[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by FIRST

IMPORTANT CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL TEAM INFORMATION

Unfortunately, at this time there are legal restrictions as well as radio frequency and export issues that prohibit RadioShack from making this offer available outside of the United States. Please also note the Vex kit cannot be ordered on-line and shipped outside of the United States.

We apologize for any difficulty this may cause.

I think somebody at FIRST or Radio Shack was being lazy, and didn't read up on the appropriate Canadian regulations, before sending out this letter. Per Industry Canada RSS-210, Issue 6, section A1.2.3.1, issued September 2005* and currently in force:

(2) 75.4-76 MHz General Remote Control

The following frequencies (in MHz) are for general usage remote control of any type other than for control of an aircraft model. Voice modulation is permitted for emergency use if it is of the push-to-talk type. The centre or carrier frequencies (30 frequencies spaced in 20 kHz steps) are as follows:

75.41; 75.43; 75.45; 75.47; 75.49;
75.51; 75.53; 75.55; 75.57; 75.59;
75.61; 75.63; 75.65; 75.67; 75.69;
75.71; 75.73; 75.75; 75.77; 75.79;
75.81; 75.83; 75.85; 75.87; 75.89;
75.91; 75.93; 75.95; 75.97; 75.99.

The Vex radio and the Robovation radio are of this type (i.e. initally on channel 61 @ 75.410 MHz, or another frequency with the installation of any other 75 MHz band crystal), and are legal for this application in both Canada and the U.S.. They're legal for import and sale, with or without an amateur radio licence. Ask any team that bought one to use in the last two Robovation Challenges at the Toronto remote kickoff.

There aren't any legitimate U.S. export issues, either. Ask Tower Hobbies if they ship similar radios to Canada (yes, they do). And IFI shipped dozens of Robovation radios to Canada without issue.

The only actual issue (with Radio Shack itself) is that the Canadian stores are operated under separate management, and are now owned by Circuit City. And that's simply not an issue for an online order originating in the U.S..

I'm not sure precisely what's going on here, but I'd really like to see someone from FIRST or Radio Shack clarify exactly what they see as a legal impediment. (And if it's some anti-terrorism law that's preventing them from letting it out of America, I'll be very, very disappointed with them, and with the idiots that authored a law restricting the export of toy car radios.)

Now, does the certificate allow the purchase of a Vex set without radio, or of a certain quantity of loose parts, equivalent in value to a kit? That would be a solution.

*Old information is no excuse; the previous version of this standard said the same thing.