QUOTE *** We need to be accurate when we call things illegal. The frequency is not illegal, it is a commonly used radio band - it is simply a frequency band generally reserved for devices of a certain category above certain power levels.
It is correct that in general it is not permitted for a UK retailer or distributor (or one based anywhere these days in fact) to sell any radio based product unless it has been tested if required by legislation and approved for sale, however the frequency and power output combination of the PHP doesn't actually by default make it illegal - in fact at the exceptionally low power output of the NCE Power House Pro radio system it is marginal whether it actually even needs testing....
I should add that with the latest NCE V1.5 radio software the low power does NOT limit the layout operating range, which is exceptionally good.
A consumer may import and use it with no problem, as the regulation which is created in order to protect consumers in that case changes context and it simply makes it unacceptable to cause interference with any other device.
I stand corrected. Richard Johnson, who obviously knows a lot more than I about this (which is not difficult) is right about the loose use of the word illegal. I should have said that the American frequency is not approved for running model railways in the EU. It turns out that the original post came from Australia anyway, which I had not realised.
I still prefer to use a radio frequency which is locally approved for the purpose. Perhaps Brian Considine would expand on his opinion that there are good reasons for not using the American frequency. My impression as a person of limited knowledge is that occasionally funny things can happen with radio transmissions, even if the power output of the transmitter is low.
