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I recently received my technician license, with the purpose of sending FPV video (on 5.8GHz) when flying model aircraft. However, I cannot figure out how to perform station identification when transmission is complete (flights with quadcopters last less than 10 minutes at this point, so the end of the flight is what I'm primarily concerned with.)

I assume that this situation does not fall under the clause that states the following: "Amateur station may transmit without identifying only when transmitting signals to control a model craft." This would be because the FPV feed is not specifically controlling the craft, but I could be wrong.

Mark Avenius
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  • Are you using the FPV feed to actually control the drone? As in, would you lose control (disorientation or plain old out of sight) if the FPV quit? – Zeiss Ikon Sep 24 '19 at 18:23
  • Yes, but the actual controls are using a separate, 2.4GHz frequency using an FCC-certified transmitter. – Mark Avenius Sep 25 '19 at 20:59

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More or less any way you want...

Some options are:

  • Mix the call sign into the video as an overlay in a corner
  • voice or morse code in the audio track
  • Call sign slide at end of transmission
  • morse code in CW or MFM after video modulation stops (this is rare)

Audio track is probably the simplest. The video overlay is frequently used with NTSC video, but might be more difficult (requiring more computing power) in digital video.

user10489
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    Ok, those are all of the options that I had considered; maybe I'll permanently put my callsign on my on-screen display, because the other options would likely require additional hardware (a microphone, an arduino sending morse code, something to "fake" some video frames that include the call sign, etc.) Thanks! – Mark Avenius Sep 25 '19 at 21:02
  • It would be easy and small to get the smallest pic chip and generate audio and inject it directly into where the microphone would go. If you inject it into the video, remember it has to be in the transmitted video, not just on the screen of your receiver! – user10489 Sep 27 '19 at 01:26
  • Yeah, I have control over the transmitted OSD, but not the one directly in the goggles (which only shows internal voltage and channel.) Thanks again! – Mark Avenius Sep 30 '19 at 13:06