FPV T/X modules in the UK

[nickyb]

Hi,

Am a bit confused and hope to get some help here. I know the law (without a full A level ham license) in the UK prevents anyone from using a FPV t/x above 25mW. What sort of range can I expect with this on my FPV googles? Line of sight of course.

All dealers in the UK are happy to sell ant t/x power you want, fatshark googles I think come with 250mW, which technically is illegal to use without a ham license. However I know and am sure there are members on the forums who use above 25mW without in trouble to anyone else.

Question is, if I go above 25mW am I really in for the big house if I get caught? Would it affect nearby radio hams and other domestic radio systems? Is the chance of anything being enforced unlikely?

cheers

Nick

[gowen]

Actually you are still limited to 25mW even if you have a ham license. 

I have seen reports that with skew plannar antennas it is possible to get half a mile out of your 25mW.  With directional antennas and tracking you can push that even further.

[sausageroll]

Everyone will be thinking this, but someone may as well say it.

FPV flyers are not really much of a priority for ofcom it seems. If you were transmitting at 500mw for days on end, or permanently, and someone complained, you might get in trouble. For ten, or twenty mins of use a week, and in different areas all the time, it is very unlikely you would get 'caught' or if you did, weather they would care or do anything about it.

I deal with radio equipment in day to day work, I design and build radio devices that have to go through CE and FCC testing, and I have some competitor products that are illegal to use over here, there are thousands in the country and they have been around for about 10 years. No one has ever been caught, and they are sitting on the 900mhz band, which is what mobile phones use - far more likely to get caught abusing that band than you would on a 5.8 frequency.

People can make their own mind up, and just to be careful, I wont say what system i'm using, but all I will say is, I wouldn't take the laws too seriously or be scared of arrest because of an overpowered FPV transmitter. There are far worse things for Ofcom to be dealing with (I also believe that the police cannot do anything about radio misuse, only Ofcom has the power to deal with this.)

I know a guy who has a 300w (not milliwats, 300 full watts) of power on a CB antenna on his car. Loads of people do it, and have been forever. Thats dangerous power that can (and does) interfere with alarm systems, TVs etc. Ofcom dont seem to care about that either....

Pete.

[Biffa]

I used to run 200w burners on my CB home station. Used to bleed all over my neighbours TV and radio.

[Gaza07]

I used to use CB in the good old AM days and some FM we used to live next door to a bingo hall, my brother came round one night and said i better stop transmitting while they are open coz all they could hear through the PA was one nine jungle bunny 

[nickyb]

Everyone will be thinking this, but someone may as well say it.

FPV flyers are not really much of a priority for ofcom it seems. If you were transmitting at 500mw for days on end, or permanently, and someone complained, you might get in trouble. For ten, or twenty mins of use a week, and in different areas all the time, it is very unlikely you would get 'caught' or if you did, weather they would care or do anything about it.

I deal with radio equipment in day to day work, I design and build radio devices that have to go through CE and FCC testing, and I have some competitor products that are illegal to use over here, there are thousands in the country and they have been around for about 10 years. No one has ever been caught, and they are sitting on the 900mhz band, which is what mobile phones use - far more likely to get caught abusing that band than you would on a 5.8 frequency.

People can make their own mind up, and just to be careful, I wont say what system i'm using, but all I will say is, I wouldn't take the laws too seriously or be scared of arrest because of an overpowered FPV transmitter. There are far worse things for Ofcom to be dealing with (I also believe that the police cannot do anything about radio misuse, only Ofcom has the power to deal with this.)

I know a guy who has a 300w (not milliwats, 300 full watts) of power on a CB antenna on his car. Loads of people do it, and have been forever. Thats dangerous power that can (and does) interfere with alarm systems, TVs etc. Ofcom dont seem to care about that either....

Pete.

Thanks for the info Pete, this is really good info I will take on board. It sounds logical.

I will be (at this time anyway) run with a 25mW TX, people say with a good clover leaf antenna setup and of course LoS I should get around 300m anyway.

Nick

[omegamanuk]

Just moved over to 25mw for my BNUCS and was surprised by the range you can get with a good antenna.