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- SUBPART A - GENERAL PROVISIONS
-
-
-
- 97.1 Basis and purpose.
-
- 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
- communications 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.
-
-
-
- 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 SERVICE. 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. (* This may be
- a typographical error in the Federal Register; rather than "the
- total," it probably should read "any" or "an.")
- (9) BEACON. An amateur station transmitting
- communications for the purposes of observation of propagation and
- reception or other related experimental activities.
- (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 intersection of 48 degrees N, 120 degrees W,
- thence along parallel 48 degrees N, to the intersection of 95
- degrees W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost
- point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45 degrees N,
- 85 degrees W, thence southward along meridian 85 degrees W, to its
- intersection with parallel 41 degrees N, thence along parallel 41
- degrees N, to its intersection with meridian 82 degrees 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 degrees 15 minutes N on
- the north, 78 degrees 30 minutes W on the east, 37 degrees 30
- minutes N on the south and 80 degrees 30 minutes W on the west.
- (29) QUESTION POOL. All current examination questions
- for a designated written examination element.
- (30) QUESTION SET. A series of examination (*) on a
- given examination selected from the question pool. (* Spelling is
- correct.)
- (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 then
- 50 km above the Earth's surface.
- (36) SPURIOUS EMISSION. An emission, or 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 Section 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, J
- 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.
-
-
-
- 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 authorization for an amateur
- station.
- (c) When a station is transmitting on any amateur 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 amateur 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 for 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
- person 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 reciprocal 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 is eligible
- for a reciprocal permit for alien amateur license.*
- (* "license" should likely read "licensee," as elsewhere in the
- paragraph.)
- (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 FCC Rules of all transmitting
- apparatus under the physical control of the station licensee at
- points where the amateur radio service is regulated by the FCC.
- The original written authorization document or a photocopy thereof
- must be retained at the station.
-
-
-
- 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 amateur 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.
-
-
-
- 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 station.
- (b) A person holding a Novice, Technician, General, or
- Advanced 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.
-
-
-
- 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
- aircraft.
- (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.
-
-
-
- 97.13 Restrictions on station location.
-
- (a) Before placing an amateur station on land of environmental
- importance or that is significant in American history, architecture
- or culture, the licensee may be required to take certain actions
- prescribed by Sections 1.1305 - 1.1319 of the FCC Rules.
- (b) An amateur 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 the EIC pursuant
- to Section 97.221 of this Part. Geographical coordinates of the
- facilities that require protection are listed in Section 0.121(c)
- of the FCC Rules.
-
-
-
- 97.15 Station antenna structures.
-
- (a) Unless the amateur station licensee has received prior
- approval from the FCC, no antenna structure, including and (*)
- 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 station 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 "Alaska" 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 elevation 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.]
-
-
-
- 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 application 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 application 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 reciprocal
- 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.
-
-
-
- 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 is not valid.
- A license renewed during the grace period must be dated as of the
- date of the renewal.
-
-
-
- 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.)
-
-
-
- 97.23 License term.
-
- (a) An amateur service license is normally issued for a
- 10-year term.
- (b) A reciprocal permit for alien amateur license is normally
- issued for a 1-year term.
-
-
-
- 97.25 FCC modification of station license.
-
- (a) The FCC may modify an amateur station license, either for
- a limited time or for the duration of the term thereof, if it
- determines:
- (1) That such action will promote the public interest,
- convenience and necessity; or
- (2) That such action will promote fuller compliance with
- the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or
- of any treaty ratified by the United States.
- (b) When the FCC makes such a determination, it will issue an
- order of modification. The order will not become final until the
- licensee is notified in writing of the proposed action and the
- grounds and reasons therefor. The licensee will be given
- reasonable opportunity of no less than thirty days to protest the
- modification; except that, where safety of life or property is
- involved, a shorter period of notice may be provided. Any protest
- by a licensee of an FCC order of modification will be handled in
- accordance with the provisions of 47 U.S.C. 316.
-
-
-
- 97.27 Replacement license.
-
- Each licensee or permittee whose original document is lost,
- mutilated or destroyed must request a replacement. The request
- must be made to: FCC, P.O. Box 1020, Gettysburg, PA 17236. A
- statement of how the document was lost, mutilated or destroyed must
- be attached to the request. A replacement license must bear the
- same expiration date as the license that it replaces.
-
- END OF A - !!!
-