Dronetag BS

The Dronetag BS is a broadcast Remote ID board for model flyers and FPV pilots and weighs only 1 g without antennas at 17 x 14 x 5 mm. It is designed for small FPV drones where every gram counts. According to the product text it has a GNSS antenna connector and a supercapacitor for the GPS fix, and it can also serve as a GNSS source for Betaflight.

The board has no battery of its own; an optional LiPo lets it transmit for up to 4 hours. Without it, the drone has to power it. The 1 g figure applies without the antennas, which are part of operation and add to the total weight. The standards named are ASD-STAN EN 4709-002 for the EU, the UK and Singapore and ASTM F3411-19 for the USA and Japan; the approvals are FAA, EASA, MLIT, CAA and CAAS.

For the EU a module must transmit to EN 4709-002 and carry an EU declaration of conformity; US standards alone are not enough. Direct remote identification is mandatory on drones of classes C1, C2, C3, C5 and C6 and, in the specific category, since 01.01.2024; drones of class C0 under 250 g are exempt, as are drones without a class that were placed on the market before 01.01.2024. The module has to accept the operator registration number.

When choosing, decide whether the drone can power the board or whether the optional LiPo should fly along; it is extra mass and ages on its own. Remote ID broadcast normally uses the 2.4 GHz band, which control-link receivers also occupy, so the antennas should be routed apart. Solder joints and antenna connectors are the most vulnerable points in crashes and should be checked after every hard impact.