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And what of the FCC?


From: 	randy-at-gte-dot-net[SMTP:randy-at-gte-dot-net]
Sent: 	Tuesday, September 23, 1997 10:23 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: And what of the FCC?

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> From:   Greg Leyh[SMTP:lod-at-pacbell-dot-net]
> Sent:   Tuesday, September 23, 1997 6:35 AM
> To:     tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:        And what of the FCC?
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> Nowadays, I am finding myself increasingly concerned with
> the 'political' issues of operating TC's, and wondered if
> anyone has heard anything new on these topics:
> 
> Has an operator of a TC ever actually been prosecuted for
> violating FCC regs?
> 
> Does anyone know of a precedent where the FCC has granted
> a variance for a device that produces spurious emissions?
> 
> Are there any other govm't agencies that would care about
> the various side effects of operating a coil?
> 
> -GL

I am absolutely unqulified for any of the technicalities you ask
about. But, having been a ham for over half of my 37 years, with
one particularly horrifying episode involving just a few hundred
pounds of aluminum alloy.... 60ft, 25inches wide at the bottom,
Telrex TB6EM at the top, I _must_ inform you and the group of a 
bit of wisdom imparted to me by a freind during that ordeal:
IT IS BETTER TO ASK FORGIVENESS THAN TO ASK PERMISSION.
To that I would add, if you start asking questions, you will get
answers. Probably some beureaucrat covering his rear, and not the
answer you hoped for.
You can bet that there are agencies that would love to sink their
teeth into an endless study, typically not likely to end with the
result that they were wrong all along. Ever done a web search on the
words "junk scince"? And it is out there.
Every rf device produces "spurs" limited to x mW in the cases that
ham radio had familiarized me with. Be sure to show them where on
the coil to hook up the spectrum analyzer.
Realistically, the FCC monitoring stations (precious few) are very
unlikely to be tuning around on your TC's freq or the first few 
harmonics. 
And your sig is not going to propogate very far, during the day,
while they are routinely at work, at least. I am not suggesting that
you knowingly interfere with any other "service" but I am suggesting
that nobody needs to ask a policeman whether his tires or too bald, or
the IRS whether or not you have been filing correctly. If it is a 
problem, they WILL let you know. Sorry for the soapbox... but that
is how it is, IMHO. 
Thanks,
Randy
N4MBL
exWD4CRP
I won the antenna battle,btw, and no "ham" in this county will ever have
to so much as apply for a permit to put one up, provided he/she keeps
it to less than two hundred feet.....as per the Acting Head of Some
Department of Something....  <Mega-G>  <!!!!!!>