Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

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Mike_K
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Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

Post by Mike_K »

It appears that Hobbyking have been naughty boys and ignored FCC regulations for their drone AV transmitters. And paid the price!

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-issues ... XxAaEPrsU0

I don't know how the FCC will recover the $2.8M fine as Hobbyking are a Hong Kong based company with only small subsidiaries in the US, UK and Holland (if I understand correctly). Will this force Hobbyking to stop selling into the USA or at least close the USA warehouse?

One would assume if they are happy to flaunt the FCC regulations for an AV transmitter, they may not bother too much about flouting FCC and CE directives for their DSM2/DSMX modules? I'm sure now that the FCC has fined them for this transgression, they will probably investigate other HK rf products such as their DSM2/DSMX modules. And it will probably lead to the EU investigating all their CE marked RF products as well. The end of the OrangeRx range of modules one wonders?
Tobe
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Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

Post by Tobe »

...US, policeman of the world!
The question is more if HK wants to continue to sell on the US market and how much is it worth for them?
US have the "habit" to investigate & fine foreign corporations and / or activities in accordance with US laws if not compliant also if the "issues" happened in a 3rd countries.
It's the only country that behave this way in the world like an American citizen is taxed by the American IRS also if leaving and having its financial residency abroad for his income and assets. Example here was Boris Johnson who have dual citizen ship or at least had!
Cheers,

Tobe
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Mike_K
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Re: Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

Post by Mike_K »

The FCC ruling may have a detrimental effect on many of our American friends who have used OrangeRx DSMX/DSM2 modules as they are listed in the appendices as one of the products that have not been FCC tested and are therefore not allowed to be operated in the USA. At first I thought it was just AV transmitters, but it does list other products as well. Below is copied from the document:

"58 HobbyKing continued to market the AV transmitter listed as the OrangeRX DSMX DSM2 Compatible 2.4Ghz
Transmitter Module V1.2 (JR/Turnigy/Taranis compatible). See Marketing Citation, 31 FCC Rcd at 12581, para. 2;
NAL, Appendix A."

While the module is not an AV transmitter, it's listed as a prohibited transmitter. And the document states that any individual who is in possession of any of the listed products must stop using them with immediate effect. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of those modules in 2.4GHz converted transmitters including some converted by members of this forum. One wonders if there will be checks at big USA meetings of which module has been used in 2.4GHz converted transmitters?

The USA HobbyKing warehouse has already closed, so it would appear that this will have an effect on US modellers.
rudderonlybird
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Re: Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

Post by rudderonlybird »

Hahaha, that's funny :x

I just received two IrangeX 4 Plus multi-protocol RF modules from Banggood this very afternoon. Took about three months to arrive here. Not bad, considering they were literally on a slow boat from China after waiting for the shipping container to fill up, time in Customs holding, and the general havoc caused by the Covid virus, especially at the Chinese end of things.

Thought I'd be pretty cool, using these for various available receivers and not be limited to one protocol/brand. Then this shows up :( Now what?

I opened the box and had a look...yup, there is no FCC ID tag or code. I also noticed, there is no CE ID or code, either. Does this mean it can't be used in the EU? That's a requirement, isn't it? Is not the CE certification accomplished by the manufacturer and/or importer? A simple ink stamp will do, but it's not there. How difficult could it be?...all you have to do is claim CE compliance and the job is done. Good thing I have a Hitec 2.4 plug-in RF module: at least, it's FCC approved. Trouble is, I have many transmitters needing a 2.4 deck. Maybe I could install that 2.4 deck using Velcro, and transfer it from the Quadruplex to the Bonner, then the Citizen-Ship or Orbit as needed for a particular airplane or day of flying something...

As far as the US being the world's policeman...while visiting friends in Leitir Ceanainn, ROI, I visited the town of Donegal in Contae Dhún na nGall, looking for a Starbucks cafe. No longer there, as of the summer of '18. Local shops said, the problem was, Starbucks opened a cafe without any official application or approval of the town. After refusing to do so retroactively, they were politely and very firmly told to either conform to the city's request, or close down. Maith go leor.

That's OK, Costa is a good place as well 8-)
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Mike_K
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Re: Hobbyking gets $2.8M Fine from FCC

Post by Mike_K »

As far as I know the only "four in one" module with official approvals is the Jumper 4IN1.

The FCC approval is the easy one to find as they have a searchable database:

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ ... NTI-JP4IN1

And for the CE Certificate of Conformity things get more difficult! I emailed the UK distributor where I bought my 4IN1 from and I got given this link (pdf):

https://www.copterfarm.de/media/pdf/20/f8/28/RED-1.pdf

There are a number of problems with this, the main one being it only mentions the Jumper T16, not the 4IN1, but the T16 was initially supplied with a 4IN1 fitted (its now internal). And on other forums it has been stated that there is no way that a notified test house will have tested all four chipsets and the hundreds of possible protocols, the cost would be prohibitive. In fact the FCC approval only tests the CC2500 chipset with the FrSky D16 protocol and nothing else! The popular DSM2/DSMX, FrSky V8 and D8, Futaba S-FHSS, Hitec FFHSS etc are not tested, so are they legal to use in the USA?

But should we worry? If you buy a Jumper 4IN1 from within the EU (not Bangood or HK), then it's the importer/sellers responsibility to ensure that it meets the correct approvals. In practice all the 4-in-1 modules are based on the same "open source hardware" design and use the same firmware, so will all work near identically and will not cause any other user any problems, regardless of the protocol used. So my advice is to fit it and enjoy.

Mike
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