Moldorf, thanks for the feedback.
(1) If someone takes the time to respond to a Thread I started I am going to do my best to respond. To not do so would be, IMHO, rude.
(2) As Vic Moss pointed out and what I am conveying is simply what he wrote: "The real danger is if this is added to the Countering CCP Drone Act, or the 2023 FAA Reauthorization Act. That's where we truly need to be vigilant.". Reread that and then read the initial two links I put when I now regrettably started this Topic. Pay particular attention to the 'Countering CCP Drone Act'.
There's no conjecture. If the FCC puts a Ban in place, it's game over unless current Drones are Grandfathered and I cannot find that stated. I would imagine and hope they would be. For instance, in Massachusetts you cannot have large capacity Magazines for your firearm unless they are Pre-Ban (manufactured prior to 13-SEP-94).
Do as you will, but I am not going to bury my head in the sand on this. The threat here is the FCC and the authors of the Bill know that. If someone wants to violate what they put in place that's up to them. But I've had many many years of experience with DARPA and D.O.D. to know that you do not play hardball with these Agencies.
Again, thanks for your input!
- Lyman
as I said, you may be right; you seem to believe you are by how you have posted in this thread. But saying that somebody approaching this news from a different angle than you has their "
head in the sand" isn't advancing discussion at all
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now, while I know that quite often Congress engages in nonsense, and sometimes actually passes nonsense, there are things about this particular story that seem actually dumber than nonsense. For instance:
“DJI drones pose the national security threat of TikTok, but with wings,” Stefanik warned. “The possibility that DJI drones could be equipped to send live imagery of military installations, critical infrastructure, and the personal lives of American citizens to China poses too great a threat. Allowing this practice to continue in the U.S. is playing with fire. This Chinese-controlled company cannot be allowed to continue to operate in the U.S.”
without getting into the MAGA politics of Stefanik, what she said there kind of boggles the mind. I have a direct connection to my drone(s), an engineered connection by the way, and can lose transmission signal at a half-mile distance of separation. Yet, this same drone can somehow send a signal several thousand miles away to China? Or somehow be secretly equipped to blast detailed data to spy satellites passing 200-500 miles overhead? Or 25,000 miles to spy satellites in geo-synchronous orbit?
or will the USA be filled with thousands of secret Chinese spies whose job it is to simply wait around and intercept signals from hobbyists flying their drones and taking pictures of waterfalls, red barns, and autumn leaves?
and speaking of those spy satellites, is there really anything extra to be learned from drones that can't be leaned from the millions of images those satellites take. And as far as military installations, isn't it already a felony to fly a drone over a military installation?
there's a strong odor of mendacity with this bill
I do know this, just because a bill is proposed in a committee doesn't mean it will pass out of committee, as is, than pass the House, then survive conference committee's write-ups with the Senate, then pass the Senate, then re-confirmed with any changes by the House, then be signed into law, then survive any legal challenge. And if it is actually involved in enforcement, the FCC will have the latitude to interpret the intent, and enforce according to their interpretation
there is a long rocky road between now and when DJI drone owners have to retire their drones and it seems this thread has a chicken-little quality