PSA: FCC pedal rules?

[Chankgeez]

TGP freaking out over this.

[MrNovember]

TGP freaking out over this.

That's not really surprising is it?

[Chankgeez]

no, it's not, but it's totally ridiculous anyway.

[Bellyheart]

What is the purpose of this regulation? It seems definitively arbitrary.

I wonder if this is why Big Ben never hit the streets.

[Chankgeez]

My guess is that because of the increased use and importance of electronic devices that are sensitive to interference caused by other electronic devices, the FCC is trying to cut down on the noise. That's my take on it.

[leaves turn]

It's so your pedals don't go screwing with people's pacemakers or making planes crash.

AFAIK this regulation isn't new - everything DigiTech has released since I started 6 years ago has had to be FCC and RoHS compliant. Sometimes it means lots of hours spent running to and from the EMI chamber with a soldering iron.

[Gone Fission]

I'm a bit curious about the PT2399 digital echo chips and the PT2399-based Belton Bricks--no idea if they fall within the device definition. That could be a fly in some "boutique" ointment if using a self-contained component gets you over the line into testing or a fine.

But charge pumps do, and that's gonna sting. Probably bit EHX on the Soul Food and I think another of their overdrives. TGP must be freaking about the Klone supply.

[leaves turn]

According to the datasheet, the PT2399 is clocked at 2MHz or more. The FV-1 is designed to run on a watch crystal (32.768kHz) or faster. Any digital audio chip is going to be sampling at 44.1kHz (or around there) otherwise it'll sound terrible. So, yeah, the FCC could come down on any builder using them.

[cedarskies]

Do you think it is possible/practical for a small builder to be able to comply to these standards?

[rfurtkamp]

Honest answer is no.

But EHX is not a small pedal builder, which is why they got crucified.

[leaves turn]

To get a single pedal through FCC certification, the fees alone amount to several thousand dollars. Then there's any extra labor or board spins when your box fails the tests.

[rfurtkamp]

Yep, that's why I mentioned that the other big builders have a vested interest in making sure everyone does it if they're at the major retail level.

Digitech/Boss/Ibanez/etc all deal with it and it's part of the price of their products.

Why should EHX have been exempt?

Now if there's a sudden rash of going after small guys at home it's different...but right now, it's not.

[Gone Fission]

Followed some of the reported costs. $2k to outsource testing is typical, $10k-ish to get your own testing equipment. If i were a sharktank builder, I'd find an exemption, like leaving out the power adapter jack. (In my own builds, I leave out the battery snap.)
Y'know, splitting costs of the testing equipment among ILF hosted and shark tank builders could reduce some of the compliance costs. I'd Kickstarter/Indiegogo towards that for a fine class B digital device.

[Bellyheart]

So no digital chips? Spin? Is there reported cases of pedals causing problems with airplanes or pacemakers I could see, or is this regulation that was decided by the unaffected.

[leaves turn]

I don't know of any reports, though I've never done the research. My guess is it's 'better safe than sorry' rationale.