[sdiy] Advice for selling gear: FCC part 15 certification?

[metasonix at earthlink.net]

> For CE, you can skip all testing and just claim you
> pass. But if anyone complains, the powers that be will
> grab a bunch of your product out of your wahehouse and
> test it. If it fails AND you have done no testing,
> you're busted. And in jail. If you fail but have
> documented tests, then its a slap on the wrist. 

No, for CE in Europe they want someone to be legally liable
for problems. They can't extradite from another country for
electrical safety issues in a product. So they demand a
"Responsible Person" within EC jurisdiction.

Excellent book on the subject: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE LOW
VOLTAGE DIRECTIVE by Gregg Kervill (Newnes, ISBN 0-7506-3745-5).

Many EEs I know feel the IEC regulations covering EMC
and electrical safety were simply and blatantly written to
block all non-European products from the Europe market.
And those regs were aimed at mass-market consumer electronics.

Music stuff is much lower production, and isn't used by
average consumers, so it isn't as stringently watched.
But it depends on the country. France and Italy are especially
harsh about it, for no good reasons.

> As far as I know, its about the same in the US. No
> policing except if complaints come in. But don't claim
> FCC if you haven't done the testing.

No, it's more an issue with legal liability in civil cases,
and if you apply for product-liability insurance.

> Lab time is quite expensive. The very nice at HP
> charged $500/Hr for the 10 meter chamber, and $150/Hr
> for all other lab time.

One can count on EMC testing in the US to cost about $5k or
more per product. Again, they will treat your gadget like
a mass-market product intended for use by any ignorant fool.
But a specialist product, of limited production, is rarely under
such severe scrutiny. An external power supply usually makes
your product a "partial kit", basically exempt.

Wonder what Grant does for his modules.....Hey Grant!