Homebuilt tube amp

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.

Which are the rules, for Output Transformers ? They must be CE-marked
?

Thank you very much in advance

Matteo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <8dfb5672.0502140441.4630be0@posting.google.com> matteo_bonino@virgilio.it writes:

> Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
> tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
> Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.

My guess is that everything that's subject to CE approval be CE
approved. When it comes to internal components like chokes and output
transformers that don't really have any safety issues (power
transformers are probably a different story since they connect to the
AC power line) I suspect that there isn't a CE testing process for
them.

But if you're home-building it for yourself and not for commercial
sale (which doesn't mean selling a few to your buddies) there's no
need to obtain the CE mark. It's to protect the public, not you.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 14 Feb 2005 04:41:37 -0800, matteo_bonino@virgilio.it (Matteo)
wrote:

>Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
>tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
>Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.
>
>Which are the rules, for Output Transformers ? They must be CE-marked
>?
>
>Thank you very much in advance
>
>Matteo

If I recall correctly, it's a complex process to get CE approval for a
device connected to the AC line. You first have to use approved
components in any portions of the circuit connected to AC, and follow
many (mostly sensible) safety rules in the design and manufacture.
Then you send a couple of prototypes to a qualified testing lab. One
will probably be destroyed in testing. They will give you a report on
which standards it is required to meet, which standards it meets, and
where it fails. You make a few changes, then submit another prototype.
Finally, they say it meets all applicable CE requirements. Then you
submit the report to ... I forget who ... for the actual CE approval.

Usually it is best to hire an engineer who has experience in piloting
products through the approvals process.

How many do you plan to build? Do you really need a CE approval, or do
you just want to build it to CE standards?

Mike T.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Mike T. <miket@invalid.net> wrote in message news:<cup21151ph30dsjlagsdk6mc9m1eikpt5i@4ax.com>...
> On 14 Feb 2005 04:41:37 -0800, matteo_bonino@virgilio.it (Matteo)
> wrote:
>
> >Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
> >tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
> >Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.
> >
> >Which are the rules, for Output Transformers ? They must be CE-marked
> >?
> >
> >Thank you very much in advance
> >
> >Matteo
>
> If I recall correctly, it's a complex process to get CE approval for a
> device connected to the AC line. You first have to use approved
> components in any portions of the circuit connected to AC, and follow
> many (mostly sensible) safety rules in the design and manufacture.
> Then you send a couple of prototypes to a qualified testing lab. One
> will probably be destroyed in testing. They will give you a report on
> which standards it is required to meet, which standards it meets, and
> where it fails. You make a few changes, then submit another prototype.
> Finally, they say it meets all applicable CE requirements. Then you
> submit the report to ... I forget who ... for the actual CE approval.
>
> Usually it is best to hire an engineer who has experience in piloting
> products through the approvals process.
>
> How many do you plan to build? Do you really need a CE approval, or do
> you just want to build it to CE standards?
>
> Mike T.

Thank you for your answers; I plan to build few amplifiers, about
(max.) 10 each year). For friends, etc... So I'd like them to be CE
compliant. But I don't know if, for those numbers, I is worth to
submit them to CE approval. In any case, I will surely build them as
much CE compliant as I can; in the future, I'll see if submit it to CE
approval.

Thank you

Matteo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <8dfb5672.0502150025.36aa38ed@posting.google.com> matteo_bonino@virgilio.it writes:

> I plan to build few amplifiers, about
> (max.) 10 each year). For friends, etc... So I'd like them to be CE
> compliant. But I don't know if, for those numbers, I is worth to
> submit them to CE approval.

Definitely not, unless you're planning to sell them for several
thousand dollars each. CE certification is very expensive. Even if you
do all the work yourself, it still must be done by a certified lab and
that costs a lot.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 15 Feb 2005 00:25:49 -0800, matteo_bonino@virgilio.it (Matteo)
wrote:

>Mike T. <miket@invalid.net> wrote in message news:<cup21151ph30dsjlagsdk6mc9m1eikpt5i@4ax.com>...
>> On 14 Feb 2005 04:41:37 -0800, matteo_bonino@virgilio.it (Matteo)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
>> >tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
>> >Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.
>> >
>> >Which are the rules, for Output Transformers ? They must be CE-marked
>> >?
>> >
>> >Thank you very much in advance
>> >
>> >Matteo
>>
>> If I recall correctly, it's a complex process to get CE approval for a
>> device connected to the AC line. You first have to use approved
>> components in any portions of the circuit connected to AC, and follow
>> many (mostly sensible) safety rules in the design and manufacture.
>> Then you send a couple of prototypes to a qualified testing lab. One
>> will probably be destroyed in testing. They will give you a report on
>> which standards it is required to meet, which standards it meets, and
>> where it fails. You make a few changes, then submit another prototype.
>> Finally, they say it meets all applicable CE requirements. Then you
>> submit the report to ... I forget who ... for the actual CE approval.
>>
>> Usually it is best to hire an engineer who has experience in piloting
>> products through the approvals process.
>>
>> How many do you plan to build? Do you really need a CE approval, or do
>> you just want to build it to CE standards?
>>
>> Mike T.
>
>Thank you for your answers; I plan to build few amplifiers, about
>(max.) 10 each year). For friends, etc... So I'd like them to be CE
>compliant. But I don't know if, for those numbers, I is worth to
>submit them to CE approval. In any case, I will surely build them as
>much CE compliant as I can; in the future, I'll see if submit it to CE
>approval.

From what I understand, being CE compliant for someone building in
small quantities is not practical, way too expensive.

Al

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Depending on the specifics and the lab, you can plan on $6K to $10K to get a
CE certification. If you do not pass, you will need to fix the problem and
try again but just the tests that you failed. With a tube amp (no clocks)
some of the tests will be easy to pass (like emissions and ESD).

John


"Matteo" <matteo_bonino@virgilio.it> wrote in message
news:8dfb5672.0502150025.36aa38ed@posting.google.com...
> Mike T. <miket@invalid.net> wrote in message
> news:<cup21151ph30dsjlagsdk6mc9m1eikpt5i@4ax.com>...
>> On 14 Feb 2005 04:41:37 -0800, matteo_bonino@virgilio.it (Matteo)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi, I'd like to know if, in order to obtain CE-Marking of a homebuilt
>> >tube guitar amp, it is necessary, ALSO for Output Transformer and
>> >Chokes, to satisy EN-61558.
>> >
>> >Which are the rules, for Output Transformers ? They must be CE-marked
>> >?
>> >
>> >Thank you very much in advance
>> >
>> >Matteo
>>
>> If I recall correctly, it's a complex process to get CE approval for a
>> device connected to the AC line. You first have to use approved
>> components in any portions of the circuit connected to AC, and follow
>> many (mostly sensible) safety rules in the design and manufacture.
>> Then you send a couple of prototypes to a qualified testing lab. One
>> will probably be destroyed in testing. They will give you a report on
>> which standards it is required to meet, which standards it meets, and
>> where it fails. You make a few changes, then submit another prototype.
>> Finally, they say it meets all applicable CE requirements. Then you
>> submit the report to ... I forget who ... for the actual CE approval.
>>
>> Usually it is best to hire an engineer who has experience in piloting
>> products through the approvals process.
>>
>> How many do you plan to build? Do you really need a CE approval, or do
>> you just want to build it to CE standards?
>>
>> Mike T.
>
> Thank you for your answers; I plan to build few amplifiers, about
> (max.) 10 each year). For friends, etc... So I'd like them to be CE
> compliant. But I don't know if, for those numbers, I is worth to
> submit them to CE approval. In any case, I will surely build them as
> much CE compliant as I can; in the future, I'll see if submit it to CE
> approval.
>
> Thank you
>
> Matteo

 

[Tony]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

While the CE certification process is prohibitively expensive for such
exercises, if you don't ensure that your mains wiring complies with
the "low voltage directive", you are at greater risk if something does
go wrong. And you should also use the appropriate shielding and
earthing techniques to achieve some immunity to RFI ("immunity").

On 15 Feb 2005 08:52:07 -0500, mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers)
wrote:

>In article <8dfb5672.0502150025.36aa38ed@posting.google.com> matteo_bonino@virgilio.it writes:
>
>> I plan to build few amplifiers, about
>> (max.) 10 each year). For friends, etc... So I'd like them to be CE
>> compliant. But I don't know if, for those numbers, I is worth to
>> submit them to CE approval.
>
>Definitely not, unless you're planning to sell them for several
>thousand dollars each. CE certification is very expensive. Even if you
>do all the work yourself, it still must be done by a certified lab and
>that costs a lot.

Tony (remove the "_" to reply by email)