FCC Bans Custom Firmware

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Following on from the FCC’s revised rules on radio-based equipment, Chinese company TP-Link have disabled a feature from their Wi-Fi routers.

The feature to allow the owner of a TP-Link router to install customised firmware has been made illegal in the United States by the FCC.

“Devices sold in the United States will have firmware and wireless settings that ensure compliance with local laws and regulations related to transmission power. As a result of these necessary changes, users are not able to flash the current generation of open-source, third-party firmware.”
— TP-Link

The issue has arisen because the FCC's job is to make sure devices only operate on the radio frequencies they are licensed to use. Equipment, such as home wireless routers, that can be reprogrammed by their owners can be potentially configured to operate on unauthorized frequencies, which is a major issue for the FCC.

The Register - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/11/tplink_kills_plan_for_open_routers/

Yaesu Extend UK Warranties

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Yaesu have announced in the UK the extensions of warranties for all Yaesu products to three years.

Yaesu say the move is to make a firm commitment to their customers to supply top quality products.

All future warranty cards will advertise the upgraded warranty term. 

Any other terms and conditions of Yaesu’s Limited Warranty will not be changed.

More information - http://www.hamradio.co.uk/yaesu_warranty.php

Two New Radio’s Seen at Dayton

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At the recent Dayton Convention, Amateur / Ham Radio enthusiasts saw two new radios coming to market.

The Yaesu FT-891 is an HF transceiver covering the 160 to 6 meter bands with 100 watts. It features a general coverage receiver tuning 30 kHz to 30 MHz. Modes include AM, USB, LSB and CW. Features include: attenuator, noise blanker, keyer, compact size, backlit LCD and backlit keys.

Kenwood showed under glass a D-STAR tri-band handheld at their booth, supported by colourful brochures.

Suggested selling price is between $500-700 per unit.