FCC Drone Ban EXPLAINED: Is This the End of DJI in America?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back to another drone on show. We got cabin back on the show. Dude, it's been a little bit. [00:00:06] Speaker B: It's been a little bit. [00:00:06] Speaker A: But we got to bring you in because we got to break this news. We're not breaking the news. It's already out. The FCC's new rules of. Let's be clear. All foreign drone. [00:00:18] Speaker B: Yep. [00:00:19] Speaker A: Authorizations for a new FCC license no longer allowed after December 22nd of 2025. [00:00:27] Speaker B: It's very interesting how this all came. [00:00:28] Speaker C: To be so not just dji. [00:00:31] Speaker A: All. All Canada drones, Mexico drones, Vietnam drones. Anything that is. That is not built. I mean, I'm talking probably motors. [00:00:44] Speaker B: What. What's like say specifically the critical components. [00:00:47] Speaker A: Critical components? [00:00:48] Speaker B: Batteries, Motors. I mean it. Yeah, batteries. It's like there's a lot. [00:00:53] Speaker C: So. So I genuinely haven't even looked at the document. [00:00:56] Speaker A: Well, that's perfect. That's why we got you on the podc. We got Landon behind the scenes drawn in the podcast. Landon flies these drones creating sick content for the drone Deer recovery channel. And also new Way ag. Are you shocked? [00:01:09] Speaker C: I'm very shocked because I saw the Autel thing, but I didn't know that it was. [00:01:13] Speaker A: I know all. [00:01:14] Speaker C: What about. Okay, sorry, I'm jumping to what about. [00:01:18] Speaker A: American assembled drones doesn't work because some of those components. [00:01:21] Speaker C: Right. What you just said. Critical components. Batteries American assembled. Don't work. [00:01:26] Speaker A: Don't work. [00:01:27] Speaker B: Landon, how is this going to work? [00:01:28] Speaker A: So this is what this is. Landon is this is not even that bill that had everybody up and roar like a band dji. And the Altel thing. This is not that. [00:01:39] Speaker B: But. But okay, so something that's a little weird is the components that need an FCC license like on the new T100 are the avionics module. [00:01:47] Speaker A: Yep. [00:01:48] Speaker B: The radars and the remote controller. There may be one or two other. But that is what needs an FCC license because that's what happens. Has radio transmitting frequency. So batteries don't need FCC license. Motors don't need FCC license. [00:02:03] Speaker A: But you're saying it's on the list or what? [00:02:05] Speaker B: But the White House determination specifically mentioned batteries. It specifically mentioned a bunch of those things that don't actually need FCC licenses. Interesting. [00:02:15] Speaker A: I did see Greg Pilot Institute was talking about the Dodge and the DOJ can do an investigation on these critical components and determine. [00:02:28] Speaker B: Yeah, like they can white list specific drones. [00:02:32] Speaker C: So does that mean whoever has the most money to. [00:02:34] Speaker B: Or the best. [00:02:35] Speaker C: What? [00:02:35] Speaker B: Yeah, best. [00:02:37] Speaker C: Best connected. What do you call it to. To rally or whatever. [00:02:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Is this not crazy? [00:02:43] Speaker C: It's actually mind Boggling for me. [00:02:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:45] Speaker C: To be thinking about it. [00:02:47] Speaker A: Yeah. So if you have connections with inside of the government in the DOJ or DOD or wherever, if you bring a product to them and beg on your knees, they can approve it. Let's just jump right into. Can I continue flying my drone that I have currently. [00:03:06] Speaker B: Number one question. Yep. [00:03:07] Speaker A: Number one question. [00:03:08] Speaker B: Great news on this front at the moment. At the moment. Great news. [00:03:12] Speaker A: I tell you how important it is to get this information out there. The pilot locator map on the drone day recovery website. Great. To get a hold of a thermal drone. What it was not built for is for people to contact Mike Yoder to ask these questions. [00:03:26] Speaker B: Does it work? [00:03:27] Speaker A: It did work. [00:03:27] Speaker B: Oh, you can use that map to contact Mike Yoder. [00:03:31] Speaker A: After today, we might be taking it off. [00:03:33] Speaker B: You know, this. This is amazing. A lot of people didn't know you. [00:03:36] Speaker A: Can do this, but they preface with. I know this is probably not the right channel to get ahold of you. [00:03:41] Speaker B: But it's a channel that works. [00:03:43] Speaker C: Right, Right. Well, as. As someone. Most of the messages come in and Mike does an amazing job of responding at all hours of the day. [00:03:54] Speaker A: I know the man I shit. [00:03:56] Speaker C: I shake my head at him for responding to messages. It's like 10:45 at night. I'm like, I know Mike can't sleep. [00:04:04] Speaker A: Yep, yep. [00:04:04] Speaker C: So you're responding to messages right now. Good on you. [00:04:07] Speaker A: So I'm watching the whitetail drone adrenaline show, if you guys don't know. I used to help produce that show. It's incredible. It was like 9 o'. [00:04:16] Speaker B: Clock. [00:04:16] Speaker A: My phone bangs somebody with last four numbers requested. I was like, drone, deer recovery. I mean, it usually gets dark here around 530. [00:04:24] Speaker B: Right. [00:04:25] Speaker A: And it's nine. That's way late for somebody to try to get a hold of me to do a deer recovery. Yeah. [00:04:30] Speaker B: Must be an interesting. [00:04:31] Speaker A: I'm sorry to bother you, as I know this is probably the wrong channel for this communication. Sorry. [00:04:38] Speaker B: But I really want to know about. [00:04:39] Speaker A: Hey, he got my attention. He got what he needed. [00:04:42] Speaker C: Was it about the band or a thermal drone? [00:04:44] Speaker A: It was about a thermal drone. And then later it was about the band. [00:04:47] Speaker C: Okay. [00:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:48] Speaker A: So. So since. [00:04:49] Speaker C: Since he had your attention. [00:04:51] Speaker A: Yeah, he. It was. He's wanting to know about a 4 TD and I said, what's up? He's like, basically, with the band going on in place tomorrow, do you have any major concerns that they might get. No flies or what people are going to do is parts for parts and specifically props. Is there any way to. To fly A drone for drone deer recovery with other thermal drones. Like meaning, can you do drone deer recovery on the pilot locator map with a shitty Scott EO10X? Sorry. That's the only American built drone and it's really not that good. [00:05:25] Speaker B: Dude, that's true. It's the only other. Like it's the only American made thermal drone right now. [00:05:30] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's going to cost you 30,000 bucks. [00:05:32] Speaker B: There's a parrot. Maybe there's a parrot drone also that's thermal. I haven't seen it. [00:05:36] Speaker A: It sounds about as good as the name that people were just crawling with wanting to get this information. So we're shooting this. We're hoping to get it out the same day. It's bright and early. [00:05:48] Speaker B: So it's December 23rd. A lot of this happened yesterday afternoon. [00:05:52] Speaker A: Yep. [00:05:53] Speaker B: So the, I want to just read off, the critical components are data transmission devices, communication systems, flight controllers, ground control station, navigation systems, sensors and cameras, batteries and battery management systems and motors. [00:06:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:07] Speaker B: So. [00:06:07] Speaker A: Wow, that's a lot. [00:06:09] Speaker C: It sounds like it's just a list to cover any and all bases. [00:06:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:12] Speaker C: And then they can add. Add it back in. Yep. [00:06:16] Speaker A: And. And it's, it's pretty broad. So if you bring these critical components to the, you know, agencies, government agencies, they can tell you yes or no. Crazy. Yep, crazy. [00:06:28] Speaker B: And even a lot of these, like a lot of what is American assembled, you know, a lot of components still come from overseas. So yeah, this is, you know, so if you think of like Helio or in the AX based, other American made drones, then they can continue to bring in those. Right. The way I understand it, they can continue to bring in those critical components for previously authorized drones. [00:06:48] Speaker A: Oh yeah, yeah. [00:06:48] Speaker B: But when they want to release a new drone next year that doesn't have FCC approval, that may not use any critical components that are not produced in America. [00:06:56] Speaker A: Yeah. Unless they get it approved. And let's be honest, I'm sure that'll happen for some drones. Getting it approved, meaning you go through the process of an investigation through the Department of Defense or Department of Justice or whatever it might be. If you go through that inspection, then they can approve you. But let's calm the people down. Calm down the drones that you've come to know and love and fly every day. As of right now, the drones you buy from Drone Deer Recovery, the drones you buy from new AAG, the T100 T70P spray drones, thermal drones, M4T, M4TD, Matri 30T, they're good. As of right now, they're good. Keep flying, keep buying. They will be the best thermal drones. They will be the best spray drones for many, many years. I'm telling you, they will be the best thermal drone spray drones that you. [00:07:54] Speaker B: Can buy regardless what the helio salesman tells you. [00:07:59] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, don't bring that guy up again. [00:08:01] Speaker B: Then they are not going to fall out of the sky. It is not going to prevent software updates. DJI is not going to do the kill switch on them. All of this stuff is just so nonsensical and actually impossible. [00:08:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:12] Speaker B: Because the FCC, you know, like today is December 23rd. The FCC has done nothing and has no power to prevent your remote controller from connecting to your aircraft. And there's no way that they can. [00:08:24] Speaker A: Yeah. And just read the expose from the chairman of the fcc. Like, as much as this sucks, this is as good as. I was hoping that the US Government would handle it if, if Trump wants to sign this, you know, American drone dominance thing into effect. Do not kill current businesses with retroactively. Okay. [00:08:48] Speaker B: So set the course for where we're going in America without totally neutering an entire industry. [00:08:53] Speaker A: Yes. [00:08:54] Speaker B: That millions of people use for their livelihood. So this. So an expert from. So Brandon Carr is the FCC chair and he just on X published something that said. Just an expert over here because it's pretty long. [00:09:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:08] Speaker B: As detailed below, today's FCC action does not impact consumers ability to continue using drones they previously purchased or acquired. Nor does today's FCC action prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import or market device models approved earlier this year or previously through the FCC's authorization process. [00:09:27] Speaker A: So. So that's important because there's already stuff floating around on these, you know, knowledgeable Facebook groups out there that know this means that you, the retailer, Kevin, you can continue to sell what you have. [00:09:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:09:42] Speaker A: But then you can't import more T1 hundreds or Matrice 4T's or whatever it might be. So false. [00:09:48] Speaker B: It's so false. Yeah. And I don't know of a better source than the chair of the FCC's committee. So the only, the only thing I would say is do you feel the tension? [00:09:58] Speaker A: Like. [00:09:59] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, I'm almost past that, Mike. It's interesting because all of the drama around this, I'm just like this. We've literally been living in almost two years. Two years of all of this BS rumors and all this stuff. [00:10:12] Speaker A: No, the tension probably comes with, inside of me how people just jump to conclusions right away and then they just like, like. [00:10:20] Speaker B: But I think it gets clicks, it gets attention, it Get, I don't know. It's good for the algorithm is all that I can think. Or, or I don't know. Yeah, people are foolish maybe. [00:10:29] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. And so we're just. I'm going to calm down now and we're just going to talk it through. [00:10:33] Speaker B: And it's important to note the FCC has the power to revoke and they have that power for anything, like not just drones, for anything they can at their sole discretion, revoke. That is true. However, this statement by the FCC chair and the action that they're taking, and even the name of the statement was without disrupting the drone industry. So it was like unleashing American dominance without disrupting the drone industry or something like that. [00:10:58] Speaker A: And that's the kindest words that we've heard since this whole thing started, you know, up. Because we. People that are in this industry, that was our biggest thing. It's not just me here at New Air Drone Deer, it's, it's other companies. I've been talking to other companies about how this could affect, you know, business going forward. And it was really trying to get these people to understand that don't destroy what we've built so far. Yes, let's start going in that direction of American built drones. But give us time. Because if you think for a minute that the demand that we have right now is going to just overnight stop, it's not, it's not going to work. [00:11:43] Speaker B: And all of the stuff you have with the gray market, the black market, all of that stuff will flourish. If you don't like stairstep this down. So, so this is actually a pretty like. So if we're representatives of just drone users, like, so we're a specialized retailer, we sell to consumers, we teach them how to use it, they start businesses. So we're kind of, I mean, yeah, we are, we are also importers and we also sell equipment where other people, maybe they just use the equipment. But we're all in this together. [00:12:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:10] Speaker B: And the measured approach that this president is taking or that this office is taking is actually it, it actually seems like the, probably the best way to realign this critical component to American manufacturing while not just totally. Yeah. Killing thousands of people's livelihood instantly. [00:12:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:30] Speaker B: I actually have a, you know, some respect for how they're going about it. I think it's actually a decent way to do it. [00:12:35] Speaker A: So, yeah, as far as, like going forward, it seems like this approach is probably the best one. But let's just, I mean, you want to talk about being. Throwing a curveball like, because these people that were like, oh, I'm going to, you know, I'll start building in Vietnam. [00:12:48] Speaker B: And I'll be, yeah, a lot of. [00:12:51] Speaker A: That, a lot of that's going to be freaked out. [00:12:53] Speaker B: And dude, the amount of American assembled drones, like, you know, we were at a drone launch recently, it's an American assembled drone. But a lot of the components actually come from over there. And off of that list of components that I read, not like, not even close to everything is built in that facility. [00:13:11] Speaker A: All right, so we think it's a good idea. The problem I still have is production. Like first you have to innovate. And let's just be honest, we have been slow at innovating in this space here in the States because it's been so easy to get really good equipment from other parts of the world. We have to pick an industry first and then let's pick that one apart. So let's start with thermal. That's an enterprise type drone where people use these drones to do inspections to, you know, public safety, do deer recoveries. Do those types of businesses, what are their options that are American built currently? Yeah, there's nothing, there's nothing in the price range of what they can get an M4T for. Okay, so an M4T, the essential kit, you're looking at about 8,900 bucks. There is a drone that is American built. It's built by a company called Skydio. But that drone is anywhere from 20 to 30 thousand dollars. [00:14:11] Speaker B: And they try not to sell to consumers. [00:14:13] Speaker A: No, they don't build any consumers. That would be an enterprise drone. They say enterprise drone. We have to differ between a consumer because then we want to talk about consumers. You want to talk about consumers are screwed in this. [00:14:24] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, but, but they would be if they had to switch today to an American made drone. [00:14:29] Speaker A: Correct. But nobody's picking up this market right now, I'm telling you. Nobody in the, in the States is picking up this market of building consumer drones. Consumer drones are like your little tiny drones that you might use to video your house. [00:14:43] Speaker B: So let's talk like Sky Rover, right? Have you seen the yellow Sky Rover? Yeah, DJI Mini lookalike that. I mean, I guess so that one you can continue selling. But that whole business plan, Right. It's really affected. There's a lot of people having a bad, bad day. [00:14:59] Speaker A: Yes. [00:15:01] Speaker B: Yeah. It makes me think of. Well, I guess going back to your point about the American enterprise pilots. I mean, I don't know that they're screwed if they have another the M4T, the M30T. [00:15:12] Speaker A: They're not screwed, totally not screwed. Because the DJI drones, the platform that you have access to right now, will be vital for many, many years. I'm talking. It will be. It will still prob the best thermal drone that you can get your hands on in seven years. And the reason I bring that up is skydio, this company that you probably have heard about, about by now. They've been building drones. They were founded, I think they were founded in 2018. They've been building drones for seven years. The drone that would be somewhat, maybe like an M4T is 30,000 bucks and the technology is like eight years behind what you can get in an M4T right now. So what I'm saying is if you buy an M4T right now, by the time Skydio gets their engineering up to par and gets their manufacturing up, the drone you can buy today will still be as good as a Skydio drone in 10 years. [00:16:14] Speaker B: My prediction, you heard it here, folks. Yeah. [00:16:19] Speaker A: Tell me if I'm wrong. [00:16:19] Speaker C: Well, like the technology and then to scale up production. Absolutely. [00:16:23] Speaker B: So a possibility has a lot of nuances and difficulty. But won't these Korean Chinese, you know, won't these companies just do manufacturing in America? Isn't that the easiest way? Yeah, like give DJI, XAG, Altel, give them 36 months and they have manufacturing in America. Oh, geez. [00:16:45] Speaker A: I mean, to me, this is just me. I think that's a long shot. But maybe, maybe the. [00:16:52] Speaker B: So a couple of things that drone technology like by companies like DJI and even Altel, have export controls in China that make it impossible to take that IP out of China. The same way that Nvidia and AI chips, they have export controls that make it impossible to sell our AI technology to other countries. It's like, it's so good that it's a national security threat for it to leave. And so China is okay with the drones leaving, but they're not okay with the ip? [00:17:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:17:22] Speaker B: Intellectual property to make the drones and the manufacturing and the know how for that leaving the country, they want to control that in. So for. I think there's a really good business reason for DJI to come set up in, you know, Atlanta or wherever, they want to set up a headquarters and do manufacturing. But for them to be able to take their own technology that they developed out of China, they build it here, they're. Yeah. Chinese government is not going to. [00:17:46] Speaker A: It's going to be very difficult to like that. Yeah, yeah. The only way that Something like that would happen is you get some engineers from DJI that, you know, just come be Americans and they start a company. [00:17:59] Speaker B: And develop like you almost have to develop that same stuff knowing how you did it over there. Come over here and develop it. [00:18:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:06] Speaker B: But man, if I'm sitting as the CEO of dji, then like he's going to prison if the Chinese or if China thinks that he actually exported technology illegally. So it's like that. [00:18:17] Speaker A: That's sad. [00:18:18] Speaker B: He can't. Yeah. Like it's actually pretty risky. And for him it's like, I don't need this. [00:18:23] Speaker A: Yeah. So I mean, this brings up the question, I mean, what perfect timing from. For Trump to be put on the board of like this. [00:18:32] Speaker B: Trump Jr. Yeah. Unusual machines. [00:18:34] Speaker A: Huh. [00:18:34] Speaker B: The leading. And it just coincidentally the stock really popped off the day that Trump got elected. The day after Trump got elected. But yeah, Unusual Machines is trying to set up a manufacturing of critical components to service American made drone companies. And Trump Jr. Sits on the board. [00:18:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:54] Speaker B: And provides a lot of valuable insight and friendship and everything. [00:18:58] Speaker A: Yeah. The reason I was bringing up the X10, the Skydio and the M4T, the comparison of what you can buy. Right. We have entrepreneurs willing to pay nine to ten thousand bucks for a unit to try to start a thermal drone business of some kind. If they were only able to buy an X10 for $30,000, it just stops being viable. Yeah. [00:19:25] Speaker C: The barrier of entry is too high. [00:19:26] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. So my point is skydio builds these drones, but their, their focus was never on a. An American entrepreneur that wants to start a thermal drone business. Their focus was on first responsor, federal funds, state funds. Gouge the shit out of them. [00:19:47] Speaker B: Don't care what it costs. [00:19:48] Speaker A: Don't care what it costs. I heard this from the horse's mouth, from redcat, a salesman for Red Cat. If you look it up, they are also an American built thermal drone company, but they manufacture for the military. He does not care. His drone is 50,000 bucks more. And he said yes, it's not as good as dji. I don't care. We're selling to the, like the military. [00:20:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:12] Speaker A: That's just, it just pisses me off that that's how we've looked at this, that we're building drones for specific markets that have federal funding dollars where you can get whatever the price is on it. You can get it. You're not thinking about me, dude. I took a $20,000 DJI drone and built a amazing business. Would I have ever started that business if I would have had to invest. [00:20:43] Speaker B: That amount of money, 30,000 for a shittier drone. [00:20:47] Speaker A: I couldn't have. [00:20:48] Speaker B: Yeah. And even, and even if you fast forward to today, if you think of your only option is, right, you have to buy a $30,000 drone to offer a recovery service, competing with guys with. [00:20:58] Speaker A: $9,000 drones that have better quality, better connection. [00:21:02] Speaker B: How's that going to work? It's like a whole industry dies. The only way that you, that it works is you go buy a used drone on Marketplace from somebody. Right. If you weren't able to buy new, you can buy new recovery.com although I do think our inventory levels, right. We've managed to not be out of stock for more than a few days for the last six months. I don't know how this is going to affect it. [00:21:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:25] Speaker B: So. [00:21:26] Speaker A: Oh yeah. Because it's now people, now people are like, okay, so I can buy this because some people weren't buying because they were like, oh my gosh, my drone's gonna fall out of sky and I won't be able to do this. And that is not going to be the case. I mean, yeah, I'm telling people, if you ever thought about starting a, a business of any kind, as far as the equipment goes, there is no better time than now. Because what is, what is it going to cost you in five years from now when the American built spray drone has all the components that it needs from the States, what is that unit going to cost you to start a business? Like, that's what's going to be crazy. So if people are thinking about getting into a business, you better not think too long. [00:22:12] Speaker B: Because I mean, you look at your options, you look at a DJI option and then you look at an alternative option or an American made option. And I mean, and I think you're right, once the dust settles, right. It's December 23rd. [00:22:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:25] Speaker B: We could power up a drone, it would fly. Okay. The sky ain't falling. Like, make your decision. [00:22:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:31] Speaker B: Lock it down. [00:22:32] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:22:33] Speaker C: It's, it's so big picture. What's happening is we are the, the whole theme of America first. Right. And this has happened in the news, you know, we might not have paid as close attention with auto manufacturers, right. Where there was a, a plant in Mexico that got shut down. And, and there is lots of assistance that is getting pushed for, you know, building cars in the US and this is happening in, in the drone space. Right. But the growing pains are real. Right. And it's going to take a little bit of gritting your Teeth and, and figuring stuff out. Right. But big picture, America first is happening in this space. Right? So how do we, you know, grow into this? What do we have to do? But your statement, Mike, is that the, the DJI products are still going to be the best on the market for a period of years. They're still going to run, they're still going to work. Now is the time that, you know, you can safely buy and use and service repair all those things. Yes, go for it. Do it. Right. But I think one of the things that strikes me, I'm glad that there's at least a little bit of maybe cohesiveness. Right? It's not just dji, it's across the board. Right? So, so that it's not, you know, just picking on one. Right. But they, they, they went after the powerhouse. Right. But it is America first, and there is a positive in that. But, you know, we have to kind of also think positively. Yeah, right. As in what needs to happen for the market, for the consumer, for commercial, your everyday person. Right. Filmmakers, everybody is going to be feeling the pain. And so there's going to be a lot of voices kind of saying, this sucks. [00:24:21] Speaker B: Yes. [00:24:21] Speaker C: You know, for, for the next little bit. [00:24:23] Speaker B: But again, like, for the next little bit, you just keep using the drones that you can buy that you have. I mean, that's. That is the saving grace for this. [00:24:30] Speaker A: Yes, but. Okay, so let's bring one. One drone up that has just absolutely blown my mind. You wanted one. I was like, kevin, are we really gonna use it that much? Is it that much better? The Mavic 4 Pro has taken our videos from this level to fricking this level in a snap of a finger. Cost efficient, like shooting unbelievable footage. I think of that. Right? I think of that step. I was like, okay, we're good with what we got, and we would have probably been fine, but we leveled up our content to another level that's just not been done before. Okay, so now let's step back. All right, what would be the next thing? What is the next Mavic 5 or Mavic 6 or Mavic 8? What is that? And is there a company here that's going to step up and build those things? [00:25:26] Speaker B: Not even close. [00:25:27] Speaker A: Okay, so my point is, right, we seen this level up to this next type of footage, and everybody, Americans all over the states were killing it with this new footage. It was going viral on Tick Tock and Instagram and you name it, because of this new drone, that they could get this killer footage and show what they're doing. All right, we took it to another level. Now we're just going to sit at that level. For how long? Until. Until some American drone company comes along and. And just blows my mind again. Like, DJI blew my mind. That's what I'm saying. [00:26:01] Speaker B: And that, I mean, I'm with you. That is like. [00:26:03] Speaker A: So we're going to sit stagnant. That's what we're all okay with. Just. But. [00:26:07] Speaker C: But I don't say. I don't. We're not okay with it, but we don't have any other choice. And it's kind of like you have to grit your teeth and say okay. [00:26:16] Speaker A: Like, when I say we're okay, I'm saying the US Government. [00:26:20] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. If the technology comes through, the price point is going to be double. Right. Because US Manufacturing cannot contend with Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, wherever it's being made, whether it's clothing or tech, the US Manufacturing cannot contend. The price point that you're going to come in at with a equal technology is going to be two and a half times. Right. That's what I'm thinking. Like, that price tag is just going to be there. And that's probably what hurts a lot of people, is the tech for the price is not going to be there for the next five years. [00:26:58] Speaker A: Yeah. So my biggest thing is we're talking about these thermal drones, the M4T or the 4TD or the dock. The dock. The DJI Dock 3 is awesome. [00:27:09] Speaker B: It is amazing. [00:27:10] Speaker A: It is amazing. You can still buy these things. But what I'm thinking about is what are we going to see that's released in China in two years from now? [00:27:20] Speaker B: Right. [00:27:20] Speaker A: It's going to blow our minds. And then we're going to be like, well, here we still sit. Now I'm not. It's still good. It's still great. Right? What we have is still really, really good. But where will they be? [00:27:32] Speaker B: Yeah, well, if we. If we had been stuck three years ago, how pissed off would we be? Right. If T40s were the latest thing that we got, I mean, they were. They were an upgrade. I mean, T40 versus how pissed would we. [00:27:47] Speaker C: There's some positive thinking from you, Kevin, because this is like, okay, I'm very thankful that we have what we have. [00:27:53] Speaker B: But yeah, and to your earlier point, it's almost like the whole industry and including me is like a sigh of relief. Like, the two options were, they will take away everything and they will neuter you, and we can't import more of the T1 hundreds. And the second option is they're going to let you use the T1 hundreds until that, you know, they're. Until it's end of life for it. And it is the. The least lesser of two evils. [00:28:16] Speaker A: Do. [00:28:16] Speaker C: Do you think that they won't go in with like a retroactive ban? [00:28:19] Speaker B: I think they won't. Yep. [00:28:21] Speaker C: No, I think that's too much disruption. [00:28:24] Speaker B: And this is where I got to respect the. The administration is. You know, the publication was called Unleashing American Drone Dominance without Disrupting. [00:28:31] Speaker A: Disrupting. [00:28:32] Speaker B: And I think it's like there was a really bad option and then there was a. Just a realignment option. I think they're doing the right one. [00:28:38] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:28:39] Speaker B: But to your point. Yeah. In three years from now, you and me, like right now I feel good because I didn't neuter us. [00:28:45] Speaker A: Yes. [00:28:45] Speaker B: But in three years, yeah. You and me are going to be looking at each other and we'll have come back from a trip from China and we're just going to be like, it's unbelievable where we're stuck, where and. [00:28:54] Speaker C: Where we could be. [00:28:55] Speaker B: It's unbelievable, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:28:57] Speaker A: No, 100%, 100%. I agree totally with you. Like, it is a really good outcome of what it could have been. [00:29:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:29:05] Speaker A: I am so thankful that we have the T100. The T100, the spray drone, the 26 gallons, it's going to help tons and tons of American farmers. It's going to help entrepreneurs start successful spray drone businesses for many years. I'm saying five to 10 years. It was going to be vital. You will build a multimillion dollar spray drone business with T1 hundreds. There is no doubt in my mind. But in three years from now, what will that drone be? [00:29:37] Speaker B: I think in three years from now there will be trailers with autonomous, like there's going to be loading of batteries and reloading of fluid and kind of autonomous. Like there's a guy sitting in the booth, but he doesn't do any work other than just monitor. And everything is 4G and drones are landing, getting a different battery, getting more fluid, all autonomously. All autonomously. [00:30:00] Speaker C: Kind of like the cars that they have already. Yeah, right. Where they're swapping out batteries instead of recharging. They just pull into a booth. [00:30:06] Speaker B: In three years, we're going to be out there huffing and puffing still, you know, doing the thing that we do, pulling batteries, refilling, getting it off. And in China, we're going to see fleets where a trailer pulls up, wings come out, there's four drones. They the automatic system Refills. [00:30:24] Speaker A: Okay. So just kind of like the DJI dock on Enterprise. It comes back, it charges itself, it, it heats itself. This, it'll just come back, it'll get the battery swap and filled and it'll go out. Okay. [00:30:36] Speaker B: There's other stuff too with like in other industries that aren't ag, where we don't really have a good application yet, which is, this is actually really sad, like fighting firefighters. There are in the next couple years there's going to be killer applications for those kinds of drones for wildfires. For wildfires, controlling wildfires. [00:30:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:53] Speaker B: What we have now, 360 pound lift, you know, fly cart type stuff. It's going to help. But there's going to be. Yeah. In the next couple of years there's going to be like revolutionary new things in that space and unable to get it. [00:31:05] Speaker A: But my thing is, I agree from other countries, I do believe that that tech that you're talking about will be easier to be manufactured and sold because again that product is being sold to fire departments, first responder type stuff. And so that funding is going to be. There's a lot more funding available for that type of stuff than it is talking about the little thermal drone business guy that makes seventy thousand to a hundred thousand dollars, you know, doing a pet recovery or a, you know, lost person, whatever he might do. Because the, what you're talking about the wildfires, that's tens of millions of dollars is spent in that type of equipment. So I feel there's going to be industries that will feel it differently. One for me right now is I just don't know, you know, where those people like the little Mini five, I mean you can fly that for many, many years. [00:32:03] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just like you just got to be thankful for what you have and just expect nothing better. That's really, I mean that's where we're at in America. Be thankful for what we got. Expect nothing better. And you just deal with it. [00:32:16] Speaker A: It sucks until somebody builds it. [00:32:19] Speaker B: Yeah. I think until a Chinese company starts manufacturing in America and you had mentioned, I think John Deere tried to take production down to Mexico. They thought we're going to produce in Mexico. And Trump said you do that and you get 25 or 50% tariff or 100 tariffs and then they just shut the whole thing down because we got to manufacture America. [00:32:37] Speaker C: And I forget there was an automobile manufacturer as well that was kind of. [00:32:41] Speaker B: Flirting with the idea. [00:32:42] Speaker C: Yeah, a brand new plant in Mexico and it was already like 5% started. And then Trump was like, no you're not going to do that because you know this is what you're going have to pay. They shut it down and they started a plant in Indiana. [00:32:57] Speaker B: This is going to be good for American jobs. Like I do think we're going to picture American job. [00:33:01] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:33:01] Speaker B: Let's. [00:33:02] Speaker C: America first. [00:33:03] Speaker B: It's there and there's no way to do it. It's like the, the job of the administration is to create enough pain that there's actually an incentive and protection for American companies to step in and manufacture. [00:33:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:12] Speaker B: And when we went, people will, I'm telling you. Yeah. We went to that drone launch you and I did and we saw like I look around the room and I see so much money. Salivating. [00:33:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:24] Speaker B: At the thought of, oh, we're going to build the next thing. [00:33:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:27] Speaker B: And it's like people, it's like, yeah. You just know it's money. You know they've never touched a drone and you know that they're being, they're accepting this hook, line and sink or this idea that this is an American made drone. Not that it's like a Chinese clone, that's an oem. But there's so much money circling around this problem that I think this kind of protection is what capitalism needs to step in and say, okay, we're going to manufacture. [00:33:53] Speaker A: And they wrote it. They got this thing so recognized by riding on the global giant dji. Right. They got all the publicity they needed by riding on a multi billion dollar company to get the publicity. Yeah. And at the end he throws the hammer down and says trick play. Yeah. He says all. [00:34:17] Speaker B: Yeah, everyone. [00:34:18] Speaker C: Yeah. So the vacuum created is actually really, really good. [00:34:22] Speaker B: It's going to be amazing. It's going to be amazing. [00:34:24] Speaker C: Is there in that. There's, there's room in the market. There's, there's tons of room in the market. Right. So, so who's, who's going, what's going on? Who are the top players? Who's going in there? [00:34:36] Speaker B: And I got two phone calls last night. [00:34:39] Speaker A: Oh. From the pilot locator map. Did they get your number on there too? [00:34:42] Speaker B: My number ain't on there. [00:34:43] Speaker A: Well, maybe we should drop you a pin. [00:34:47] Speaker C: We're going to go in the back channels and get Kevin on there. [00:34:49] Speaker B: Two drone manufacturers who said by the way, did you see the news? And then like so one of them is XAG said big news coming at the end user conference. So I do think that, I do think some of this is like some of these multi billion dollar companies have had a plan B and I Think that, I think it's gonna work itself out. [00:35:11] Speaker A: Three years. [00:35:11] Speaker B: Three years. So three years. [00:35:13] Speaker C: Wait, so Mike, did you just say seven earlier? [00:35:16] Speaker A: Kevin. [00:35:17] Speaker C: Kevin, you just dropped three years. [00:35:19] Speaker A: I'm saying seven for American, truly American built drone. So that's what I'm saying. [00:35:24] Speaker B: But if DJI comes, if XCG comes to America and they put a plant in Detroit, that's different. Well, that's an American made drone. [00:35:30] Speaker A: Well, yeah, but I'm looking at that as an established, I'm saying, I'm saying like skydio, somebody that has never had a name. [00:35:38] Speaker B: Those guys are dead. Like I don't see it happening. I don't, I don't see like if I'm going to put $50 million into an enterprise, am I going to fund a Harvard graduate startup of an American or am I going to fund bringing, you know, production line experience, IP experience, camera experience from an existing Chinese company, even if it's not the best. [00:36:00] Speaker C: So you're saying investors and shareholders are going to go with the established giants rather than the new startups within the vac, within the vacuum of the US market. [00:36:10] Speaker B: And they should not have a new product ready to release for two years. Because if the T160 or the T200 is available next year with American made manufacturing. Yeah, it's going to be expensive and it has no market share until the T100 is in like is end of life. So see I, DJI needs to launch the American made version, right. Xag EA vision. They need to launch the American made version. That's going to be 50,000 instead of, or it'll be 60,000 instead of 40,000. But they don't, they should not be launching that before 2028. [00:36:41] Speaker A: I see what you're saying. [00:36:42] Speaker B: And that's going to happen. Like I, if I was betting $50 million, I would put my money on that. I think it'll happen. [00:36:47] Speaker C: That's a, that's a really good. You know we had something similar with T50s right. Where we were like needing to. There was 50 sitting in a warehouse. Right. There was still those available. [00:36:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:58] Speaker C: And that's what was being pushed. Right. So the T100, we're saying that it's that good that it is, it's going to be around for a couple of years. So you're right, Kevin, that in a sense DJI has a cushion. Right. [00:37:10] Speaker A: To probably why they pushed it so hard to get it here. [00:37:13] Speaker B: I talked. So a gentleman came from Nevada yesterday to pick up equipment. You met him? [00:37:19] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:37:19] Speaker B: And he told me he had been flying. Helio, do you know how many batteries and generators it took to fly one, Helio? [00:37:25] Speaker A: I think it's like 12 to 12. [00:37:26] Speaker B: He said he had 11 batteries and like two or three generators. [00:37:29] Speaker A: But that. That's scary to me. It's shocking. That's scary to me, Kevin, because that. That company truly has been trying to build something that's us built. Yeah, I'm talking years. They've been. Helio has been building drones for years, and they're still dealing with that. Why. Why is it we don't have enough engineers? There's not enough money in it, there's not enough government funding. Why is it that that company has still not figured out what DJI has figured out? That's an interesting point, though, that you're saying that you think that those companies are going to come here and they're going to manufacture here. That's how you feel right now. [00:38:10] Speaker B: And I think, like, what's Trump going to say? I mean, I think Trump's gonna say new, you know, $100 billion or $10 billion into the US market. We're gonna create a thousand jobs. And that's how you. I mean, I don't know. I think that's basically. I don't think Trump is gonna try to protect Helio and Skydio against, you know, foreign companies bringing manufacturing to America. I don't know. What do you think, Landon? I think. [00:38:35] Speaker C: Well, I'm just listening. And I think it'd be amazing, right. [00:38:39] Speaker B: Because he's out there championing all the time $100 billion from Qatar and all these, you know, like, so bring it. [00:38:46] Speaker C: So, so the technology is there. We just want it to be made here, right? And then, and then it comes underneath the American job, comes underneath the scrutiny or a different set, a different scrutiny level, right? So that the American market and the nation is protected and we benefit from it. [00:39:04] Speaker B: In a time of war, right? These critical components, building these motors and batteries, we're doing it in America, we're doing it in Detroit. We ain't doing it in Shenzhen. That's what we want for the next five years. That's a good idea. [00:39:15] Speaker A: No, no, I agree. [00:39:17] Speaker C: Middlebury, Indiana is going to make RVs and drones. [00:39:22] Speaker B: Be the silly, be the silliest thing if. I mean, let's start Amish country. We could build some drones, right? We could throw up a mad manufacturing plant here. We know how to work. [00:39:33] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, I see. I see where this has gone. That's good. [00:39:37] Speaker B: There's one thing that's really interesting about how this came to be. And yesterday when I read the news, I thought this was. This notice was independent of the 1709 in the end. [00:39:48] Speaker A: 1709. [00:39:49] Speaker B: 1709. I thought it was independent. It's not. [00:39:51] Speaker A: Oh, it's not independent. Okay, sorry. So I misspoke earlier in this podcast. Then I thought I saw. You told me that. [00:39:57] Speaker B: I did. I did. Because this is like a whole new thing. So get this. Okay. [00:40:02] Speaker A: It is a whole new thing. [00:40:03] Speaker B: This will piss you off. [00:40:04] Speaker A: I'm confused. It is a whole new thing or it's not. [00:40:06] Speaker B: This is the execution of. So the FCC would not have the power to do the ruling that they just did. Because I was wondering, okay, where does the power come to? Just say anybody that. That creates drone components. Banned on the covered list. Everyone. Where does that power come from? The National Airspace National Defense Authorization act or whatever. [00:40:28] Speaker A: So. [00:40:28] Speaker B: So they slipped into the bill 12 months ago. They slipped into the bill that if a national security review is not done, then it's on December 23rd. The FCC will add DJ and Altel to the ban or to the covered list. That security review was done on December 21st. [00:40:44] Speaker A: I don't understand. [00:40:46] Speaker C: The review that we. [00:40:48] Speaker B: The national security. [00:40:50] Speaker A: Just the reviewed of the like, not dji. [00:40:53] Speaker B: Does this pose the national security threat? That was completed. [00:40:57] Speaker C: So not. Not the investigation? [00:40:59] Speaker B: Yes, the investigation. [00:41:00] Speaker C: You're saying the investigation was done on the 21st. [00:41:03] Speaker B: Done and completed on December 21st. [00:41:06] Speaker C: Does it say which entity? [00:41:08] Speaker B: Yes, it does. Do you want to know what entity did it? [00:41:10] Speaker C: I do. [00:41:11] Speaker B: This is interesting. [00:41:12] Speaker C: Tell me. [00:41:13] Speaker A: This is breaking news. [00:41:14] Speaker B: Because we love. We love transparency in our government, and we love that. You know, it's really good. [00:41:20] Speaker C: It's a hallmark. [00:41:21] Speaker B: It's great. Yep. The FCC said the executive branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise conducted a review as was mandated 12 months ago. So who did this? What national security. Like, who are the people doing it? Well, let me go again. It was the executive branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise. They did something on December 21st that they called this. And there's a different publication by the FCC on December 21st that said all drone components are a national security threat. And that actually was completing the mandated. [00:42:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:01] Speaker B: Security review that had to be done before December 23rd. [00:42:04] Speaker A: And we thought it was just for DJI. [00:42:06] Speaker B: Yeah. But they did it for the whole thing. And that's where it's a little bit of a. [00:42:09] Speaker A: Like, it's a gut punch, though. Not. [00:42:10] Speaker B: Not really, but it's like, I don't know what power they have that. Because in the. And again, I'd have to go read the NDA 1709, but they mandated that DJI and Autel specifically have a security threat conducted to analyze if they pose a threat to national security. And we thought that it was just going to expire without that threat being like that happening. And then on December 23rd, those two agencies. Yeah, just the two would get added by default as written in the law. But that didn't happen on December 23rd. DJ and Altel were not added by default in lieu of, you know, an investigation. And DJI has done a significant effort of saying, let's have an open and transparent actual investigation. And what we have is so far to the opposite. It's ridiculous. What we have is a body that you don't know who it is, you don't know who it comes from, and you don't know what actually, like what committees were actually on it. You just know that it was the executive branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise. You have no idea who and what and how. [00:43:12] Speaker A: Yeah, because they don't want to be held accountable. [00:43:14] Speaker B: Don't want to know about it. [00:43:15] Speaker A: That is why people were saying that, you know, the FBI is not going to do it and the DoD is not going to do it because they don't want to be. Oh, it was that department. [00:43:23] Speaker B: Well, and I think also it's like there's an. There's an agenda. And so we don't know what they did. We don't know what they investigated. We don't know if they. And really, I mean, let's be honest. Did they do an investigation on DJI to see if they have, you know, any security threat? No, they didn't. Let's just be honest. They just said, we want to bring drone manufacturing to America. It's good. [00:43:44] Speaker A: Part of the American drone dominance. [00:43:46] Speaker B: Yeah. Drone dominance. [00:43:47] Speaker A: Just drone dominance. [00:43:48] Speaker B: Yep. [00:43:49] Speaker A: Don't give a rip what the security is. It's drone dominance. [00:43:53] Speaker B: And so anyway, that happened on December 21st. There's a different FCC publication. And then on December 22nd, the FCC published. Because of that review that was done. Now here's what goes into effect. And because that review said national security threat for all drones, the FCC now has the power to affect all drone companies, all drones that are built outside of the US and not just the ones named in the 1709. So that. But the FCC would not have the power to do that unless a Department of Homeland Security or National Security committee made a determination that there's unacceptable risk to national Security. Yeah, I see what, December 21st, December 22nd, boom, boom. Last two days of the year and we go into December 23rd, where thankfully our government actually did do a security review and determined that there was a threat. It didn't just go. And they by default get banned. [00:44:47] Speaker A: Yeah. Not just a threat to dji, A threat to every. [00:44:51] Speaker B: Everyone that makes batteries for drones outside of the US Everyone that makes. [00:44:56] Speaker C: That's very interesting. [00:44:57] Speaker B: It's so interesting. [00:44:58] Speaker C: I'm really glad you shared that. Yeah, that's. [00:45:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:01] Speaker C: That has my head spinning. Right. [00:45:02] Speaker A: That right, there is going to be a vertical reel that needs to be cut. [00:45:07] Speaker C: I'm interested to, to hear what other voices will have to say in the coming weeks, reflecting on it. You know what that means, the implications, the market, the consumer, America first. You know, all sorts of things are going to be rippling out from. [00:45:23] Speaker A: I have a question. So if we can say that this was Trump's American drone dominance thing, what's to say in what is another three years a new president gets in there and says, interesting, guys, we're struggling at this American drone dominance thing. [00:45:37] Speaker B: Interesting. [00:45:38] Speaker A: We just need drones so we can keep producing food at a lower cost because Brazil can produce food at much lower cost than we can with overall. What? [00:45:48] Speaker C: Oh, you're right. It's just disheartening. [00:45:52] Speaker A: We just said that it's gonna cost us three times more. And so it's going to cost a farmer that is struggling. Like you friggin haven't seen him struggling in a long time. He's struggling to make ends meet. And now you want him to pay more for equipment to spray his crops. [00:46:07] Speaker C: But, but all other countries, investors and seed companies are going to lower their prices for the farmers. Sarcasm. Really extreme sarcasm. [00:46:18] Speaker B: So, yeah, right, dude, we were going, this is totally off topic, but we went to pick up our Christmas tree. Cut it down, the whole experience. They used to have hot chocolate there. Free hot chocolate for the kids. Core memory. Covid was the excuse to take it away for sanitary issues. And in 2025, which I'm, I'm counting a couple years after Covid, if I'm thinking correctly, still no hot chocolate. Never came back because they figured out you can still sell trees without offering free hot chocolate and it's a little less hassle. Yeah, that sucks. [00:46:48] Speaker A: I'm just saying, right? So this American drone dominance, what if we can't catch up? But all these other countries, because let's be honest, dude, Brazil produce a ton of corn and beans and stuff. And if they're selling it because they can produce it for less money. How is our $8 a bushel corn going to stack up to Brazil producing $5 a bushel corn? [00:47:12] Speaker C: So we're talking about markets, right. How does capitalism respond to this? Like what are going to be effects? We live in an economy that is driven by capitalism. Right. So our shareholders and companies, are they going to have to reflect? Like, so who takes the hit? And, and this, this is my thought. Who takes the hit? Farmers always take the hit. Their margins are always the ones on the line. [00:47:40] Speaker B: Do that sucks for farmers. [00:47:41] Speaker C: Like big picture. Right. And then it's always, is always grassroots. It's always the small guy. Right. So the independent f filmmakers, creators, creatives. Right. They're going to take the hit on the technology side. Farmers are going to take the hit on the ag side in terms of being able to produce something at a better and cost efficient rate. Right. That's probably the thing that right now. And reflecting what, what we're just talking about, Cap, how does capitalism respond and where are the adjustments made? Let's speculate a little bit. [00:48:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Because you bring that up. That's what the almond farmer in California just told. Yeah, he just told us. We're always trying to figure out how to cut cost. He said that's the number one thing is costs are so high to produce the produce or whatever they're producing. The cost is so high just to get it to the shelf. [00:48:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:40] Speaker A: That we have to figure out how to do it for less money. [00:48:43] Speaker B: And am I right that they generally don't control their sell price? It's just dictated by the market. [00:48:48] Speaker A: It's dictated by them. [00:48:49] Speaker B: So the only lever you have is make it for cheaper, figure out how to have less money in it. [00:48:54] Speaker A: Less cost. Less cost. Yes. And so, you know, they're using the airplanes out there and the airplanes are costing them a lot of money and they're not getting their product sprayed when they need it sprayed at the ideal time. The airplane's super busy and, you know, so be it. But they seen that what it would cost them to buy, you know, T1 hundreds for their 45 grand, some specials were running and so they got them for less than that. But they seen that it was more cost effective for them to buy that equipment. Now we just said this might cost us three times more. Would it have been as cost effective for them to buy something that's American. Who knows? [00:49:32] Speaker B: More. More effective than the airplane? [00:49:34] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, it is. [00:49:36] Speaker C: But the, the value goes away significantly if you triple the price or two times the Price. Right. [00:49:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:42] Speaker C: For, for a. Even. Well, currently, you know, it's not a, it's not the same product. It's not going to run as fast. Yeah, the, the battery, the battery systems and probably the cameras is maybe a standout. Right. Currently. But, but just, just think about, let's circle back to who takes the hit on this the most. Right. It's grassroots. The investors are probably going to be the safest. Right. But the farmers, the farmers and the people using the product that are trying to produce something more product for the same or less amount of money like that what they take home for producing and doing all the work like those are the ones that are going to feel the hit the most there. And that sucks. [00:50:27] Speaker B: Yep, it does, it does suck. And especially because you know they're, the American farmer is hard working. They, you know, they work the ground. But I do think there are investors that are just, they're just money that they throw at things. And like I can think of two things that happened in the last month. One was a brand new drone company. Bill overseas sent us a drone. So they imported a drone in the U.S. they sent us a drone. You took a look at it, it. [00:50:53] Speaker A: Was, you know, quickly put it in. [00:50:54] Speaker B: The back corner, but I'll ship it. [00:50:57] Speaker A: Back if they want it back. I'm just saying. [00:50:59] Speaker B: But you know, there's these companies that are like that company is dead in the water. They have, that drone has no value because overnight it's just not going to hit the American market. So I should say the American plan for that is dead in the water. And, and then I've had a couple of conversations with a drone company out of India that manufactures thermal. And, and they, I was actually put in touch with them by one of our customers that is an investor in this drone company in India. And they, they do. Yeah, they're. But again, built in India to the American market doesn't overnight dead. [00:51:33] Speaker A: That doesn't do any good. [00:51:34] Speaker B: So, and the American market just from an investor perspective, that's where you can make the money. I mean you go to India, you develop it for cheap, but then you sell it into America. That's why. And you know, and so some of these investors, I think we're betting that China and America is gonna like they're gonna keep feuding and, or fighting. And so building it in India is going to be no tariffs, you're gonna be able to compete. And overnight those investors, I think they're wiped out. Like, I mean, I don't know what. [00:52:01] Speaker A: If they wiped out what if they say, okay, guys, leave all your stuff here, bring the intelligence in your computer and in your brain, and let's go to, you know, Ohio. Okay. [00:52:12] Speaker C: Is. Is the American market that strong and that needy? [00:52:15] Speaker B: Yes. [00:52:15] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. We're the, we're the, we're the largest agricultural. [00:52:20] Speaker B: It's like money signs to. It's like dollar bills. [00:52:23] Speaker C: It's like, because we're that far behind it when it comes to drone tech. [00:52:26] Speaker B: It'S because we're so affluent and wealthy and we can afford like a $40,000 drone in America might only be a $15,000 or a $10,000 drone in China. We pay for it. We pay terrorists for it. You know, all shipping so much inflates the price. [00:52:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:42] Speaker B: But also we look at a forty thousand dollar cutting edge drone and we think that's a great deal. Whereas if you try to sell that in China for 40 grand, it's like, it ain't working. [00:52:49] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:50] Speaker B: And the amount of acres and what the American market is willing to pay makes us a honey pot. [00:52:55] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We just have so many acres. You should look it up in the, in the back to see how many, how many agricultural acres are in the United States versus how many agricultural acres are in other countries. Like, I think we are the number one agricultural land in the, in the world. [00:53:15] Speaker B: You would have others like Brazil, you know, that have. [00:53:17] Speaker A: I mean, they are doing a lot in Brazil. They are literally clearing, like, national forests. [00:53:23] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, the plant stuff. [00:53:24] Speaker A: Yes. To make farming. [00:53:26] Speaker C: Yeah. Which is, which is very. [00:53:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:53:30] Speaker A: I don't know how, how do you feel about that line? [00:53:33] Speaker C: No, bueno. Don't like it. [00:53:35] Speaker A: But, but like, we've, there's. We probably cleared some trees here to make significantly. [00:53:40] Speaker B: Go buy, go buy 100 acres and clear the trees is okay, but clear the national forest of its trees. That's a little sad. [00:53:45] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's a lot of stuff happening. I'm just. So we're talking about other markets. Right. So we were in South Africa. Brazil has a really strong market. Right. So there's, there's a lot of other places that these drones can still sell. Right. But like we just said, the price point. [00:54:03] Speaker A: Yes. [00:54:04] Speaker C: Of, of what they're getting here in the American market is significantly better. Mike, do you remember what the, the cost was of a, of a 50 whenever we were in South Africa? [00:54:15] Speaker A: Yeah. So when we were in South Africa, I think we got a T40. Then. [00:54:19] Speaker C: Was it. Was it 40? [00:54:20] Speaker A: So, so we got a T40 there and I could Buy a retail. At retail price generator, three batteries and the airframe of a T40 spray drone. I could buy it for less retail price than what we were buying units here at wholesale. So if you would buy it at wholesale over there. I couldn't even imagine. [00:54:43] Speaker C: Wasn't like 12k for everything. It was like 8. [00:54:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:46] Speaker C: So 8 in China, 12 in South Africa. I think it was like 28 here in the US or it was something like that. It was like half of what that was. Yeah. [00:54:57] Speaker A: We pay for it because we're the states. [00:54:59] Speaker C: Right? Yeah. So. So that, that's what is. That's what we're saying. The American market, is that necessary or enticing for every drone manufacturer? Because they can make money here. Right. So there's a driver. Right? There's a huge driver. It's the economic capitalism, like investors are. You're going to make money if you can get a drone here that is worth its salt in the American market. [00:55:25] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And Even with the 55% tariffs that we pay on every import of a drone. [00:55:30] Speaker C: 55. That's where it's at right now. [00:55:31] Speaker B: 55. Yep. [00:55:32] Speaker C: Oh, oh. [00:55:33] Speaker A: And imagine there'd be no tariffs, like, then what would the price be? [00:55:37] Speaker B: But this is just like how we get conditioned. Because I remember when it was like, you know, Trump and Jping were back and forth on Twitter and calling each other out and it went up to 145. And if you happen to have a container hitting in the one week period that it was 145, you are screwed. Ain't no turning that thing around. I mean, it's hitting either. And so when it's, you know, it comes down to 55 and we're like, well, at least we know what it's going to be. We're just settling here. The market adjusts. It's normal. And it's just. But. But it's 55% tariffs. And if we think back to last year's end user conference, DJI said, here's the new retail price of the T50. And then the next week, then the, the tariff war started. [00:56:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:56:18] Speaker B: And none of that ever happened. And they slowly kind of backtracked everything. [00:56:21] Speaker C: Right. [00:56:22] Speaker B: It's just another example of us as Americans, we just pay. And at this point we're just kind of okay with paying and we just say thanks for at least letting us bring them in. [00:56:31] Speaker C: Yeah. Yes. [00:56:32] Speaker B: We just get accustomed to it. [00:56:34] Speaker C: Positive thinking. Yeah. Like, I'm glad. [00:56:37] Speaker B: Resignation. Yes. Yeah. [00:56:39] Speaker C: The. The wallet. The wallet takes the hit. And we're just like, okay, let's see what we need to do to get through this moving forward. [00:56:46] Speaker A: I am just. So I say we just wrap this thing up with saying that I am glad that it's not a retroactive ban. Businesses still will, will still grow, entrepreneurs will still flourish, farmers will still benefit for many years. It's the long term thing that we were just talking about. What will it affect? But as of right now, there is no doubt in my mind that the thermal drones and the spray drones that you have access to from DJI and other parts of the world, but if you want the best, that's dji, you can still get them, you can still use them, you can still fly them, and there's no better time. I'm telling you, like it sounds like a massive sale pitch. I am trying to sell drones, but I am also trying to tell you, if I were, you know me five years ago starting my own thermal drone business, I would not hesitate for a second buying the equipment and getting started. [00:57:40] Speaker B: Now it's a good time to do it. [00:57:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:42] Speaker B: And yeah, and man, if you're out there on the threads and the forums and stuff, correct people who are spilling bullshit. Yeah, I mean, just correct them because you have the what the FCC announced, you have what the chair put on Twitter and I'd say the next 30 days. Right. Like we. It seems all the signs are aligning that there's not going to be an FCC retroactive ban on certain drone models. [00:58:05] Speaker A: Yep. [00:58:06] Speaker B: If there is, I would expect it to be in the next 30 days because what's the point of waiting after they have this power? And now they got DJI on the covered list. They got Alto on the covered list. They got XAG on the covered list. [00:58:16] Speaker A: EA on the COVID list. HD580 on the covered list. [00:58:20] Speaker B: The Raptor on the COVID list. [00:58:22] Speaker A: Everything is on the COVID What about that Lego, the Lego covered list drone? [00:58:27] Speaker B: What? [00:58:28] Speaker A: It's not a true Lego, it just looks like a Lego. What was that thing called? Ac. Acl. Yeah, an ACL from Japan. You on the COVID list. [00:58:38] Speaker B: So now that they have that, they could retroactively pull all the authorizations they've done for anyone ever. But the fact that they're saying, let's do it without disrupting the existing drone market, seems it's really probable that they're not going to do that. And it means that there's. And even if they do do that, it will not restrict you from using the drone that you use. Yeah, it will just restrict us from bringing in more drones. So if that ever happens, we will sell out in a bit. [00:59:06] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's not going to happen. [00:59:08] Speaker B: Not going to happen. Yep. [00:59:09] Speaker A: So, yeah, feels Good. [00:59:11] Speaker B: This is December 23rd. [00:59:13] Speaker A: I was a little fired up in the beginning because it was like I was reading all this online stuff, and it's like, guys, like, settle down, settle down. [00:59:21] Speaker B: This is. [00:59:22] Speaker A: I think we got them settled down. [00:59:24] Speaker B: December 23rd. Here. We're here. [00:59:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:26] Speaker B: The world isn't burning down. [00:59:27] Speaker A: No crash. And just randomly. [00:59:30] Speaker B: Another three years. Yeah. All these things that people said, right? You're going to lose connection. They're going to do a kill switch. It's December 23rd, so go check your drone. It's probably fine. [00:59:40] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it is fine, Kevin. That's it. All right, on to the next one. Later.