Is a radio licence required in Turkey for these remote controls?
No licence or fee is required for devices meeting the SRD Regulation and its annex criteria. The exemption depends on the device, not a blanket permission.
As a rule it is not required, but this is not an unconditional freedom. For devices that comply with the BTK Regulation on Short Range Devices (SRD) and meet the technical criteria in the annexes of the regulation, no radio licence and no usage fee is required. The exemption depends on the device and on the use; it cannot be generalised as "wireless remote controls are free anyway".
The framework the regulation draws
In Turkey the framework for short range radio devices is drawn by the BTK SRD Regulation: Official Gazette 11.09.2012, number 28408. The regulation defines in its annexes which bands may be used under the SRD scope and with which technical criteria. The correct reading is this: for SRD devices that comply with the regulation and meet the relevant technical criteria, no radio licence and no usage fee is required. That is, the exemption depends on the device and on the use; it is not a general permission granted in advance to a class of device.
Typical criteria defined in the annexes
- 433.050-434.790 MHz: 10 mW e.r.p.
- 868 MHz sub-bands: 25 mW e.r.p.
Besides the power limit, the duty cycle and the other technical conditions have to be met as well. The duty cycle limit restricts how much a transmitter may transmit in total within a given period and shows itself in practice where the button is held down for a long time; the effect of the limit on the remote control is as decisive as the band itself. Which band suits which job is a separate matter: among the bands used on industrial remote controls the range and the interference behaviour differ.
What is required in which case
| Situation | Licence / fee | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An SRD device complying with the regulation and meeting the criteria | Not required | Keep the label and the declaration of conformity in the machine file |
| A device whose power has been raised with an external amplifier or a gain antenna | The exemption falls away | Return the device to its original equipment |
| A device working in a band outside the SRD scope | No exemption | Consult BTK about the band and its allocation status |
| A device whose band and conformity are not documented | Uncertain | Ask the manufacturer for the band information and the declaration of conformity |
Where the exemption does not hold
- A device that exceeds these criteria, whose output power has been raised with an external antenna or an amplifier, or that works in a band outside the scope, cannot benefit from the exemption.
- A licence exemption does not cover the placing-on-the-market conformity of the product. The CE and RED directive obligations stand separately and are not removed by a licence exemption.
- On devices brought in from abroad whose label carries no band information, do not assume the exemption; a band that is free in another country may be outside the scope here.
- Do not modify the device yourself; even a change of antenna can break conformity.
What to look for on the label is clear as well: the make and model, the operating band, the output power, the CE marking and the manufacturer or importer information. If these items are complete, file them; if one is missing, ask before you buy the device. Exemption and conformity are not the same thing: a licence not being required does not mean that the device complies with the placing-on-the-market rules.
Important note: the product records of the AXI ST and SF sets do not state an operating frequency. Confirm the band and the conformity status of your device from the product label, the user manual and the declaration of conformity of the manufacturer.
In practice there are three things to do: record the band and power information on the label, put a copy of the declaration of conformity in the machine file, and do not touch the transmitter and antenna hardware. In case of doubt, confirm whether the band falls under the SRD scope from the annexes of the regulation or directly from BTK. If you are buying a second-hand set, ask for these documents together with the device; it is not possible to prove afterwards the conformity of a transmitter whose label has been removed.
The full topic: Wireless Crane Remote Control Selection Guide