[TowerTalk] Behringer RFI

[Jim Lux]

At 02:55 PM 10/19/2006, Bill Winkis wrote:
>Been using it for years, never had a problem, lots of "Bang For The
>Buck", have it 2 feet from the amp no RFI.
>Seems the whole problem was a unprotected power module, which was
>suppose to be changed before US sales, guess the
>China builders didn't get the note....!


No.. it's a whole lot more than that.  It's that Behringer started 
importing and selling without following the Part 15 rules. FCC said 
"stop that". Behringer said, "oops, we didn't know, we'll do the 
testing and do better", Behringer didn't do what they said, but kept 
on selling. FCC said, "How come you promised to stop, and kept on 
going, please explain", Behringer essentially said, "oh, we didn't 
understand, we'll fix it THIS time", Behringer didn't, FCC sticks 
them with a fine that might actually make them pay attention.

We're not talking about one or two items here.. it's more than 50 
different models, which Behringer claimed were tested for CE 
conformance. Not only does CE conformance not match Part 15 (by a 
LONG LONG way), but they hadn't done any testing for CE anyway.

Note that the NAL describes Behringer essentially blowing off the FCC 
for 5 years, but since the rules only allow fines for things done in 
the last year, the fine was limited to those violations occurring in 
the previous year.

This is not a "oops, they shipped the wrong model power supply", or a 
"illegal transmitter? We're just a small family importer and we 
didn't know any better"  (the latter seeming to be the defense that 
people use for illegal video transmitters that operate in the 70cm ham band)

.. this is a "we're so big, we can afford to ignore the FCC, because 
their tiny fines are not even a pimple on the rear end of our overall revenue."

Whether or not their equipment happens to interfere in your 
particular instance, Part 15 enforcement is something we really, 
really want to support the FCC on and encourage them to be really 
strict. (BPL and all that, of course).