Getting a Part 15 Transmitter certified is not as expensive as one thinks. If you're a full-blown manufacturing operation and you have done your homework certification can be obtained for around $3500.
Take into account the cost of being a full blown manufacturing operation, and the cost of the homework and figure that into the $3500. And does that count the FCC filing fees? And it depends on what lab you get to do the testing. Since the FCC doesn't do any of the certification testing.
TIB
The one lab I contacted asking this question a while back located in Oakville Canada where the Procaster was certified said the cost of certification for RSS-210 or BETS-1 whether a personal transmitter or for a company is $3000 and that includes the filing info with Industry Canada(ISED) and the label of approval.
I have wondered why transmitters certified for Canada like the Procaster, Wholehouse 3 etc are certified under RSS-210 and not BETS-1. The cost is the same as was told to me.
The Decade is the only one that's BETS-1
Mystery Remains
Certification cannot take place until an engineeringly-designed transmitter exists in the first place, which means a whole other expense of design and preliminary testing so that it is within certifiable specs prior to being sent for certification.
Patent application would be smart so-as to protect the circuit design from being stolen.
These earlier expenses will also be high, maybe greater than the $3.5k certification cost.
Ordering some custom-made parts and packaging and printing of labels, setting up a manufacturing assembly line, and hiring the people to build and administer the product makes the certification fee seem like a holiday.
Making the process sound inexpensive might be a premature viewpoint.
All that and no clear idea of how many of these can be sold.
Um, I see that Tim already hit upon these things in post # 2, but it's worth mentioning again for those who miss the point.
If I were to obtain a transmitter like the Sean Cuthbert AM transmitter for example, and to be able to use it legally in Canada it would have to get certified.
Asked about this when talking to the owner of the approved lab by Industry Canada and was told they would need the circuit diagram that they may not give to you but they will give it to us and the $3000 for the testing approval and filing with Industry Canada.
Of course that doesn't include the expense of design and manufacturing etc.
But at my end it would just be to be able to use a transmitter not already certified for Canada.
But as stated for a one time fee of $3000 for a company to get the certification it's not such a big deal.
But to me, an end user it's a big cost indeed.
My only point was that getting the BETS-1 certification is no more costly than RSS-210.
The problem with AM BETS-1 certification is that the signal would not be all that useable, even if the transmitter could be tuned down to meet 250uv/m @ 30 meters (100mw input, 3 m antenna generates a far greater field strength).
I remember a reference to kits and/or homebrewed transmitters in Canada on this Forum a while ago (there was a quote from the applicable section of the rules, allowing such devices). That might eliminate the requirement to get a TAC (much like you're allowed up to 5 home brewed transmitters in the U.S. under Part 15 rules).
I've been attempting to find that reference but haven't been able to do so (yet).
Found it.
It's in RSS-Gen 7.1.8:
"Home Built Devices
Except scanner receivers, home built devices (not from a kit) in quantities of 5 or less for personal use and not to be marketed are not required to be certified nor labelling by Industry Canada. Home built devices must conform to all the technical standards in RSS-210 or RSS-310 associated with that frequency band chosen."
So you can home brew an RSS210 transmitter. No provision for BETS-1, but as discussed in my previous post, AM BETS-1 is not useful.
This, of course, means that you could build that 3 tube CQUAM transmitter I posted a reference to, and transmit to yourself (or in a confined space, such as a shopping mall, arena, etc, as Industry Canada and the CRTC doesn't consider that broadcasting). If anyone else chooses to listen in, fine and dandy.
@Artisan, point taken but the AM transmitter mentioned was just a random example of what I was saying....my example could have been an FM transmitter also.
As for AM if the Procaster was BETS-1 along with RSS-210(which gives a choice of 100mW/3 meter antenna or 250uV/M@30meters), it would allow the use the way it's intended without the restriction of not broadcasting.
Interesting what you found on kits.....seems like ,just for discussion, if I purchased a marketed kit, (Sean Cuthbert as an example) etc, it CAN"T be used here because it is not considered a "home built device"?
So to use it a certification would be needed.....$3000!
The other one you mentioned, the tube one, as it is not a "marketed kit" would still need the TAC which there's a provision for in BETS-1 but never looked into this.
I think the agents acted like any reasonable person would with the person who was allowed to broadcast with the Procaster.....this broadcasting thing is just not sensible reasoning in a lot of cases.
As for the tube one you posted, that looks neat, wonder how you would at home make that? Just wondering. It's not a marketed one so you'd have to get the instructions somewhere. Didn't see on the page at all. And how do you know it meets the 100mW output? Just thinking that if someone wanted to homebuild it where are the instructions step by step with the components needed?