New Edition of TIA-4950 Published

A new edition of TIA-4950 has been published by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). TIA-4950 applies to “requirements for battery-powered, portable land mobile radio applications in Class I, ... Read More...

FCC Seizes Pirate Radio Station Equipment

The Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently stepped up its activities against operators of illegal radio stations, as evidenced by two separate instances involving the sei... Read More...
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A Challenge of Portable Radio Transmitters Used in Close Proximity

1405 F1 coverIntentional RF transmitting devices seem to be everywhere. Smart phones, tablets and similar devices provide the ability for users to be connected to the internet any time, from any location using nearly any device. Other than the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the inner canyon of the Grand Canyon, it may be difficult to find any location without WiFi available.

A Tall Tale: What’s Luck Got to Do With It?

Rising above the tidal marshes of Southern New Jersey stands a red and white antenna tower shadowing a World War II era radio shack. The marsh was a simple mosquito nursery in the 40s when the first modest building—a cinder block foundation and stick-framed walls— was erected as part of a string of radio stations that formed a wartime network on the East Coast. German subs prowled the waters just off the shore of Cape May which hosted just a few houses and one general store with peeling gray paint and sway-back roofline.

Use of Third Party EMC or Radio Test Laboratories

There are numerous reasons for the use of an external test laboratory by organizations developing, manufacturing or marketing electric or electronic products. These reasons may include lack of or limited testing capability, scheduling conflicts within the organization, etc. Whatever the case may be, the proper selection of an external third party test laboratory is critical since the test results may be used to demonstrate product compliance or to verify changes to a product design.

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US vs Recent Canadian Rules for Ultra-Wideband Radio Operations

With the publication of Industry Canada RSS-220 in March of this year, manufacturers are now able to certify and market their UWB (Ultra-Wideband) equipment in Canada. Following the publication of FCC (Federal Communications Commission) UWB rules in Part 15 Subpart F by 7 years, the new RSS-220 rules largely follow FCC equipment categories and limits. However, the Industry Canada limits are more stringent in part than the FCC’s for hand held and indoor communication devices. Test methods and equipment labeling also differ somewhat between the FCC and IC rules.