Do you mean that you folks outside of the US were
spared Ron Popiel
and "Mr. Microphone"?! Surely you had his "pocket fisherman"...
"It
makes the perfect Christmas gift!"
I've never heard of any of those devices.
Yes, the US does permit unlicensed very low power transmission on the
radio broadcast bands. I don't recall if there is a specific power
mentioned or simply a propogation distance. Right now, I'm listening
to the Beeb World Service on a radio in the bedroom, thanks to a low-
power FM transmitter attached to the server downstairs.
I don't know if there's a similar provision in UK law, but it might
be worth investigating...
I am pretty sure there is not. In fact as I understnad it, it's illegal
to own certain radio transmitters over here (whether or not you ever turn
them on). 27MHz AM CB sets are one thing that it's illegal to have over
here (although I rememebr a curiousity that in some circumstances
licensed radio amateurs could own them if they intended to convert them
to the 10m band).
I do recall reading about people being taken to court for using illegal
'video senders' (basically low power TV transmitters so you could watch
the output of your VCR on any TV in the house). The normal penalty was
confiscation of the equipment, something I don't want to risk (I don't
want to spend time designing soemthing to have it confiscated, worse I
don't want any of my clasiscs confiscated, nor to I want to lose my
amateur radio license, somthing that generally happens if you commit an
offencee like this).#
As I mentioned, there were 'Wireless micropghone' designs in some of the
electronic kits. They were such low power that they were essentially
undectectable outside the house, so you'd get away with those. And there
are type-approved radio modules on licesne-exempt bands that you can use
(which are, of course, what we've been discussing). AFAIK, the only
transmitter you can legally homebrew and use in the UK is an amateur band
one, used in accordance with an amatuer radio licesne (which is _not_
suitable for this sort of thing, it's contrary to said license for a
person to tranmit to himeslf, for example)
-tony