Backyard Hero
Contributor Portal
Disclaimers

Read this before you build, fire, or transmit.

Fireworks are dangerous. This is a DIY hobby project, not a certified commercial product. You are entirely responsible for what you build with these designs, what you fire with this software, and what you transmit on the radio bands these devices use. If that's not a deal you're comfortable with, this project is not for you.

No liability for harm

Backyard Hero — the project, its hardware designs, firmware, software, documentation, and any associated content — is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the project's author(s), contributors, and maintainers disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to:

  • The construction, assembly, modification, testing, or operation of any hardware based on these designs.
  • The use of any firmware, software, or documentation associated with this project.
  • The handling, ignition, firing, or other use of pyrotechnic articles in conjunction with this system — successful or not.
  • Injury to persons, animals, property, structures, the environment, or anything else, however caused.
  • Failure of the system to operate as intended, including failed firings, accidental firings, mis-timed firings, or RF interference.

You assume all risk. If you build, run, or otherwise use anything from this project, you do so entirely at your own risk and on your own responsibility.

DIY / prototype hardware

All hardware described or designed by this project — receivers, cue modules, dongles, enclosures, and any future modules — is DIY / prototype hardware. It is intended for personal, educational, and experimental use by individuals who:

  • Understand the risks of working with high-current electronics, lithium batteries, and pyrotechnic ignition systems.
  • Can read schematics, follow assembly documentation, and verify their own builds before putting them on a field.
  • Accept that this hardware is not intended for resale or for distribution as a complete retail product, and has not been through any commercial product certification process (FCC, CE, UL, etc.) unless the builder performs such certification themselves.

Hardware files (schematics, gerbers, BOMs, enclosure CAD) are published as reference designs for personal, non-commercial use.

RF and radio-spectrum responsibility

If you build or operate any device based on these designs, you alone are responsible for understanding and complying with all transmission and radio-spectrum laws and regulations that apply where you live and operate.

Backyard Hero hardware transmits on radio frequencies (2.4 GHz and, via the dongle's secondary radio, 433 MHz). Legal use, power limits, duty cycles, antenna gains, and licensing requirements for these bands vary by country, region, and intended use. The project's authors make no representation that any specific build, configuration, or operating mode is legal in your jurisdiction.

Before you transmit, it is your responsibility to:

  • Know the rules that apply where you operate — in the US, FCC Part 15 / Part 90 / amateur rules; in the EU, the applicable ETSI / national regulations; etc.
  • Verify that your specific build, power output, and antenna configuration are within those rules.
  • Obtain any licenses or authorizations required for the band, power level, or use case you intend.
  • Stop operating, or modify your build, if you discover non-compliance.

The maintainers cannot and will not provide regulatory advice. If you're not sure, don't transmit.

Pyrotechnics responsibility

Pyrotechnic articles are governed by federal, state / provincial, and local laws that vary widely. Possession, transport, storage, and use may require permits, licensing, age limits, and specific safe-handling practices. It is your responsibility to know and comply with all applicable laws and safety practices for pyrotechnics in your area, and to follow industry-standard safety distances and procedures regardless of what this system displays on a screen.

The system's safety features — continuity checks, arming switch, abort controls, host-loss auto-stop — are aids. They are not substitutes for good pyrotechnic practice and trained judgment.

License

Backyard Hero is open source under an informal "Don't Be A Dick" (DBAD) license, consistent with the license declared in the project's repository README.

Plain English: you may use, modify, and redistribute the project's hardware designs, firmware, and software for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes — provided you don't be a dick about it. Don't use the work to harm people. Don't claim it as exclusively your own. Don't undermine the hobbyist community the project exists to serve.

For a formal definition of the DBAD license, see dbad-license.org. If a more conventional open-source license (MIT, Apache 2.0, etc.) is later adopted for any portion of the project, that license will take precedence for that portion and will be noted in the corresponding source files.

Corrections and takedowns

If something on this page is wrong, ambiguous, or out of date, please write to [email protected].

Nothing on this page is legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.