Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!motcsd!xdos!doug
From: doug@xdos.UUCP (Doug Merritt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: FCC approval needed??
Message-ID: <552@xdos.UUCP>
Date: 30 Nov 89 16:38:38 GMT
References: <68558@psuecl.bitnet>
Reply-To: doug@xdos.UUCP (Doug Merritt)
Organization: Hunter Systems, Mountain View CA (Silicon Valley)
Lines: 26

In article <68558@psuecl.bitnet> peg@psuecl.bitnet (PAUL E. GANTER) writes:
>
>I realize that I could probably crank out digital circuits for the next
>ten years and not get caught, but I really would like to know what the
>law says about limited production, prototyping, custom building, etc.

That's a nice way to approach it. Standard practice for small companies
in Silicon Valley is to start cranking them out, and once revenues start
coming in, *then* worry about the laws. It's time consuming and somewhat
expensive, at least for a small budget. Full blown approval includes FCC,
UL and the LA Fire Marshall (at least the latter was in vogue some years
ago, because their tests were the toughest, so if you passed theirs, everybody
else was happy about its fire safety). UL and (maybe FCC as well?) make 
a practice of testing units to destruction, which is another part of the
cost.

But non-garage-shop companies with larger budgets almost always take care of
it up front to save hassles. I've seen several computer shows where EMI
sniffers detected offending non-certified (and very noisy) equipment, and
the vendors got all their stuff confiscated and were fined, to boot. So even
for tiny companies it's questionable whether it's wise to follow this
frequent practice of waiting for the wheel to squeak before greasing it.
	Doug
-- 
Doug Merritt		{pyramid,apple}!xdos!doug
Member, Crusaders for a Better Tomorrow		Professional Wildeyed Visionary