[Elecraft] Re: FCC rules part 18 [CF bulbs vs. LED]

[Fred Jensen]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
  > Living here in N.W. Oregon in a town of <20K people who owns its own
> electric company, it's unusual for us to see an electric bill that tops
> $25/month even though my XYL and I both work at home and we run an electric
> hot water heater and A/C in the summer in addition to all of our lights and
> appliances. It was half that before the great California "power crunch" of a
> few years ago saw a lot of our power sent south. I don't complain; it helps
> keep the lights on in Aptos! 

California [aka "The Dimly Lit State"] will forgive you this one time, 
Ron.  However, be careful, our Governor can likely beat up your Governor.

To the subject, I have a related question:  "When did light bulbs become 
'Industrial, Scientific, and Medical' equipment [i.e. 47CFR18]?"  ISM 
equipment operates in ISM bands, one of which used to be 11 meters in 
the 0.5 - 30MHz range, and may still be for all I know.  Another is 
occupied by your microwave oven ... and everyone else's too.  They are 
confined to those bands, however ... I think.

Don't light bulbs fall under 47CFR15?  If they generate RF totally 
incidental to their operation, they would be incidental radiators [e.g. 
loose hardware on a power pole].  If they generate RF to facilitate 
their operation, but that operation does not involve radiation of the 
RF, they would be unintentional radiators [e.g. my computer, BPL].  If 
the generation and radiation of RF is essential to their operation, they 
are intentional radiators [e.g. my remote reading thermometer on 
443.920].  Part 15 devices can legally radiate anywhere [as in 0.5 - 30 
MHz], but only under some very strict constraints.

Inquiring minds would like to know.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2007 CQP Oct 6-7
- www.cqp.org

PS:  Many years ago, my Elmer acquired a diathermy machine for parts. 
It comprised -- I'm not making this up -- 2-250TH's in a self-excited 
oscillator circuit.  The frequency control was a variable capacitor, and 
the panel at the capacitor knob had a 27MHz frequency range marked on 
it, with a warning, "Do not operate outside this range."  It had AC on 
the plates.