I have an older Talking House transmitter, purchased before the Radio Systems takeover of the company. I always thought it was Industry Canada certified (don't ask me why) but when I examined it again, lo and behold, no IC certification number, just an FCC one.
I went to the Industry Canada REL (Radio Equipment List, I believe) but they don't use an intelligent search and unless you enter a search term EXACTLY as they have it in the database, you won't find anything. The only way I found the TS-100 (Talking Sign), which I know is certified, was to enter in the certification number. Some help. If you have that number, you know it's certified!
So I'm asking anyone who has a newer model, preferably from Radio Systems - is there an IC certification number on the tag?
Canada's unlicensed AM rules are similar to the US. Might contact the IC and give them the model number and FCC certification number and they can let you know if it will be useable or not.
Chances are it will be.
RFB
My experience has been that if there isn't an Industry Canada (IC) number beside the FCC one, then it isn't certified. I've e-mailed Radio Systems and we'll see if they respond, but thought that this might be an easy lookup for someone who has one.
While Canada's rules are almost identical to those of the U.S., the manufacturers still have to send the radio to a certification lab, much as in the U.S. And that costs a lot of money. It's why the Rangemaster is not certified for use in Canada, and many others that probably could be, if it wasn't for the cost.
"My experience has been that if there isn't an Industry Canada (IC) number beside the FCC one, then it isn't certified."
Does that mean it cannot be used even though the rules are similar as is the technical specifications of that unit meeting FCC requirements that are similar to IC requirements?
Contact the IC and just ask if it can be used there.
RFB
You cannot legally use a license-exempt transmitter here in Canada unless it is certified. That's directly from Industry Canada a few years ago, and nothing has changed since then.
That being said, there are plenty of people that are using FCC certified transmitters here such as Rangemasters (I did for a while) and Talking Houses and the like. Would Industry Canada come down on someone for doing that like a ton of bricks - not generally, but if there was a complaint and they investigated ... well, using them isn't strictly legal.
I'm currently using a Talking Sign TS-100 on the AM band, as the Procaster I have is broken (it will be going soon to ChezRadio for repair). The TS-100 and the Procaster are the only 2 AM certified radios that I know of for use in Canada. I was kind of hoping that the newer Talking Houses had that IC certification as well.
Someone? Anyone?
"You cannot legally use a license-exempt transmitter here in Canada unless it is certified."
You mean you can't even make your own low power transmitter and use it?
Maybe things aren't so bad down here after all.
Hopefully RS will contact you and let you know something. Doesn't appear any bites going on here.
RFB
RFB, you are entirely correct. You can't build a Part 15 transmitter in Canada and legally use it - it has to be certified by Industry Canada.
As I said before, will they hassle you? Probably not, unless they receive a complaint.
This demonstrates the hoops IC has to jump through to shutdown a pirate station.
Not like the FCC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mix_FM_(Ottawa)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2009/12/03/ottawa-pirate-radio-station.html
As I stated previously, and I have verified this with Industry Canada, ALL unlicensed transmitters operating in the broadcast bands (AM and FM) have to be IC certified.
Now, that doesn't mean that they will automatically come after you. I had a similar experience to yours. I was using a Decade MS-100 transmitter, which was certified on FM in Canada, but I wanted to make sure that I was 100% legal and asked a lot of questions. They basically brushed me aside, indicating that they weren't interested and only became involved if there were complaints.
Now, if there was a complaint, you can be sure that if your transmitter isn't certified, you will be asked to cease and desist. Even if your transmitter is certified, they may deem the installation to be illegal (you have to install it as per the manufacturer's instructions, which come along with the certification - a typical example is a long ground lead on AM).
Whether they can make that stick is another question, because as you indicated, laws in Canada are different than those in the U.S. However, unless you are an anarchist, or a minor and know that in Canada they won't do anything to you if they do take you to court (and have unlimited funds to fight), I would think that you would want to stay within the confines of the law, particularly if you want to continue broadcasting.
That's especially true for radio amateurs and individuals involved in other ways with Industry Canada. I certainly wouldn't want to put my amateur radio license at peril. Plus, if you run afoul of Industry Canada with unlicensed broadcasting, forget about ever getting something like an LPFM license if they ever open those up in the future.
There are known IC certified transmitters here in Canada. On the AM band, the Procaster and the Talking Sign TS-100 (no longer made, unfortunately) - AM RSS-210 (our Part 15) certified transmitters are admittedly thin in number. On the FM band, the Decade MS-100, the discontinued Landmark FM-350 (both of which I have units of, with IC #'s) and I'm sure there are others.
By the way, Radio Systems (I.A.M.) has not yet gotten back to me in 3 business days (about double that in actual days when you consider the weekend and July 4 holiday). It could be because of July 4th, but we'll see. It's not too difficult to see if there's an IC certification number on their boxes even if their customer service or sales aren't particularly knowledgeable.
Please see the following Industy Canada document:
RSS-Gen Issue 2
June 2007
Paragraph 7.1.9
This rule is nearly the same as the FCC's 15.23, which allows up to five uncertified home-built devices to be used, provided that they are for personal use only (not for sale), and not assembled from kits.
So, home-built Part 15-type transmiters do not have to be certified in Canada.
The Canadian rule about home-built transmitters was not in effect before 2007, and that may be the cause of the confusion. Another possible source of confusion is that what is covered by Part 15 here is contained in several Industry Canada documents.
Must have missed that - you are right, information is all over the place here in Canada.
But the Talking House would still not be allowed, nor the SSTran various flavours. I could build something from scratch, if I wanted (or had the skills to do so).
"But the Talking House would still not be allowed, nor the SSTran various flavours."
Why not? It's a kit ... wouldn't it be the same as a home-built? Just curious ...
According to the rules, kits don't qualify as home-built devices, both here and in Canada. However, as a matter of policy, and contrary to the rules, the FCC (maybe not Industry Canada) is allowing the manufacture and sale of uncertified kits. Read Section 15.23(a) in the FCC Rules and Regulations.
Maybe ArtisanRadio can contact Industry Canada to see if a similar unwritten policy governing kits also exists in Canada.
"Maybe ArtisanRadio can contact Industry Canada"
Seems to be the logical course of action at this point, unless AR already did so and got the typical authority run-around shin dig.
But AR is only trying to ensure the use of that T-100 thing can be used at all. Can't say I blame him being's authority at various levels seem to have their own creative ways to manipulate law and policy to work for them no matter what the circumstance.
Let's just hope they give him correct information and not something that aid's in setting him up for a take down even though he is doing everything possible to abide by the rules.
After all, authority can declare us all terrorists without evidence proving so and lock our happy hobby rears in jail in some foreign nation and keep us there till they see fit or forever.
As I said before, I don't think you've got a worry with that transmitter AR, hope IC drops you a note with something useful besides the same old speeches and rotted out rhetoric.
RFB