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- APPENDIX A
- Part 97 of Chapter 1 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal
- Regulations is amended, as follows:
- 1. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as
- follows:
- AUTHORITY: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154,
- 303. Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as
- amended; 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.
- 2. Part 97 is revised as follows:
- PART 97 -- AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
- Subpart A -- General Provisions
- Sec.
- 97.1 Basis and purpose.
- 97.3 Definitions.
- 97.5 Station license required.
- 97.7 Control operator required.
- 97.9 Operator license.
- 97.11 Stations aboard ships or aircraft.
- 97.13 Restrictions on station location.
- 97.15 Station antenna structures.
- 97.17 Application for new license.
- 97.19 Application for renewed or modified license.
- 97.21 Mailing address and station location.
- 97.23 License term.
- 97.25 FCC modification of station license.
- 97.27 Replacement license.
- Subpart B -- Station Operation Standards
- 97.101 General standards.
- 97.103 Station licensee responsibilities.
- 97.105 Control operator duties.
- 97.107 Alien control operator privileges.
- 97.109 Station control.
- 97.111 Authorized transmissions.
- 97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
- 97.115 Third-party traffic.
- 97.117 International communications.
- 97.119 Station identification.
- 97.121 Restricted operation.
- Subpart C -- Special Operations
- 97.201 Auxiliary station.
- 97.203 Beacon station.
- 97.205 Repeater station.
- 97.207 Space station.
- 97.209 Earth station.
- 97.211 Telecommand station.
- 97.213 Remote control of a staiton.
- 97.215 Remote control of model craft.
- Subpart D -- Technical Standards
- 97.301 Authorized frequency bands.
- 97.303 Frequency sharing requirements.
- 97.305 Authorized emission types.
- 97.307 Emission standards.
- 97.309 RTTY and data emission digital codes.
- 97.311 SS emission types.
- 97.313 Transmitter power standards.
- 97.315 Type acceptance of external RF power amplifiers.
- 97.317 Standards for type acceptance of external RF power
- amplifiers.
- Subpart E -- Providing Emergency Communications
- 97.401 Operation during a disaster.
- 97.403 Safety of life and proteciton of property.
- 97.405 Station in distress.
- 97.407 Radio amateur civil emergency service.
- Subpart F -- Qualifying Examination Systems
- 97.501 Qualifying for an amateur operator license.
- 97.503 Element standards.
- 97.505 Element credit.
- 97.507 Preparing an examination.
- 97.509 Administering an examination.
- 97.511 Technician, General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra
- Class operator license examination.
- 97.513 Novice Class operator license examination.
- 97.515 Volunteer examiner requirements.
- 97.517 Volunteer examiner conduct.
- 97.519 Coordinating examination sessions.
- 97.521 VEC qualifications.
- 97.523 Question pools.
- 97.525 Accrediting VEs.
- 97.527 Reimbursement for expenses.
- Appendix 1 Places where the amateur service is regulated by
- the FCC.
- Appendix 2 VEC Regions.
- Subpart A -- General Provisions
- S 97.1 Basis and prupose.
- The rules and regulations in this Part are designed to
- provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as
- expressed in the following principles:
- (a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur
- service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
- service, particularly with respect to providing emergency
- communications.
- (b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven
- ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
- (c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service
- through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the
- communication and technical phases of the art.
- (d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur
- radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics
- experts.
- (e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique
- ability to enhance international goodwill.
- S 97.3 Definitions.
- (a) The definitions of terms used in Part 97 are:
- (1) Amateur operator. A person holding a written
- authorization to be the control operator of an amateur station.
- (2) Amateur radio services. The amateur service, the
- amateur-satellite service and the radio amateur civil emergency
- service.
- (3) Amateur -- satellite service. A radiocommunication
- service using stations on Earth satellites for the same purpose
- as those of the amateur service.
- (4) Amateur srvice. A radiocommunication service for the
- purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical
- investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, duly authorized
- persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim
- and without pecuniary interest.
- (5) Amateur station. A station in an amateur radio service
- consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on
- radiocommunications.
- (6) Automatic control. The use of devices and procedures for
- control of a station when it is transmitting so that compliance
- with the FCC Rules is achieved without the control operator being
- present at a control point.
- (7) Auxiliary station. An amateur station transmitting
- communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating
- amateur stations.
- (8) Bandwidth. The width of a frequency band outside of
- which the mean power of the total emission is attenuated at least
- 26 dB below the mean power of the total emission, including
- allowances for transmitter drift or Doppler shift.
- (9) Beacon. An amateur station transmitting communications
- for the purposes of observation of propagation and reception or
- other related experimental activites.
- (10) Broadcasting. Transmissions intended for reception by
- the general public, either direct or relayed.
- (11) Control operator. An amateur operator designated by the
- licensee of a station to be responsible for the transmissions
- from that station to assure compliance with the FCC Rules.
- (12) Control point. The location at which the control
- operator function is performed.
- (13) CSCE. Certificate of successful completion of an
- examination.
- (14) Earth station. An amateur station located on, or within
- 50 km of, the Earth's surface intended for communications with
- space stations or with other Earth stations by means of one or
- more other objects in space.
- (15) EIC. Engineer in Charge of an FCC Field Facility.
- (16) External RF power amplifier. A device capable of
- increasing power output when used in conjunction with, but not an
- integral part of, a transmitter.
- (17) External RF power amplifier kit. A number of electronic
- parts, which, when assembled, is an external RF power amplifier,
- even if additional parts are required to complete assembly.
- (18) FAA. Federal Aviation Administration.
- (19) FCC. Federal Communications Commission.
- (20) Frequency coordinator. An entity, recognized in a local
- or regional area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible
- to be auxiliary or repeater stations, that recommends
- transmit/receive channels and associated operating and technical
- parameters for such stations in order to avoid or minimize
- potential interference.
- (21) Harmful interference. Interference which endangers the
- functioning of a radionavigation service or of other safety
- services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly
- interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance
- with the Radio Regulations.
- (22) Indicator. Words, letters or numerals appended to and
- separated from the call sign during the station identification.
- (23) Information bulletin. A message directed only to
- amateur operators consisting solely of subject matter of direct
- interest to the amateur service.
- (24) International Morse code. A dot-dash code as defined in
- International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee
- (CCITT) Recommendation F.1 (1984), Division B, I. Morse code.
- (25) ITU. International Telecommunication Union.
- (26) Line A. Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle
- arc to the interseciton of 48\o/N, 120\o/W, thence along parallel
- 48\o/N, to the intersection of 95\o/W, thence by great circle arc
- through the southernmost point of Duluth, MN, thence by great
- circle arc to 45\o/N, 85\o/W, thence southward along meridian
- 85\o/W, to its intersection with parallel 41\o/N, thence along
- parallel 41\o/N, to its intersection with meridian 82\o/W, thence
- by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Bangor, ME,
- thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of
- Searsport, ME, at which point it terminates.
- (27) Local control. The use of a control operator who
- directly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station to
- achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
- (28) National Radio Quiet Zone. The area in Maryland,
- Virginia and West Virginia Bounded by 39\o/ 15'N on the north,
- 78\o/ 30'W on the east, 37\o/ 30'N on the south and 80\o/ 30'W on
- the west.
- (29) Question pool. All current examination questions for a
- designated written examination element.
- (30) Question set. A series of examination questions on a
- given examination selected from the question pool.
- (31) Radio Regulations. The latest ITU Radio Regulations to
- which the United States is a party.
- (32) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio
- service using amateur stations for civil defense communications
- during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies.
- (33) Remote control. The use of a control operator who
- indirectly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station
- through a control link to achieve compliance with the fCC Rules.
- (34) Repeater. An amateur station that automatically
- retransmits the signals of other stations.
- (35) Space station. An amateur station located more than 50
- km above the earth's surface.
- (36) Spurious emission. An emission, on frequencies outside
- the necessary bandwidth of a transmission, the level of which may
- be reduced without affecting the information being transmitted.
- (37) Telecommand station. An amateur station that transmits
- communications to initiate, modify or terminate functions of a
- space station.
- (38) Third party communications. A message from the control
- operator (first party) of an amateur station to another amateur
- station control operator (second party) on behalf of another
- person (third party).
- (39) VE. Volunteer examiner.
- (40) VEC. Volunteer-examiner coordinator.
- (b) The definitions of technical symbols used in this Part
- are:
- (1) EHF (extremely high frequency). The frequency range 30-
- 300 GHz.
- (2) HF (high frequency). The frequency range 3-30 MHz.
- (3) Hz. Hertz.
- (4) m. Meters
- (5) MF (medium frequency). The frequency range 300-3000 kHz.
- (6) PEP (peak envelope power). The average power supplied to
- the antenna transmission line by a transmitter during one RF
- cycle at the crest of the modulation envelope taken under normal
- operating conditions.
- (7) RF. Radio frequency.
- (8) SHF (super-high frequency). The frequency range 3-30
- GHz.
- (9) UHF (ultra-high frequency). The frequency range 300-3000
- MHz.
- (10) VHF (very-high frequency). The frequency range 30-300
- mHz.
- (11) W. Watts.
- (c) The following terms are used in this Part to indicate
- emission types. Refer to S 2.201 of the FCC Rules, Emission,
- modulation and transmission characteristics, for information on
- emission type designators.
- (1) CW. International Morse code telegraphy emissions having
- designators with A, C, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the
- second symbol; A or B as the third symbol; and emissions J2A and
- J2B.
- (2) Data. Telemetry, telecommand and computer communications
- emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the
- first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; D as the third symbol; and
- emission J2D. Only a digital code of a type specifically
- authorized in this Part may be transmitted.
- (3) Image. Facsimile and television emissions having
- designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1,
- 2 or 3 as the second symbol; C or F as the third symbol; and
- emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second
- symbol; W as the third symbol.
- (4) MCW. Tone-modulated international Morse code telegraphy
- emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H or R as the
- first symbol; 2 as the second symbol; A or B as the third symbol.
- (5) Phone. Speech and other sound emissions having
- designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1,
- 2 or 3 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. Also speech
- emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second
- symbol; E as the third symbol. MCW for the purpose of performing
- the station identification procedure, or for providing telegraphy
- practice interspersed with speech. Incidental tones for the
- purpose of selective calling or alerting or to control the level
- of a demodulated signal may also be considered phone.
- (6) Pulse. Emissions having designators with K, L, M, P, Q,
- V or W as the first symbol; 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 or X as the
- second symbol; A, B, C, D, E, F, N, W or X as the third symbol.
- (7) RTTY. Narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy emissions
- having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first
- symbol; 1 as the second symbol; B as the third symbol; and
- emission J2B. Only a digital code of a type specifically
- authorized in this Part may be transmitted.
- (8) SS. Spread-spectrum emissions using bandwidth-expansion
- modulation emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J
- or R as the first symbol; X as the second symbol; X as the third
- symbol. Only a SS emission of a type specifically authorized in
- this Part may be transmitted.
- (9) Test. Emissions containing no information having the
- designators with N as the third symbol. Test does not include
- pulse emissions with no information or modulation unless pulse
- emissions are also authorized in the frequency band.
- S 97.5 Station license required.
- (a) When a station is transmitting on any amateur service
- frequency from a geographic location within 50 km of the Earth's
- surface where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, the
- person having physical control of the apparatus must hold an FCC-
- issued written authorization for an amateur station.
- (b) When a station is transmitting on any amateur service
- frequency from a location within 50 km of the Earth's surface and
- aboard any vessel or craft that is documented or registered in
- the United States, the person having physical control of the
- apparatus must hold an FCC-issued written authorizaiton for an
- amateur station.
- (c) When a station is transmitting on any amateur-sattelite
- service frequency from a location more than 50 km above the
- Earth's surface aboard any craft that is documented or registered
- in the United States, the person having physical control of the
- apparatus must hold an FCC-issued written authorization for an
- amateur station.
- (d) The types of written authorizations that permit amateur
- station operation where the amateur service is regulated by the
- FCC are:
- (1) An operator/primary station license (FCC Form 660)
- issued to the person by the FCC. A primary station license is
- issued only to a person, together with an operator license on the
- same document. Every amateur operator licensed by the FCC must
- have one, but only one, primary station license. Except a
- representative of a foreign government, any person who qualifies
- by examination is eligible to apply for an operator/primary
- station license.
- (2) A club station license (FCC form 660) issued to the
- person by the FCC. A club station license is issued only to the
- rperson who is the license trustee designated by an officer of
- the club. The trustee must hold an FCC-issued Amateur Extra,
- Advanced, General, or Technician operator license. The club must
- be composed of at least two persons and must have a name, a
- document of organization, management and a primary purpose
- devoted to amateur service activities consistent with this Part.
- (3) A military recreation station license (FCC Form 660)
- issued to the person by the FCC. A military recreation station
- license is issued only to the person who is the license custodian
- designated by the official in charge of the United States
- military recreational premises where the station is situated. The
- custodian must not be a representative of a foreign government.
- The custodian need not hold an amateur operator license.
- (4) A RACES station license (FCC Form 660) issued to the
- person by the FCC. A RACES station license is issued only to the
- person who is the license custodian designated by the official
- responsible for the governmental agency served by that civil
- defense organization. The custodian must not be a representative
- of a foreign government. The custodian must be the civil defense
- official responsible for coordination of all civil defense
- activities in the area concerned. The custodian need not hold an
- amateur operator license.
- (5) A reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee (FCC Form
- 610-AL) issued to the person by the FCC. A reciprocal permit for
- alien amateur licensee is issued only to a person who is a
- citizen of a country with which the United States has
- arrangements to grant recirpocal operating permits to visiting
- alien amateur operators. The person must be a citizen of the same
- country that issued the amateur service license. No person who is
- a citizen of the United States, regardless of any other
- citizenship also held, is eligible for a reciprocal permit for
- alien amateur licensee. No person holding an FCC-issued amateur
- service license will be issued a reciprocal permit for alien
- amateur license.
- (6) An amateur service license issued to the person by the
- Government of Canada. The person must be a Canadian citizen.
- (e) The written authorization for an amateur station
- authorizes the use in accordance with the FCC Rules of all
- transmitting apparatus under the physical control of the station
- licensee at points where the amateur service is regulated by the
- FCC. The original written authorizaiton document or a photocopy
- thereof must be retained at the station.
- S 97.7 Control operator required.
- When transmitting, each amateur station must have a control
- operator. Only a person holding one of the following documents
- may be the control operator of a station:
- (a) An operator/primary station license (FCC Form 660)
- issued to the person by the FCC.
- (b) A reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee (FCC Form
- 610-AL) issued to the person by the FCC.
- (c) An amateur service license issued to a Canadian citizen
- by the Government of Canada.
- S 97.9 Operator license.
- (a) There are 5 classes of operator licenses: Novice,
- Technician, General, Advanced and Amateur Extra. An operator
- license authorizes the holder to be the control operator of a
- station with the privileges of the operator class specified on
- the license. The license document or a photocopy thereof must be
- in the personal possession of the licensee at all times when the
- person is the control operator of a staiton.
- (b) A person holding a Novice, Technician, general, or
- Advanced Class operator license who has properly filed with the
- FCC an application for a higher operator class which has not yet
- been acted upon, and who holds a CSCE indicating that the person
- completed the necessary examinations within the previous 365 days
- is authorized to exercise the rights and privileges of the higher
- operator class.
- S 97.11 Stations aboard ships or aircraft.
- (a) The installation and operation of an amateur station on
- a ship or aircraft must be approved by the master of the ship or
- pilot in command of the aircraft.
- (b) The station must be separate from and independent of all
- other radio apparatus installed on the ship or aircraft, except a
- common antenna may be shared with a voluntary ship radio
- installation. The station's transmissions must not cause
- interference to any other apparatus installed on the ship or
- aircrarft.
- (c) The station must not constitute a hazard to the safety
- of life or property. For a station aboard an aircraft, the
- apparatus shall not be operated while the aircraft is operating
- under Instrument Flight Rules, as defined by the FAA, unless the
- station has been found to comply with all applicable FAA Rules.
- S97.13 Restrictions on staiton locations.
- (a) Before placing an amateur staiton on land of
- environmental importance or that is significant in American
- history, architecture or culture, the licensee may be required to
- take certain acitons prescribed by SS 1.1305-1.1319 of the FCC
- Rules.
- (b) A station within 1600 m (1 mile) of an FCC monitoring
- facility must protect that facility from harmful interference.
- Failure to do so could result in imposition of operating
- restrictions upon the amateur station by an EIC pursuant to S
- 97.121 of this Part. Geographical coordinates of the facilities
- that require proteciton are listed in S 0.121(c) of the FCC
- Rules.
- S 97.15 Station antenna structures.
- (a) Unless the amateur station licensee has received prior
- approval from the FCC, no antenna structure, including the
- radiating elements, tower, supports and all appurtenances, may be
- higher than 61 m (200 feet) above ground level at its site.
- (b) Unless the amateur staiton licensee has received prior
- approval from the FCC, no antenna structure, at an airport or
- heliport that is available for public use and is listed in the
- Airport Directory of the current Airman's Information Manual or
- in either the Alsaka or Pacific Airman's Guide and Chart
- Supplement; or at an airport or heliport under construction that
- is the subject of a notice or proposal on file with the FAA, and
- except for military airports, it is clearly indicated that the
- airport will be available for public use; or at an airport or
- heliport that is operated by the armed forces of the United
- States; or at a place near any of these airports or heliports,
- may be higher than:
- (1) 1 m above the airport elevaiton for each 100 m from the
- nearest runway longer than 1 km within 6.1 km of the antenna
- structure.
- (2) 2 m above the airport elevation for each 100 m from the
- nearest runway longer than 1 km within 3.1 km of the antenna
- structure.
- (3) 4 m above the airport elevation for each 100 m from the
- nearest landing pad within 1.5 km of the antenna structure.
- (c) An amateur station antenna structure no higher than 6.1
- m (20 feet) above ground level at its site or no higher than 6.1
- m above any natural object or existing manmade structure, other
- than an antenna structure, is exempt from the requirements of
- paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.
- (d) Further details as to whether an aeronautical study
- and/or obstruction marking and lighting may be required, and
- specifications for obstruction marking and lighting, are
- contained in Part 17 of the FCC Rules, Construction, Marking, and
- Lighting of Antenna Structures. To request approval to place an
- antenna structure higher than the limits specified in paragraphs
- (a), (b) and (c) of this Section, the licensee must notify the
- FAA on FAA Form 7460-1 and the FCC on FCC Form 854.
- (e) Except as otherwise provided herein, a station antenna
- structure may be erected at heights and dimensions sufficient to
- accommodate amateur service communications. [State and local
- regulation of a station antenna structure must not preclude
- amateur service communications. Rather, it must reasonably
- accommodate such communications and must constitute the minimum
- practicable regulation to accomplish the state or local
- authority's legitimate purpose. See PRB-1, 101 FCC 2d, 952 (1985)
- for details.]
- S 97.17 Application for new license.
- (a) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for an amateur
- service license.
- (b) Each application for a new operator/primary station
- license must be made on fCC Form 610. Each aplication for a
- reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee must be made on FCC
- Form 610-A. No new license for a club, military recreation, or
- RACES station will be issued.
- (c) Each applicaiton for a new operator/primary station
- license and each application involving a change in operator class
- must be submitted to the VEs administering the qualifying
- examination.
- (d) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for a
- recirpocal permit for alien amateur licensee. The application
- must be submitted to the FCC, P.O. Box 1020, Gettysburg, PA
- 17326.
- (e) No person shall obtain or attempt to obtain, or assist
- another person to obtain or attempt to obtain, an operator
- license or reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee by
- fraudulent means.
- (f) A call sign will be assigned systematically to each
- station. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the
- policies and procedures of the call sign assignment system. The
- FCC will not grant any request for a specific call sign.
- S 97.19 Application for a renewed or modified license.
- (a) Each application for a renewed or modified
- operator/primary station license must be made on FCC Form 610.
- Each application for a renewed or modified club, military
- recreation or RACES station license must be made on FCC Form 610-
- B. A reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee is not
- renewable. A new reciprocal permit may be issued upon proper
- application.
- (b) Each application for a renewed or modified amateur
- service license must be accompanied by a photocopy of the license
- document or the original document. Each application for a
- modified operator license involving a change in operator class
- must be submitted to the VEs administering the qualifying
- examination. All other applications must be submitted to: FCC,
- P.O. Box 1020, Gettysburg, PA 17326.
- (c) When the licensee has submitted a timely application for
- renewal of an unexpired license (between 60 and 90 days prior to
- the end of the license term is recommended), the licensee may
- continue to operate until the disposition of the application has
- been determined. If a license expires, application for renewal
- may be made during a grace period of 2 years after the expiration
- date. During this grace period, the expired license ise not
- valid. A license renewed during the grace period must be dated as
- of the date of the renewal.
- S 97.21 Mailing address and station location.
- Each application for an amateur service license and each
- application for a reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee
- must show a mailing address and a station location (the addresses
- may be the same) in an area where the amateur service is
- regulated by the FCC. The mailing address must be one where the
- licensee can receive mail delivery by the United States Postal
- Service. The station location must be a place where a station can
- be physically located. (A Postal Service box, RFD number, or
- general delivery is unsuitable as a station location.)
- S 97.23 License term.
- (a) An amateur srvice license is normally issued for a 10-
- year term.
- (b) A reciprocal permit for alien amateur licensee is
- normally issued for a 1-year term.
- S 97.25 FCC modification of station license.
- (a) The FCC may modify a station license, either fo