09-04-2011, 05:00 PM
Just bear in mind that such equipment - whether commercially made such as the 'Spitfire' SSTRAN - or from a kits such as the one mentioned above, or homebrew, it's a criminal offence under the WT Act to put into use such equipment, which is not licensable anywhere in Europe. That's made clear in the small print disclaimer at the bottom of the 6V6 website which states:
Quote:
EU R&TTE directive and EMC Directive 2004/108/EC - in order to purchase this item, you must agree that:-
1. You intend to re-export the item to an address outside the European Union. Under no circumstances will this item be resold or put into service within the European Union.
or
2. The item will only be used within a completely RF screened and shielded metal enclosure or environment for testing, evaluation, experimental or laboratory purposes and any other use that does not radiate electro-magnetic waves into free space. I am not an unqualified end user and I have RF engineering and electromagnetic compatibility skills at my disposal.
End quote.
(2. above would completely negate the whole point of buying such kit, unless you and your radio are going to be housed in a Faraday cage, and if one was a qualified RF engineer, you wouldn't be buying a kit anyway - you'd be 'rolling your own').
From a strictly legal angle, IMHO, the above disclaimer wouldn't let the supplier off the hook for selling such equipment in the EU to customers based in the EU, because it's as obvious as can be that the equipment is for use in the EU - how can it not be? Some suppliers of such equipment and kits will not supply to EU customers, and if orders are placed via their website, the orders are cancelled. I don't think that enforcement of the EU Directive will be at the top of Ofcom's agenda, when it has serious enforcement issues with pirate broadcast stations in several urban areas such as London, Birmingham, Manchester etc. Neither is it likely that such low power transmitters risk complaints from neighbours if a signal is radiated beyond your own premises, because at worst, all they'd hear if the happen to tune across the MW, would be what appears to be a radio station playing music (which might actually be to their liking!) but with no station identity or announcements. Hence, if Ofcom 'jobsworths' don't receive complaints of interference, they're unlikely to embark on a 'manhunt' to track down hapless vintage radio enthusiasts who are fiddling with micro transmitters to enhance the enjoyment of their hobby, and swoop down on them like an avenging angel.
I don't think it's anything that need keep anyone awake at night, but as with the fun of the fair, the motto is ' you ride at your own risk'.
There are designs for MW modulators, which aren't transmitters, but which achieve the same effect. You connect them to an aerial and earth socket of a radio and play music from any source - CD, LP, i=Pod, DAB, FM, AM, whatever, at a chosen point on the MW band. Such a modulator consists of a simple tuneable VFO - in my case, it tunes from 400 - 440 Meters, so you just find an empty spot on the band in that range. The input signal to the modulator modulates the VFO, and the resultant audio from the modulator is fed into the aerial and earth socket of the vintage radio. It may not have quite the appeal of a wireless micro transmitter, but at least it is legal. (The one I built featured in Practical Electronics about 2003 I think).
I hope this doesn't sound too 'censorial' - I'm not against people doing as they wish, or seeking to inhibit discussion and construction of micro transmitters - there's little enough homebrewing and experimentation going on as it is. I just thought I should alert forum members (if they don't already know) of the legal position on these useful little gizmos. (Which - in paranoid America - are legal, under FCC rules and don't require a licence). Some may feel that in this regard, the law is an ass - I couldn't possibly comment;-)
Carry on not minding, and have fun!
David
(No connections with Ofcom past or present, BTW)
Quote:
EU R&TTE directive and EMC Directive 2004/108/EC - in order to purchase this item, you must agree that:-
1. You intend to re-export the item to an address outside the European Union. Under no circumstances will this item be resold or put into service within the European Union.
or
2. The item will only be used within a completely RF screened and shielded metal enclosure or environment for testing, evaluation, experimental or laboratory purposes and any other use that does not radiate electro-magnetic waves into free space. I am not an unqualified end user and I have RF engineering and electromagnetic compatibility skills at my disposal.
End quote.
(2. above would completely negate the whole point of buying such kit, unless you and your radio are going to be housed in a Faraday cage, and if one was a qualified RF engineer, you wouldn't be buying a kit anyway - you'd be 'rolling your own').
From a strictly legal angle, IMHO, the above disclaimer wouldn't let the supplier off the hook for selling such equipment in the EU to customers based in the EU, because it's as obvious as can be that the equipment is for use in the EU - how can it not be? Some suppliers of such equipment and kits will not supply to EU customers, and if orders are placed via their website, the orders are cancelled. I don't think that enforcement of the EU Directive will be at the top of Ofcom's agenda, when it has serious enforcement issues with pirate broadcast stations in several urban areas such as London, Birmingham, Manchester etc. Neither is it likely that such low power transmitters risk complaints from neighbours if a signal is radiated beyond your own premises, because at worst, all they'd hear if the happen to tune across the MW, would be what appears to be a radio station playing music (which might actually be to their liking!) but with no station identity or announcements. Hence, if Ofcom 'jobsworths' don't receive complaints of interference, they're unlikely to embark on a 'manhunt' to track down hapless vintage radio enthusiasts who are fiddling with micro transmitters to enhance the enjoyment of their hobby, and swoop down on them like an avenging angel.
I don't think it's anything that need keep anyone awake at night, but as with the fun of the fair, the motto is ' you ride at your own risk'.
There are designs for MW modulators, which aren't transmitters, but which achieve the same effect. You connect them to an aerial and earth socket of a radio and play music from any source - CD, LP, i=Pod, DAB, FM, AM, whatever, at a chosen point on the MW band. Such a modulator consists of a simple tuneable VFO - in my case, it tunes from 400 - 440 Meters, so you just find an empty spot on the band in that range. The input signal to the modulator modulates the VFO, and the resultant audio from the modulator is fed into the aerial and earth socket of the vintage radio. It may not have quite the appeal of a wireless micro transmitter, but at least it is legal. (The one I built featured in Practical Electronics about 2003 I think).
I hope this doesn't sound too 'censorial' - I'm not against people doing as they wish, or seeking to inhibit discussion and construction of micro transmitters - there's little enough homebrewing and experimentation going on as it is. I just thought I should alert forum members (if they don't already know) of the legal position on these useful little gizmos. (Which - in paranoid America - are legal, under FCC rules and don't require a licence). Some may feel that in this regard, the law is an ass - I couldn't possibly comment;-)
Carry on not minding, and have fun!
David
(No connections with Ofcom past or present, BTW)
