On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 23:29:46 -0700, Roy Lewallen
wrote:

You've gotten some good advice some others. I'll just add that most Part
15 devices are specified in terms of field strength at some distance
from the antenna, depending on frequency, and not in terms of power or
ERP. There might be some sections with other criteria, but if there are,
field strength specification is by far the most common. The FCC does cut
some slack in testing for home-built devices (not marketed, not
constructed from a kit, and built in quantities of five or less for
personal use), in section 15.23. My copy is nearly ten years old now, so
I suggest checking a newer copy of Part 15. It's likely on the Web these
days.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL


Yea, thanks Roy, you are right. I know that Part 15 limits are field
strength based, and there isn't a direct corrolation with output
power. I have been relying in the 15.23 home built portion, which
provides some lee way to tinkerers. 15.23 acknowledges that home
builders probably don't have test equipment, and instead it is
directed at design. My stuff is super low power, at least that is
what my spice program tells me, so I'm not really worried. If I do
screw up, and an FCC representive contacts me (the first highly
likely, the second much less so) I'll push section 15.23's
applicability, stop using the transmitter and redesign per section
15.5.

Even though I'm in a really rural, really mountainous location, I
spent a good amount of time going over part 15 so I could justify that
anything I do is done in a good faith effort to be in compliance. You
are also right that part 15 is now web based. They just released a
new version of the regulations in August and you can d/l it as a PDF
from the FCC website.