would still fly perfectly well. "This critical connection serves as the lifeblood of these drones, and its severance would render them largely inert." Huh?

How would denying access to America's "communication infrastructure" render a drone inert?

I suppose the FCC could revoke DJI's licence to transmit on the required control frequencies, but even that wouldn't stop anyone from flying their drones.

How would anyone intent on using a drone for espionage be prevented by this nonsense from using an American made drone instead?

Yes, my questions exactly. Someone should explain what this would mean for the DJI owner and how and whether our quads will be bricked. Someone like me with a Mavic 2 and the Go 4 app. I can see if there's no GPS it might not take off. As it is, I already fly with my phone in airport mode so I don't communicate outside my phone. Would DJI drone just be illegal, or would they physically be unable to take off and fly? If so, how, and by what mechanism?

 

[anotherlab]

How would denying access to America's "communication infrastructure" render a drone inert?

It wouldn't make the drone inert, but it would make operating it illegal. Thanks to RID, detecting that became much easier.

If this bill becomes law and you fly your drone, if people see that you have a DJI drone, they can report you to the police.

 

[GFields]

Done. This is unbelievable.

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

[Zbip57]

It wouldn't make the drone inert, but it would make operating it illegal.

Isn't espionage already illegal?

The news article implied these new measures denying DJI's access to "communication infrastructure" would somehow prevent espionage because it would render their drones "inert".

I'm just wondering how that's supposed to work?

It's like saying we should ban all drones because they could be used to drop grenades, which is already illegal. The problem isn't the drone, it's the grenade. Wouldn't it make more sense to impose tighter restrictions on access to grenades, regardless of their planned delivery mechanism?

 

[franklinskite]

Isn't espionage already illegal?

The news article implied these new measures denying DJI's access to "communication infrastructure" would somehow prevent espionage because it would render their drones "inert".

I'm just wondering how that's supposed to work?

It's like saying we should ban all drones because they could be used to drop grenades, which is already illegal. The problem isn't the drone, it's the grenade. Wouldn't it make more sense to impose tighter restrictions on access to grenades, regardless of their planned delivery mechanism?

This is the U.S. of A. Across the board, a fraction of one percent ruins things for everyone.

 

[Illuminata Photo]

What's going on in the Senate with this proposal???

 

[anotherlab]

This is the U.S. of A. Across the board, a fraction of one percent ruins things for everyone.

In this case, it was all 43 members of House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 

[moldorf]

Isn't espionage already illegal?

The news article implied these new measures denying DJI's access to "communication infrastructure" would somehow prevent espionage because it would render their drones "inert".

I'm just wondering how that's supposed to work?

It's like saying we should ban all drones because they could be used to drop grenades, which is already illegal. The problem isn't the drone, it's the grenade. Wouldn't it make more sense to impose tighter restrictions on access to grenades, regardless of their planned delivery mechanism?

I'm probably ignorant about this but the signal between the drone and RC is a wifi signal, correct? And aren't wifi frequencies regulated by the FCC?

 

[Meta4]

I'm probably ignorant about this but the signal between the drone and RC is a wifi signal, correct? And aren't wifi frequencies regulated by the FCC?

But no-one can turn off your existing drone's ability to communicate with its controller using those frequencies.
All they could do is stop the FCC from giving approval for future DJI drone models.

 

[franklinskite]

But no-one can turn off your existing drone's ability to communicate with its controller using those frequencies.
All they could do is stop the FCC from giving approval for future DJI drone models.

It's not really that simple, anymore. People are in the habit of updating their phone's os (andriod or ios). New phones only run new OSs. The apps themselves are updated to run or not run on an OS. All the time I get an alert from an app that it's out of date, won't run, and must be updated. I can see a situation where the current DJI apps are quickly grandfathered out. Meaning, no connection.

 

[franklinskite]

I'm probably ignorant about this but the signal between the drone and RC is a wifi signal, correct? And aren't wifi frequencies regulated by the FCC?

My thought exactly. People shouldn't underestimate our guberment's and Congress's ability to totally muck things up.

 

[Dale D]

Contact your Officials and let them know what you think about a ban on DJI Drones:

U.S. Senate: Contacting U.S. Senators

www.senate.gov

I contacted Marco Rubio, and Senator Scott. of Florida ...got the usual canned responses.

Dale
Miami

 

[Meta4]

It's not really that simple, anymore. People are in the habit of updating their phone's os (andriod or ios). New phones only run new OSs. The apps themselves are updated to run or not run on an OS. All the time I get an alert from an app that it's out of date, won't run, and must be updated. I can see a situation where the current DJI apps are quickly grandfathered out. Meaning, no connection.

It is as simple as I explained in post #30.
They cannot switch off your existing drone's ability to use the radio frequencies it already uses or its ability to receive GPS signals.
GPS is even less important as DJI drones already use signals from a number of alternative GNSS satellite systems.

 

[moldorf]

But no-one can turn off your existing drone's ability to communicate with its controller using those frequencies.
All they could do is stop the FCC from giving approval for future DJI drone models.

DJI can turn it off; just like they can dramatically limit your drone's range if you aren't logged in

 

[Meta4]

DJI can turn it off; just like they can dramatically limit your drone's range if you aren't logged in

I very much doubt that.
But no-one is suggesting that DJI would turn off your drone's ability to work.

 

[franklinskite]

I very much doubt that.
But no-one is suggesting that DJI would turn off your drone's ability to work.

You miss the point. Lots of us don't fly with a controller. We use a phone app. Congress could legally force DJI, the phone manufacturers and everyone else in the supply chain to do whatever Congress demands, same as with Tik Tok. Apps could be banned, and God knows what else.

As for the controllers, I'm sure there's ways to knock them out too.

 

[anotherlab]

I'm probably ignorant about this but the signal between the drone and RC is a wifi signal, correct? And aren't wifi frequencies regulated by the FCC?

Occusync is a protocol, Wi-Fi is another protocol. Occusync operates in the same frequency bands as Wi-Fi. The FCC regulates the radio spectrum between 8.3 kHz and 275 GHz in the US, for non-Federal use.

 

[Capt KO]

If this is passed and flying DJI is illegal, the gov should reimburse owners for every one they own. That might change their minds. Voting them out even better.

 

[anotherlab]

But no-one can turn off your existing drone's ability to communicate with its controller using those frequencies.
All they could do is stop the FCC from giving approval for future DJI drone models.

They can't turn off existing drones, but you would be operating them illegally. Whether that would be actively enforced would be another story.

DJI would not be able to get any new models approved and they would have a difficult time selling off any inventory.