Hi All,

Does anyone know what the situation is with regards to non-CE approved hifi
items being used in the UK. I believe if you are a manufacturer ? or dealer
? you should only sell CE approved equipment in the UK, but with so much
equipment being sold on ebay and the internet worldwide it must be difficult
to enforce.

Regards

Alan

CE labels regarding mains-operated goods apply to goods that are new or
still under manuf's warranty.
Any second-hand relic is usually offered/sold "as seen" or "recently
tested", or "not sure if it works at all or properly" or "come and see it
working".
Even brand-new stuff occasionally can be nothing but a paperweight.

After purchase....
First check if something loose rattles inside (open and ascertain/refix
loose item), then determine if the metalwork is bonded (good continuity) to
the Earth pin of the 3-pin plug (it it's only a 2-pin plug, it's normally
double insulated). Check fuse fitted in 13A plug is not excessive for
appliance rating and that screws grip cables tightly, without stray strands.
So many idiots fit 13A fuses instead of 2A for a 100Watt load!
Also ensure any panel cartridge fuses are the same rating/type as labelled.
Check AC voltage tapping and Hz are appropriate to your mains AC. Usually a
plate affixed is stamped with variables, Model, Ser No, etc,
If you get the gear at a bargain price you can spend some of the savings to
take it to a *competent* electrician and have it PAT tested with a
customised report.
Then you may switch it on.
But if it is ancient, you may have to start with a low mains input voltage
and bring it up very gradually with a Variac.

"alan ralph" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Does anyone know what the situation is with regards to non-CE approved
hifi items being used in the UK. I believe if you are a manufacturer ? or
dealer ? you should only sell CE approved equipment in the UK, but with so
much equipment being sold on ebay and the internet worldwide it must be
difficult to enforce.

Regards

Alan

On Sun, 22 May 2005 18:32:46 +0000, alan ralph wrote:

Hi All,

Does anyone know what the situation is with regards to non-CE approved hifi
items being used in the UK. I believe if you are a manufacturer ? or dealer
? you should only sell CE approved equipment in the UK, but with so much
equipment being sold on ebay and the internet worldwide it must be difficult
to enforce.


CE marking is concerned with allowing movement of equipment through the
EEC. Anything which is not going to leave its country of manufacture
doesn't require it. Also, it has nothing to do with quality. It basically
means that when the equipment was designed it was designed to certain
specifications and the design data and those specifications are traceable.
Note that it isn't a test certificate - it may "prove" that the equipment
was designed to comply with the LV Directive, but it doesn't mean that a
particular item of equipment has been individually tested to prove that
compliance.

You should expect to see CE marking on, say, German equipment sold in the
UK, but not necessarily UK or American built equipment. CE marking only
applies to new equipment.

--
Mick
(no M$ software on here... :-) )
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Web: http://projectedsound.tk

"alan ralph" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Does anyone know what the situation is with regards to non-CE approved
hifi items being used in the UK. I believe if you are a manufacturer ? or
dealer ? you should only sell CE approved equipment in the UK, but with so
much equipment being sold on ebay and the internet worldwide it must be
difficult to enforce.

Regards

Alan

If I understand the situation correctly, there is nothing to "enforce"
The CE mark simply states that the equipment meets the electrical
safety regs, "to the best belief of the manufacturer". It does not
imply any kind of testing by a third party facility. You can buy CE
marks from component shops!

I am sure the situation is the same in the UK. Here in Scandinavia
we have three test approval marks FI (Finland) SE (Sweden) and
N (Norway) Before the EU, all equipment brought into these
countries had to bear the test mark for the appropriate country.
Now the CE mark is enough.

The FI/SE/N test mark is something that is awarded to
manufacturers. There is no point for a private owner to
submit an individual amplifier, as it is tested to destruction.

Iain

The "CE" mark has a number of purposes, the primary one being to
exclude non-European equipment from internal market. Hello Big
Brother!

On a personal level I'd take any Krell, Levinson, Boulder, or Audio
Research power amplifier over anything ever made on the European
continent with the possible exception of a Quad II. They may not have
a "CE" painted on their rear end though. You may ask, what is the
purpose of the CE stamp?

As stated on
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise...n/index_en.htm, the
primary purpose of the CE mark is to give preferential treatment to
European products.

Quoting, "The main actions include of the CE a

The promotion of European standardisation in support of European
policies and legislation.

Enhancing the application of the New and Global Approaches by
strengthening coherence and efficiency of the existing legal framework
in order to continue to a business-friendly and high quality regulatory
environment.

The assessment of the transposition of the acquis by candidate
countries and the contribution to the development of their quality
infrastructures. This includes the negotiation and implementation of
PECA (Protocols to Europe Agreements on Conformity Assessment and
Acceptance of Industrial Products) and similar agreements, the
management of the Customs Union with Turkey, and the design of related
technical assistance and co-operation projects.

The development of policy on implementation of WTO/TBT agreement, the
implementation of Mutual Recognition Agreements, the promotion of
regulatory convergence (including, wherever possible, the promotion of
our own regulatory approach), and the implementation of administrative
co-operation and market access problems solving, both at bilateral and
multilateral level.

The protection of the principle of free movement of goods through the
application of the Treaty rules and of specific measures."

Nothing more need be said as far as I'm concerned...