Phil O'Keefe Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 http://www.fcc.gov/ Headline #2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zkaudio Posted February 22, 2006 Members Share Posted February 22, 2006 lol poor behringer... some of their stuff isn't half bad. I love the truth monitors (for teh price)... they just steal everyone's ideas it seems... and apparently they don't get things fcc tested now! I hope my house doesn't blow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 22, 2006 Members Share Posted February 22, 2006 See? Who says that the news is all bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kiwiburger Posted February 22, 2006 Members Share Posted February 22, 2006 The fine is probably a drop in the bucket to them. Cheaper than running a R & D department, or buying quality components or skilled labour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members toddlans Posted February 22, 2006 Members Share Posted February 22, 2006 Is anybody here familiar with the Adult Swim show Sealab 2021 (specifically the "radio free" episode) ? Its too bad the FCC wouldn't really "drop the hammer" on behringer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MorePaul Posted February 23, 2006 Members Share Posted February 23, 2006 Originally posted by toddlans Is anybody here familiar with the Adult Swim show Sealab 2021 (specifically the "radio free" episode) ? Its too bad the FCC wouldn't really "drop the hammer" on behringer. Different depts...but the "hammer" isn't just a whimsey of that cartooncrazy busts happen in the LPFM community and pirate radio communities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted February 24, 2006 Members Share Posted February 24, 2006 I do like the composer pro, but I try to stay away from most of their stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted February 24, 2006 Members Share Posted February 24, 2006 Behringer probably got the test unit to pass by adding modifications that didn't get implemented in the production units. The fact that the FCC caught it means that the problem is really bad. They usually focus more on high volume consumer electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 ... and apparently they don't get things fcc tested now! I hope my house doesn't blow up. I don't think your house would blow up... OTOH, if someone's home DID burn down or something, and a B unit was involved... or if some B owners decide to file a class-action lawsuit over this; something like a claim over false advertising regarding the FCC compliance; the $1 mil FCC fine may wind up being pocket change in comparison. Time will tell, but I sense additional trouble beyond just the FCC fines. Behringer probably got the test unit to pass by adding modifications that didn't get implemented in the production units. The fact that the FCC caught it means that the problem is really bad. They usually focus more on high volume consumer electronics. FIFTY products? That's probably a large chunk of their entire product line. FIVE years - even contiuing for a year AFTER the FCC started the investigation? Yeah, I'd say that sounds pretty significant. I don't know what prompted the FCC investigation, but it would be interesting to know / find out. I wonder if another company complained to them, or if a disgruntled employee / former employee ratted them out, or if the Feds found this on their own. Heck, it might have even been an end-user with interference issues who reported it or something. Has anyone heard anything specific? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members El Caballo Posted February 26, 2006 Members Share Posted February 26, 2006 The investigation was prompted by a complaint to the FCC. It was easy for the FCC to verify that none of Behringer's products have an FCC compliance notice anywhere on the box or the documentation -- despite clearly being subject to the Part B regulations (along with every other piece of digital musical equipment, and even some analog equipment with clocking oscillators, such as analog delays). I'm surprised it took them five years to figure this out and take action. Apparently they generally act only in response to complaints. (The Notice of Apparent Liability states that they received the complaint about Behringer in March 2004.) Also, the decision shows that even after being asked to test and provide compliance information, Behringer only did so for 28 of the 66 different devices in question. I suspect (but don't have the resources to prove) that some number of the remaining devices don't actually meet the standards, and it isn't just an issue of failing to do the testing and paperwork. Behringer, of course, will write this off as a cost of doing business. $1M fine divided by 1.17M units sold = fine of less than $1/unit. This is because the law is written to penalize on a per-product basis, not a per-unit-sold basis. (The minimum fine is $7,000 per product.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted February 26, 2006 Members Share Posted February 26, 2006 Originally posted by El Caballo I'm surprised it took them five years to figure this out and take action. Apparently they generally act only in response to complaints. (The Notice of Apparent Liability states that they received the complaint about Behringer in March 2004.) Interesting. Do you know who filed the complaint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 26, 2006 Members Share Posted February 26, 2006 Is there a single German working at that company anymore? 'Cause all the Germans I know well are nuts about cross T's and dotting I's... Over 50 models unauthorized... undoubtedly just a paperwork error... ________________ Ah, yes, well, wuddyaknow? I just found this picture of a Uli Behringer on my servers. (Undoubtedly soon to disappear as mysteriously as it appeared.) What a coincidence: Doesn't he kind of look like the sleazy newphew who's going to murder his kindly aunt to get the family fortune in a Monk episode? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 26, 2006 Members Share Posted February 26, 2006 Originally posted by El Caballo ...I'm surprised it took them five years to figure this out and take action. Apparently they generally act only in response to complaints. (The Notice of Apparent Liability states that they received the complaint about Behringer in March 2004.) Yeah... they're gonna get around to doing something about payola now, anyday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 God exists.... Thanks God !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 1, 2006 Members Share Posted March 1, 2006 Do any of you know what the actual violations were and what equipment was involved? Does not getting FCC approval mean the equipment is not safe, or just wasn't inspected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Originally posted by GZsound Do any of you know what the actual violations were and what equipment was involved?Does not getting FCC approval mean the equipment is not safe, or just wasn't inspected? Not following FCC's may mean that the product is not safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted March 1, 2006 Members Share Posted March 1, 2006 Not necessarily, it means that it has not passed the regulations, they may not have even applied to see if it would pass. The unit could be safe, but the question is are we willing to take the risk...in my case no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Originally posted by fuzzball The unit could be safe, but the question is are we willing to take the risk... Exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 1, 2006 Members Share Posted March 1, 2006 I agree. It would be nice to know what the FCC aproval means. Is it something as simple as RF bleed, or is it something else? And aren't all electrical powered equipment supposed to be UL approved? I think the electrical components are where a "danger" might exist..if anywhere. What I am getting at is this question. Does not having FCC approval mean the equipment is dangerous or just perhaps noisy? Or is it transmitting too much RF? What does the FCC approve? Aren't they the communications folks? Would excessive RF be "dangerous"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Originally posted by GZsound I agree. It would be nice to know what the FCC aproval means. Is it something as simple as RF bleed, or is it something else? And aren't all electrical powered equipment supposed to be UL approved? I think the electrical components are where a "danger" might exist..if anywhere. What I am getting at is this question. Does not having FCC approval mean the equipment is dangerous or just perhaps noisy? Or is it transmitting too much RF?What does the FCC approve? Aren't they the communications folks? Would excessive RF be "dangerous"? From a technical point of view, there's nothing "dangerous" on a product not approved by the FCC -unless it transmits Microwaves which for a Behringer kind of product it is not the case-. The one about electric safety is as mentioned, the UL test. However they can be "noisy" to other studio equipments because of RF bleeding -which is mostly the case- or have a hidden antenna inside of it to transmit secret info to the Russians... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Originally posted by Gus Lozada Not following FCC's may mean that the product is not safe. ... with "safe" I meant "safe for your studio / mix / ears" not exactly as "dangerous for humans". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kid Klash Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 Originally posted by GZsound Do any of you know what the actual violations were and what equipment was involved? If you read the FCC report, it lists, by product name, each piece of equipment. I'm guessing that this is / could be just the beginning of B's FCC woes... time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 Where could I find this list of gear..I have 1 Behringer unit (only 1 no flame please). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by fuzzball Where could I find this list of gear..I have 1 Behringer unit (only 1 no flame please). Oh, come on....just one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted March 4, 2006 Members Share Posted March 4, 2006 Just 1 composer pro, and I actualy like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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