ENFORCEMENT: FCC WARNS HLI ABOUT UNCERTIFIED VIDEO TRANSMITTER The FCC has issued an official Citation to Hobby Lobby International for marketing what the agency terms as non-compliant radio frequency devices. According to the Commission, these devices called Pilot View FPV 2400 video transmitter exceeded the maximum radiated power limit for a Part 15 device.
Back on March 5th, the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division sent Hobby Lobby International a Letter of Inquiry asking if the Tennessee company was marketing an unauthorized radio frequency device through its website. The company responded by telling the FCC that they began selling the Pilot View FPV 2400 video transmitter in May of 2008 and so far had sold 109 units of the device in the United States. Hobby Lobby also noted that the Australian manufacturer of the transmitter, Intelligent Flight, had represented to them that the device was FCC compliant.
The FCC noted that Hobby Lobby sent a unit to a Commission's lab for evaluation prior to receiving the Letter of Inquiry. After receiving the Letter of Inquiry, Hobby Lobby contacted the test lab to inquire about the test results. At that point it learned that the device is not FCC compliant. According to the Citation, Hobby Lobby says that the last date that a transmitter was received by it was November of 2008. Its also the time when it lost all contact at Intelligent Flight.
In the Citation, the FCC says that it appears that Hobby Lobby violated several sections of the Rules by marketing the Pilot View FPV 2400 transmitter in the United States. The company was then told that future violations of this sort could lead to monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each violation or each day a violation continues. (FCC)