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Dronegun is yet another broadband jammer with a yagi antenna

Dronegun is yet another broadband jammer with a yagi antenna

November 29, 2016 15:27 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

There’s more and more companies trying to get into the business of getting drones out of the sky. Consumer models, to be precise – because military UAV with satcom links can not be affected by this.

In essence, Dronegun is yet another GPS+2.4GHz+5.8GHz jammer with a Yagi antenna. The company behind this product, Droneshield, is offering solutions for detection and classification of UAS. They claim that Dronegun will “make the drone land or return home”, and that drones forced to land will remain intact for investigation.

The fact of the matter is that these devices are highly illegal and in many ways more dangerous than the drones they are supposed to protect airports from. Even though the Yagi antennas used are highly directional, the fact that they jam both the usual ISM bands as well as GPS means that this is a severe risk to the operation of a multitude of systems and even aircraft. While it’s true that GPS is not approved for primary navigation, the fact of the matter is that it has become an indispensable part of air navigation, and willful disruptions of GPS may end up at the start of a chain of events that lead to loss of life.

The other problem is that targeted UAVs won’t just land or even return home. In most cases they will veer out of control and/or crash. In essence, using such a device WILL cause accidents, not make the drone land as they show in that video. The only question is whether luck has it that nobody is harmed, or there’s damage to property or loss of life. It is a classic case of “they didn’t think this one through”.

Droneshield is run by former US military and government members, including the former Deputy National Security Advistor for Vice President Dick Cheney.

The hungarian military was known to purposefully jam the 30MHz band to cause RC models to crash, which caused the death of two people. Jamming makes accidents a certainty, and selling such products as a solution to the problem of unauthorized operation of UAVs is questionable.

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FAA Reauthorization Act 2016 proposal includes FAA exams for RC pilots

March 16, 2016 9:49 | By fpvcentral | 1 Comment

The Proposal for the FAA Reauthorization Act 2016 contains several new rules and regulations that cover RC hobbyists and FPV pilots. Among other things, it proposes the introduction of an exam administered by the FAA, which will become a requirement for being allowed to fly any RC plane. This makes it look and feel a lot like how ham radio licenses work today.

While this may appear reasonable, what has to be kept in mind is that a single radio amateur transmitting something on the wrong frequency or with the wrong equipment can ruin parts of the spectrum for everyone, including people on the other side of the globe. That’s why entering the hobby of ham radio requires such a detailed exam. The safety rules for RC planes are much simpler and common sense, their ramnifications restricted to the immediate vincinity of the pilot, thus making the FAA administer exams is pure overkill.

Another juicy detail is the proposed requirement for manufacturers to prevent tampering or modification. This would rule out self-build models and is so detached from reality, it’s not even funny anymore.

Expect things to get worse, not better.

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FAA extends Washington no-fly zone, kills a dozen model clubs in one swoop

December 30, 2015 1:23 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

Think the news about RC model registration was bad? The FAA was just getting started.

Effective christmas day 2015 (i.e. now), the FAA is enacting a 30 mile radius around Washington DC in which no RC model may be flown by any civilian. The FAA has imposed this restriction by ways of a TFR, which stands for Temporary Flight Restriction. This appears to be an extension of a prior TFR which banned flight operations within 15 miles of Reagan National Airport (KDCA), or a reinterpretation of an older NOTAM (FDC 0/8326) issued back in 2010 which banned all commercial aviation.

The acronym “TFR” is a misnomer, for these are anything but temporary and usually stay indefinitely or for many years to come. The 15-mile exclusion zone for RC models was time-limited until June 2016 but could be extended indefinitely. If it is indeed a reinterpretation of the old NOTAM, then this is already billed as “permanent”.

This ban affects a number of RC model clubs and flying fields, all of which have to cease operation overnight after having been notified on Christmas evening. The clubs are hopeful that they will be able to resume flying in January, but the FAA has made no indication that this measure is indeed “temporary”. Right now and until this TFR is lifted or the corresponding NOTAM interpretation changed, any hobbyists who want to fly their RC models will have to travel outside the 30-mile radius or face civil and criminal prosecution with large fines and/or severe prison sentences.

Update: The graphical map has been updated to show the correct center of the TFR, along with the correct radius in nautical miles. Details about NOTAM FDC 0/8326 added.

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Multicopter almost hits Marcel Hirscher during slalom race

Multicopter almost hits Marcel Hirscher during slalom race

December 23, 2015 14:00 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

A hefty camera-toting multicopter crashed on the track of the mens slalom race at Madonna di Campiglio – just a few meters behind Austrian athlete Marcel Hirscher.

Rumor has it that the operator of this craft, a professional working for an AV production company hired by Italian TV, tried to steer away from the crowd and thus crashed on the slope.

Needless to say, this is not the news we need right now, and it’s water on the mills of those who want to essentially put and end to the entire hobby, except for small toys lighter than 250 grams. The sad fact is that RC models are sometimes involved in deadly accidents, for example back in 2006 when the hungarian military was suspected to have jammed the 35MHz band, causing the plane of a german pilot flying at a competition to kill two spectators, or like the Swiss accident of 2010, when a scale model of an AT-6 plummeted down on a 45-year old man, also lethally injuring him.

The thing to keep in mind here however is that life is full of risks and one cannot have perfect safety. And if it were true that we ought to do whatever is neccessary to curb any risks, then individuals would not be allowed to drive cars, and there would be no inflatable swimming pools sold in stores. We mitigate these risks by driving carefully and by watching over our kids so they don’t drown. It’s not perfect, but we do get the benefit of individual transportation, water playtime in our own garden, and the joy of RC model flight.

Perhaps flying a large and heavy quadrotor at a big sports event is not the best way to go about this though.

Full video footage of Marcel Hirscher’s run and the crash after the break.

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FAA wants registration of all flying things heavier than 250 grams

November 24, 2015 14:48 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

The final report by the Aviation Rulemaking Comittee Taskforce on UAS has been released, and it doesn’t look good.

As previously reported, the ARC recommends not just the central registration of commercial UAS, but actually ALL UAS, including RC models and toys, over a take-off weight of 250 grams. This is in stark contrast to some of the “corrections” issued by non-involved persons and organisations, that registration would not apply to RC models, or only RC models weighing more than 5, 10 or 15 kilograms.

The good news is that the recommendation mentions that high compliance rates can only be achieved with no or a very low fee. Furthermore, the requirement of registration does not give the FAA a free pass on restrictions of operations. However, the minimum age requirement for the owner/pilot is 13 years. Registration is owner-based, so you don’t have to register each and every model you own. If this recommendation comes to pass, you will however be required by law to affix your registration number to the model.

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Awesome photos of the CIA’s animal UAVs from the 1970s

Awesome photos of the CIA’s animal UAVs from the 1970s

May 5, 2015 14:06 | By fpvcentral | 1 Comment

The CIA started building tiny UAVs for intelligence gathering purposes as early as the 1970s, as can be seen on the official CIA Flickr gallery. Yes, they have a Flickr. And for the time period we’re talking about, the robotic fish is already quite advanced: Allowing for remote audio recording and retransmission, this water dweller even features depth control and autonomy, presumably to make it appear like a regular, living fish instead of sitting perfectly still.

Even more astounding is the prototype for a robotic dragonfly which was powered by a tiny gas engine, and was able to carry a microphone and even a laser. However, controlled flight was made difficult by even the slightest of crosswind, and the 60 second flight time further decreased operational feasability. What remains is a peculiar entry in the CIA museum.

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3DRobotics Solo with video-centric features announced

3DRobotics Solo with video-centric features announced

April 13, 2015 17:00 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

3DR has just announced the Solo Quadcopter, a new camera drone with 1GHz CPU both inside the copter as well as the remote, and several unique features aimed at aerial videographers.

The Solo comes with a 5200mAh LiPo battery pack as well as full GoPro remote control capability. In addition to the usual GPS position hold and waypoint features, the Solo not only features HD video streaming but also an intuitive way to set waypoints, with the capability to “play back” camera flights at the touch of a button. The idea obviously is for the pilot to be able to set up a camera flight and then be able to recall the performance, including gimbal orientation and panning, simply by pressing “play”.

The remote comes with a built-in color OLET screen for telemetry data and setup as well as a tablet/phone mount. The price? $999 for the Solo itself, and another $399 for the gimbal. Not exactly a steal, but 3DR emphasizes the open nature of the product and its extensibility. These are the same guys who brought you the excellent PixHawk flight controller. Sales start in May in the US, and June/July in the rest of the world.

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FAA issues legal notice to FPV pilot putting footage onto Youtube

March 16, 2015 11:45 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

The FAA has begun going after RC flight videos on Youtube showing onboard camera footage. Jayson Hanes has recently received a notification ordering him to cease his “unauthorized commercial flights”. Failure to do so could result in fines as much as USD $10.000,-

This office has received a complaint regarding your use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (aka drone) for commercial purposes referencing your video on the website youtube.com as evidence. After a review of your website, it does appear that the complaint is valid.

Hanes insists that while his videos on Youtube are technically monetized, he has not received a payment from Google yet.

This does raise all sorts of important questions: When exactly does a flight become “commercial” in nature. It’s even worse in countries like Austria, where the law states that as soon as the intent of flight goes beyond the “mere flight itself” (i.e. you fly because you want to photograph a sunset from the air), you’re not an RC hobbyist anymore but must register and pay for your vehicle as a UAV.

That the FAA would not be going after Youtube videos was an assumption that is still maintained by a large number of enthusiasts. Once established, it will be very difficult to reverse such a legal interpretation.

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Mysterious drone sightings over Paris

Mysterious drone sightings over Paris

February 25, 2015 14:32 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

For the second night in a row, a number of small UAVs have been sighted over Paris. Police are working to track down whoever is controlling the small unmanned aircraft that have been seen in the vicinity of the Elysee Palace, the Eiffel Tower, Place de Concorde as well as the American Embassy.

Reports indicate that the first drone was operating near the US Embassy, with at least four others popping up at the other mentioned locations. According to the police, it is as of yet unknown whether this was a coordinated action or not, as well as who is behind it.

Needless to say, after the recent terrorist attacks, French police and investigators are on high alert and are “treating this seriously”.

In other news, it’s dumb to fly your multicopter in areas where you simply should not be flying it, which in most countries includes big cities.

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NoFlyZone.org lets you blacklist your home from consumer UAV traffic

NoFlyZone.org lets you blacklist your home from consumer UAV traffic

February 24, 2015 11:16 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

The private website noflyzone.org allows private property owners to put their house and garden onto a blacklist, which will then be used by several multicopter manufacturers in their firmware to establish no-fly zones and prevent their products from being operated within, or fly over, the blacklisted areas.

This is a lot like what DJI is doing with their hardcoded airport locations and certain locations like the white house now being off-limits and blocked on a firmware level.

Listing your property on noflyzone.org is free, however you have to re-confirm your entry once per year. Strangely enough, the website does not require you to provide proof of your claim unless you submit more than one. However, you can also whitelist your property and prevent others from blacklisting it again.

Among the manufacturers using the blacklist data are Horizon Hobby, Hexo+ and PixiePath.

It remains to be seen how useful such a list is. Not only are there ways to circumvent the blacklist, but not all vendors and open source projects are on board with this. And to make matters worse, a lot of fly-away situations happen because of sensor issues (like GPS glitches or the DJI Phantom magnetometer design flaw). During such malfunctions, the craft can and will violate pre-programmed no-fly zones because its navigation is malfunctioning. It feels a lot like “gun free zones”. Knowing that this blacklist won’t prevent malfunctioning drones, nor drones flown with the intent of violating privacy, nor any government UAVs from hovering over your lawn, we have to ask: What’s the point?

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Alibaba is a year late, also tests drone delivery

Alibaba is a year late, also tests drone delivery

February 4, 2015 10:44 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

Alibaba, the chinese online merchant / trade portal, had a fantastic launch on the stock market last year, with over 500 million customers and a net worth of over 200 billion USD, more than Coca Cola or Disney. Now they’re testing drone delivery, much like Amazon and DHL before them. A total of 450 customers were able to register for the special air-drop delivery, though the drone only flies from the outskirts of Peking to the China World Trade Center, where it is then picked up and delivered by a regular courier.

But hey, at least they produced a snazzy and mildly entertaining ad video. Notice the synchronously-waving guys at 00:45 🙂

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Some new Hubsan and Syma photos from CES

Some new Hubsan and Syma photos from CES

January 15, 2015 14:58 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

Gearbest.com went to CES and came back with some nice closeups of the Hubsan X4 Pro and the fancy-looking new FPV remote, as well as several other products.

The remote is reportedly powered by Android, with a separate OLED screen on the top providing telemetry and the remote working independently from the Android tablet so as to not cause loss of control in the event of an application or Android OS crash.

More photos available on their thread on RCGroups.

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Navio+ Raspberry Pi-powered flight controller now runs APM too

Navio+ Raspberry Pi-powered flight controller now runs APM too

January 12, 2015 15:41 | By fpvcentral | Add a Comment

The folks at emlid.com notified us that their promised port of the Arducopter APM code is now complete, turning the Navio+ board into a ready-to-use flight controller for your UAV needs.

The Navio+ is an add-on board for your Raspberry Pi with all the sensors and equipment you need for your unmanned missions: MPU9250 IMU, MS5611 barometer, uBlox M8N GPS, serial UART, I2C, PPM inputs, a ton of PWM outputs, and even triple-redundant power source, switching from servo rail to Raspi USB power to a separate power module on the fly in case of problems.

The real interesting part is that the Raspberry Pi gives you a very open and accessible linux environment aboard your vehicle, with all the usual capabilities in addition to what the Navio gives you. Want to run a special python script or some linux program you wrote during your mission? Now you can, and it’s a heck of a lot easier to pull of than trying to write custom code for the Pixhawk. Want to add wifi to your quadcopter? Just plug in a wifi dongle.

The Navio+ is available for preorder for USD $168.- at their website, with the first units expected to ship early February.

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Walkera H6 actually named “Voyager 3”, only a prototype

Walkera H6 actually named “Voyager 3”, only a prototype

January 7, 2015 14:30 | By fpvcentral | 1 Comment

German IT magazine heise.de reports from CES Las Vegas that the previously teased Walkera H6 was nowhere to be seen at Walkera’s booth – and was shown to them only on their request (German, Google translate).

Photo by heise.de / nij

Photo by heise.de / nij, used with permission

According to Walkera, a communication problem with their american distributor led to the premature announcement, which was planned for end of January this year at the Toy Fare Nuernberg in Germany. Sadly, pricing and features are still secret until then, even though production is slated to begin “soon”.

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Rescue organization loses against FAA drone ban

July 19, 2014 13:02 | By fpvcentral | 2 Comments

The US rescue organization Texas Equusearch, an NGO founded by the father of a missing child, has lost a court case against the FAA’s recently released interpretation of the law on UAVs. They lost not because of factual evidence, but because the FAA’s release is the “legal opinion of the FAA” and not a “decision with legal ramnifications”.

This line of reasoning is quite interesting because the FAA is already sending cease and desist letters and emails to organizations known to use UAVs, so it’s kinda difficult to argue that the FAA was just stating an opinion vis-a-vis acting upon it.

The FAA’s side of the story is that they’re keeping the skies safe etc. etc. – not an unreasonable point to make, just not related to the issue at hand. After all, it’s not like drones aren’t already part of aviation today, so broadly restricting civilian use due to “possible safety issues” is not really a compelling argument while military flight tests are sometimes not even filed beforehand.

UPDATE: To clarify, and because vice.com missed the point of the court ruling entirely, and a blog post on dyidrones quoted vice.com verbatim: The court threw out the Equusearch vs. FAA case beforehand because they said the cease and desist letters were not “real” cease and desist letters under the law, and thus don’t trigger the possibility to sue against. Vice is incorrect when they say that Equusearch has “won” anything. On the contrary, there is now no way to legally challenge the FAA position until after they fined someone under these new “interpretations”. If anything, the FAA won, because their motion to dismiss was granted.

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