FCC GRANTS WAIVER TO ALLOW ROBOTIC DEVICE IN AMATEUR BAND.

In 2008, ReconRobotics filed a request with the FCC for a waiver of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules with respect to the Recon Scout.  The Recon Scout is a remote-controlled, maneuverable surveillance robot designed for use in areas that may be too hazardous for human entry. A waiver is required to permit licensing of the Recon Scout because the device operates in the 430-448 MHz band, which is allocated to the Federal Government Radiolocation service on a primary basis, as well as the Amateur Radio Service and certain non-federal radiolocation systems on a secondary basis. More than two years later, the FCC granted the waiver request in the form of an Order (WP Docket No 08-63), subject to certain conditions.

The ARRL called on the FCC to deny ReconRobotics waiver request, either permanently or even temporarily. The FCC noted in the waiver that they had received more than 70 comments from mainly public safety and law enforcement entities supporting the waiver request, and amateur radio operators opposing it. In their initial waiver request, ReconRobotics sais that even though the device operates in an area allocated to other services, including Amateur Radio, the Recon Scout operates with only 1 W peak power and it is unlikely to cause interference to these services.

This information is excerpted from an article that  appeared in THE ARRL LETTER of February 25, 2010.