Earthman
Active Member
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- Mar 30, 2019
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- 44
I'm not an engineer, but I suspect adding a transponder is not something that can be done through software alone. The question concerning what becomes of legacy drones has been asked and I haven't seen any discussion by the FAA as yet. They're mandated to devise a test for recreational drone pilots, but haven't at this time. The FAA moves at a glacial pace and sometimes that's a good thing provided the time is used wisely to formulate policies with far reaching implications. The sUAS (small unmanned aircraft systems) classification pertains to drones between .55 lbs and 55 lbs, so the Spark at .66 lbs is within that range.
DJI’s and similar prosumer and above drones don’t necessarily need a separate transponder if the cell phone part of the system has GPS on and access to the Internet. The cell phone can report its location and that of the drone. I believe companies Involved have already demonstrated transponder-less position reporting and traffic separation technology. They may be in the process of implementing it in other countries.
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