20-03-2018, 00:28
The potential for interference with other devices is something constructors should consider when building the WeatherDuino. Some countries place limits on EIRP - the power actually radiated from the antenna. In Australia, this is only 30mW - running a 10mW radio module into an antenna with a bit of "gain" can easily exceed this.
Add to that the fact that the WeatherDuino is very chatty - particularly when combined with an RX relaying to WD units, it consumes a lot of air time. It's very different to a device like a garage door remote that transmits for a fraction of a second only twice a day.
Authorities can and do investigate harmful interference. A work colleague moved to Australia from Canada, bringing with him a wireless baby monitor that operates in Canadian unlicensed spectrum. He received a knock on the door one night from a radio inspector - the baby monitor was transmitting in expensive licensed spectrum here in Australia and interfering with a cellular phone service. Considering that there are no radio inspectors based in my State, considerable time, money and expense had been incurred tracking down his baby monitor as the source of the interference. He wasn't fined, but he was lucky.
Here's some documentation for Australian constructors:
https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/spectrum...ed-devices
Add to that the fact that the WeatherDuino is very chatty - particularly when combined with an RX relaying to WD units, it consumes a lot of air time. It's very different to a device like a garage door remote that transmits for a fraction of a second only twice a day.
Authorities can and do investigate harmful interference. A work colleague moved to Australia from Canada, bringing with him a wireless baby monitor that operates in Canadian unlicensed spectrum. He received a knock on the door one night from a radio inspector - the baby monitor was transmitting in expensive licensed spectrum here in Australia and interfering with a cellular phone service. Considering that there are no radio inspectors based in my State, considerable time, money and expense had been incurred tracking down his baby monitor as the source of the interference. He wasn't fined, but he was lucky.
Here's some documentation for Australian constructors:
https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/spectrum...ed-devices