On Mon, 14 Jan 2002, billy ball wrote:

> On Mon, 14 Jan 2002, M. Warner Losh wrote:
> 
> > In message: <Pine.LNX.4.33.0201141330040.3935-100000@green.home.org>
> >             billy ball <bball@tux.org> writes:
> > : - btw, the card is interesting: pcmcia w/a detachable antenna... IIRC, the
> > : FCC requires proprietary connectors, and the detachable antenna has two
> > 
> > I don't recall this requirement in all the reading that I've done on
> > 2.4GHz wireless.  Both the wavelan and the cisco cards have "standard"
> > cables on them, in that you can easily get the parts to make your own
> > cable.  Much of the reason you see oddball connectors is so that the
> > producer of the card can ding you again for a lot of $$ for a cheap to
> > make dongle cable.

- found the ref i was thinking about... it is indeed a requirement that 
proprietary connectors (on U.S. products) must be used... see:

http://consume.net/mhonarc/thenet/msg02280.html

apparently an FCC requirement in 47 CFR 15, section 203...

(btw, i did find a local [DC Metro area] place that sells connectors for 
Lucent Orinoco cards! screw the FCC!)

:-)