Subpart A -- General Provisions
[Current as of July 1, 2001.]
97.1 Basis and purpose.
97.3 Definitions.
97.5 Station license grant required.
97.7 Control operator required.
97.9 Operator license grant.
97.11 Stations aboard ships or aircraft.
97.13 Restrictions on station location.
97.15 Station antenna structures.
97.17 Application for new license grant.
97.19 Application for a vanity call sign
97.21 Application for a modified or renewed license grant.
97.23 Mailing address.
97.25 License term.
97.27 FCC modification of station license grant.
97.29 Replacement license grant document.
Subpart B-Station Operation Standards
97.101 General standards.
97.103 Station licensee responsibilities.
97.105 Control operator duties.
97.107 Reciprocal operatng authority.
97.109 Station control.
97.111 Authorized transmissions.
97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
97.115 Third-party communications.
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 stations.
97.207 Space station.
97.209 Earth station.
97.211 Space telecommand station.
97.213 Telecommand of an amateur station.
97.215 Telecommand of model craft.
97.217 Telemetry.
97.219 Message forwarding system.
97.221 Automatically controlled digital station.
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 codes.
97.311 SS emission types.
97.313 Transmitter power standards.
97.315 Certification of external RF power amplifiers.
97.317 Standards for certification of external RF power amplifiers.
Subpart E-Providing Emergency Communications
97.401 Operation during a disaster.
97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
97.405 Station in distress.
97.407 Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).
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 VE requirements.
97.511 Examinee conduct.
97.513 VE session manager requirements.
97.515 [Reserved]
97.517 [Reserved]
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

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§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.
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§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, other than in a message forwarding system, that
is 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
transmitted signal is attenuated at least 26 dB below the mean power of the transmitted
signal within the band.
(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) Call sign system. The method used to select a call sign for amateur station over-theair
identification purposes. The call sign systems are:
(i) Sequential call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from an alphabetized
list corresponding to the geographic region of the licensee’s mailing address and operator
class. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will issue public announcements
detailing the procedures of the sequential call sign system.
(ii) Vanity call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from a list of call signs
requested by the licensee. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will issue
public announcements detailing the procedures of the vanity call sign system.
(iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by the station licensee from a
list of call signs shown on a common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated
by the amateur station special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must
have the single letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral through 9, followed
by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for example K1A). The special event call sign is
substituted for the call sign shown on the station license grant while the station is
transmitting. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the
special event call sign system.
(12) 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.
(13) Control point. The location at which the control operator function is performed.
(14) CSCE. Certificate of successful completion of an examination.
(15) CEPT radio-amateur license. A license issued by a country belonging to the
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) that
has adopted Recommendation T/R 61-01 (Nice 1985, revised in Paris 1992 and by
correspondence August 1992)
(16) 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.
(17) EIC. Engineer in Charge of an FCC Field Facility.
(18) External RF Power Amplifier. A device capable of increasing power output when
used in conjunction with, but not an integral part of, a transmitter.
(19) 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.
(20) FAA. Federal Aviation Administration.
(21) FCC. Federal Communications Commission.
(22) 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.
(23) 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.
(24) Indicator. Words, letters or numerals appended to and separated from the call sign
during the station identification.
(25) Information bulletin. A message directed only to amateur operators consisting solely
of subject matter of direct interest to the amateur service.
(26) 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.
(27) IARP. International Amateur Radio Permit. A document issued pursuant to the terms
of the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit by a country
signatory to that Convention, other than the United States. Montrouis, Haiti.
(28) ITU. International Telecommunication Union.
(29) Line A. Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle arc to the intersection of
48° N, 120° W, thence along parallel 48° N, to the intersection of 95° W, thence by great
circle arc through the southernmost point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45°
N, 85° W, thence southward along meridian 85° W, to its intersection with parallel 41° N,
thence along parallel 41° N, to its intersection with meridian 82° 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.
(30) Local control. The use of a control operator who directly manipulates the operating
adjustments in the station to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
(31) Message forwarding system. A group of amateur stations participating in a
voluntary, cooperative, interactive arrangement where communications are sent from the
control operator of an originating station to the control operator of one or more
destination stations by one or more forwarding stations.
(32) National Radio Quiet Zone. The area in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia
bounded by 39° 15´ N on the north, 78° 30´ W on the east, 37° 30´ N on the south and 80°
30´ W on the west.
(33) Physician. For the purposes of this Part, a person who is licensed to practice in a
place where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, as either a Doctor of Medicine
(MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO).
(34) Question pool. All current examination questions for a designated written
examination element.
(35) Question set. A series of examination questions on a given examination selected
from the question pool.
(36) Radio Regulations. The latest ITU Radio Regulations to which the United States is a
party.
(37) 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.
(38) 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.
(39) Repeater. An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of
another amateur station on a different channel or channels.
(40) Space station. An amateur station located more than 50 km above the Earth’s
surface.
(41) Space telemetry. A one-way transmission from a space station of measurements
made from the measuring instruments in a spacecraft, including those relating to the
functioning of the spacecraft.
(42) 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.
(43) Telecommand. A one-way transmission to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of
a device at a distance.
(44) Telecommand station. An amateur station that transmits communications to initiate,
modify, or terminate functions of a space station.
(45) Telemetry. A one-way transmission of measurements at a distance from the
measuring instrument.
(46) 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).
(47) ULS (Universal Licensing System). The consolidated database, application filing
system and processing system for all Wireless Telecommunications Services.
(48) VE. Volunteer examiner.
(49) 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 §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.
(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.
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§97.5 Station license grant required.
(a) The station apparatus must be under the physical control of a person named in an
amateur station license grant on the ULS consolidated license database or a person
authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this part, before the station may
transmit on any amateur service frequency from any place that is:
(1) Within 50 km of the Earth’s surface and at a place where the amateur service is
regulated by the FCC;
(2) Within 50 km of the Earth’s surface and aboard any vessel or craft that is documented
or registered in the United States; or
(3) More than 50 km above the Earth’s surface aboard any craft that is documented or
registered in the United States.
(b) The types of station license grants are:
(1) An operator/primary station license grant. One, but only one, operator/primary station
license grant may be held by any one person. The primary station license is granted
together with the amateur operator 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 grant.
(2) A club station license grant. A club station license grant may be held only by the
person who is the license trustee designated by an officer of the club. The trustee must be
a person who holds an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or
Technician operator license grant. The club must be composed of at least four 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 grant. A military recreation station license grant
may be held only by 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 person must not be a representative of a foreign government. The person need not
hold an amateur operator license grant.
(4) A RACES station license grant. A RACES station license grant may be held only by
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 be the
civil defense official responsible for coordination of all civil defense activities in the area
concerned. The custodian must not be a representative of a foreign government. The
custodian need not hold an amateur operator license grant.
(c) The person named in the station license grant or who is authorized for alien reciprocal
operation by §97.107 of this Part may use, in accordance with the applicable rules of this
Part, the transmitting apparatus under the physical control of the person at places where
the amateur service is regulated by the FCC.
(d) A CEPT radio-amateur license is issued to the person by the country of which the
person is a citizen. The person must not:
(1) Be a resident alien or citizen of the United States, regardless of any other citizenship
also held;
(2) Hold an FCC-issued amateur operator license nor reciprocal permit for alien amateur
licensee;
(3) Be a prior amateur service licensee whose FCC-issued license was revoked,
suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect,
suspended for the balance of the license term and relicensing has not taken place, or
surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary
forfeiture proceedings; or
(4) Be the subject of a cease and desist order that relates to amateur service operation and
which is still in effect.
(e) An IARP is issued to the person by the country of which the person is a citizen. The
person must not:
(1) Be a resident alien or citizen of the United States, regardless of any other citizenship
also held;
(2) Hold an FCC-issued amateur operator license nor reciprocal permit for alien amateur
licensee;
(3) Be a prior amateur service licensee whose FCC-issued license was revoked,
suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect,
suspended for the balance of the license term and relicensing has not taken place, or
surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary
forfeiture proceedings; or
(4) Be the subject of a cease and desist order that relates to amateur service operation and
which is still in effect.
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§97.7 Control operation required.
When transmitting, each amateur station must have a control operator. The control
operator must be a person:
(a) For whom an amateur operator/primary station license grant appears on the ULS
consolidated licensee database, or
(b) Who is authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this part
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§97.9 Operator license.
(a) The classes of amateur operator license grants are: Novice, Technician, Technician
Plus (until such licenses expire, a Technician Class license granted before February 14,
1991, is considered a Technician Plus Class license), General, Advanced, and Amateur
Extra. The person named in the operator license grant is authorized to be the control
operator of an amateur station with the privileges authorized to the operator class
specified on the license grant.
(b) The person named in an operator license grant of Novice, Technician, Technician
Plus, General or Advanced Class, who has properly submitted to the administering VEs a
FCC Form 605 document requesting examination for an operator license grant of a higher
class, and who holds a CSCE indicating that the person has completed the necessary
examinations within the previous 365 days, is authorized to exercise the rights and
privileges of the higher operator class until final disposition of the application or until
365 days following the passing of the examination, whichever comes first.
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§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.
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§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 §§ 1.1305-1.1319 of this chapter.
(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 a District Director pursuant to § 97.121 of this
Part. Geographical coordinates of the facilities that require protection are listed in §
0.121(c) of this chapter.
(c) Before causing or allowing an amateur station to transmit from any place where the
operation of the station could cause human exposure to RF electromagnetic field levels in
excess of those allowed under § 1.1310 of this chapter, the licensee is required to take
certain actions.
(1) The licensee must perform the routine RF environmental evaluation prescribed by §
1.1307(b) of this chapter, if the power of the licensee’s station exceeds the limits given in
the following table:
Wavelength Band Evaluation Required if
Power* (watts) Exceeds:
MF 160m 500
HF 80m 500
75m 500
40m 500
30m 425
20m 225
17m 125
15m 100
12m 75
10m 50
VHF (all bands)
50
UHF 70cm 70
33cm 150
23cm 200
13cm 250
SHF (all bands)
250
EHF (all bands)
250
Repeater stations non-building-mounted antennas: height
(all bands) above ground level to lowest point of
antenna < 10 m and power > 500 W ERP
building-mounted antennas: power > 500 W ERP
* Power = PEP input to antenna except, for repeater stations only, power exclusion is
based on ERP (effective radiated power).
(2) If the routine environmental evaluation indicates that the RF electromagnetic fields
could exceed the limits contained in § 1.1310 of this chapter in accessible areas, the
licensee must take action to prevent human exposure to such RF electromagnetic fields.
Further information on evaluating compliance with these limits can be found in the
FCC’s OET Bulletin Number 65, "Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for
Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields."
§97.15 Station antenna structures.
(a) Owners of certain antenna structures more than 60.96 meters
(200 feet) above ground level at the site or located near or at a public use airport must
notify the Federal Aviation Administration and register with the Commission as required
by Part 17 of this chapter.
(b) 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 grant.
(a) Any qualified person is eligible to apply for a new operator/primary station, club
station or military recreation station license grant. No new license grant will be issued for
a Novice, Technician Plus, or Advanced Class operator/primary station or RACES
station.
(b) Each application for a new amateur service license grant must be filed with the FCC
as follows:
(1) Each candidate for an amateur radio operator license which requires the applicant to
pass one or more examination elements must present the administering VEs with all
information required by the rules prior to the examination. The VEs may collect all
necessary information in any manner of their choosing, including creating their own
forms.
(2) For a new club or military recreation station license grant, each applicant must present
all information required by the rules to an amateur radio organization having tax-exempt
status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that provides
voluntary, uncompensated and unreimbursed services in providing club and military
recreation station call signs ("Club Station Call Sign Administrator’’) who must submit
the information to the FCC in an electronic batch file. The Club Station Call Sign
Administrator may collect the information required by these rules in any manner of their
choosing, including creating their own forms. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator
must retain the applicants information for at least 15 months and make it available to the
FCC upon request. The FCC will issue public announcements listing the qualified
organizations that have completed a pilot autogrant batch filing project and are authorized
to serve as a Club Station Call Sign Administrator.
(c) No person shall obtain or attempt to obtain, or assist another person to obtain or
attempt to obtain, an amateur service license grant by fraudulent means.
(d) One unique call sign will be shown on the license grant of each new primary, club and
military recreation station. The call sign will be selected by the sequential call sign
system.
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§97.19 Application for a vanity call sign.
(a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station
license grant is eligible to make application for modification of the license grant, or the
renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected by the vanity call sign system. RACES and
military recreation stations are not eligible for a vanity call sign.
(b) Each application for a modification of an operator/primary or club station license
grant, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected by the vanity call sign system
must be filed in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter.
(c) Unassigned call signs are available to the vanity call sign system with the following
exceptions:
(1) A call sign shown on an expired license grant is not available to the vanity call sign
system for 2 years following the expiration of the license.
(2) A call sign shown on a surrendered, revoked, set aside, canceled, or voided license
grant is not available to the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the date such
action is taken.
(3) Except for an applicant who is the spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent,
grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew,
or in-law, and except for an applicant who is a club station license trustee acting with the
written consent of at least one relative, as listed above, of a person now deceased, the call
sign shown on the license of person now deceased is not available to the vanity call sign
system for 2 years following the person’s death, or for 2 years following the expiration of
the license grant, whichever is sooner.
(d) The vanity call sign requested by an applicant must be selected from the group of call
signs corresponding to the same or lower class of operator license held by the applicant as
designated in the sequential call sign system.
(1) The applicant must request that the call sign shown on the license grant be vacated
and provide a list of up to 25 call signs in order of preference.
(2) The first assignable call sign from the applicant’s list will be shown on the license
grant. When none of those call signs are assignable, the call sign vacated by the applicant
will be shown on the license grant.
(3) Vanity call signs will be selected from those call signs assignable at the time the
application is processed by the FCC.
(4) A call sign designated under the sequential call sign system for Alaska, Hawaii,
Caribbean Insular Areas, and Pacific Insular areas will be assigned only to a primary or
club station whose licensee’s mailing address is in the corresponding state,
commonwealth, or island. This limitation does not apply to an applicant for the call sign
as the spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister,
stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, of the former holder now
deceased.
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§97.21 Application for a modified or renewed license.
(a) A person holding a valid amateur station license grant:
(1) Must apply to the FCC for a modification of the license grant as necessary to show the
correct mailing address, licensee name, club name, license trustee name or license
custodian name in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter. For a club, military recreation
or RACES station license grant, it must be presented in document form to a Club Station
Call Sign Administrator who must submit the information thereon to the FCC in an
electronic batch file. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator must retain the collected
information for at least 15 months and make it available to the FCC upon request.
(2) May apply to the FCC for a modification of the operator/primary station license grant
to show a higher operator class. Applicants must present the administering VEs with all
information required by the rules prior to the examination. The VEs may collect all
necessary information in any manner of their choosing, including creating their own
forms.
(3) May apply to the FCC for renewal of the license grant for another term in accordance
with §1.913 of this chapter. Application for renewal of a Technician Plus Class
operator/primary station license will be processed as an application for renewal of a
Technician Class operator/primary station license.
(i) For a station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the vanity call sign
system, the application must be filed in accordance with §97.19 of this Part in order to
have the vanity call sign reassigned to the station.
(ii) For a primary station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the sequential
call sign system, and for a primary station license grant showing a call sign obtained
through the vanity call sign system but whose grantee does not want to have the vanity
call sign reassigned to the station, the application must be filed with the FCC in
accordance with §1.913 of this chapter. When the application has been received by the
FCC on or before the license expiration date, the license operating authority is continued
until the final disposition of the application.
(iii) For a club station or military recreation station license grant showing a call sign
obtained through the sequential call sign system, and for a club or military recreation
station license grant showing a call sign obtained through the vanity call sign system but
whose grantee does not want to have the vanity call sign reassigned to the station, the
application must be presented in document form to a Club Station Call Sign
Administrator who must submit the information thereon to the FCC in an electronic batch
file. The Club Station Call Sign Administrator must retain the collected information for at
least 15 months and make it available to the FCC upon request. RACES station license
grants will not be renewed.
(b) A person whose amateur station license grant has expired may apply to the FCC for
renewal of the license grant for another term during a 2 year filing grace period. The
application must be received at the address specified above prior to the end of the grace
period. Unless and until the license grant is renewed, no privileges in this Part are
conferred.
(c) A call sign obtained under the sequential or vanity call sign system will be reassigned
to the station upon renewal or modification of a station license.
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§97.23 Mailing address.
Each license grant must show the grantee’s correct name and mailing address. The
mailing address must be in an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC and
where the grantee can receive mail delivery by the United States Postal Service.
Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when
correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to
provide the correct mailing address.
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§97.25 License term.
An amateur service license is normally granted for a 10-year term.
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§97.27 FCC modification of station license grant.
(a) The FCC may modify a station license grant, 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 30 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.
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§97.29 Replacement license grant document.
Each grantee whose amateur station license grant document is lost, mutilated or destroyed
may apply to the FCC for a replacement in accordance with §1.913 of this chapter.
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§97.101 General standards.
(a) In all respects not specifically covered by FCC Rules each amateur station must be
operated in accordance with good engineering and good amateur practice.
(b) Each station licensee and each control operator must cooperate in selecting
transmitting channels and in making the most effective use of the amateur service
frequencies. No frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station.
(c) At all times and on all frequencies, each control operator must give priority to stations
providing emergency communications, except to stations transmitting communications
for training drills and tests in RACES.
(d) No amateur operator shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference
to any radio communication or signal.
§97.103 Station licensee responsibilities.
(a) The station licensee is responsible for the proper operation of the station in accordance
with the FCC Rules. When the control operator is a different amateur operator than the
station licensee, both persons are equally responsible for proper operation of the station.
(b) The station licensee must designate the station control operator. The FCC will
presume that the station licensee is also the control operator, unless documentation to the
contrary is in the station records.
(c) The station licensee must make the station and the station records available for
inspection upon request by an FCC representative. When deemed necessary by an EIC to
assure compliance with FCC Rules, the station licensee must maintain a record of station
operations containing such items of information as the EIC may require in accord with
§0.314(x) of the FCC Rules.
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§97.105 Control operator duties.
(a) The control operator must ensure the immediate proper operation of the station,
regardless of the type of control.
(b) A station may only be operated in the manner and to the extent permitted by the
privileges authorized for the class of operator license held by the control operator.
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§97.107 Reciprocal operating authority.
A non-citizen of the United States ("alien") holding an amateur service authorization
granted by the alien’s government is authorized to be the control operator of an amateur
station located at places where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, provided
there is in effect a multilateral or bilateral reciprocal operating arrangement, to which the
United States and the alien’s government are parties, for amateur service operation on a
reciprocal basis. The FCC will issue public announcements listing the countries with
which the United States has such an arrangement. No citizen of the United States or
person holding an FCC amateur operator/primary station license grant is eligible for the
reciprocal operating authority granted by this section. The privileges granted to a control
operator under this authorization are:
(a) For an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada:
(1) The terms of the Convention Between the United States and Canada (TIAS No. 2508)
Relating to the Operation by Citizens of Either Country of Certain Radio Equipment or
Stations in the Other Country;
(2) The operating terms and conditions of the amateur service license issued by the
Government of Canada; and
(3) The applicable rules of this part, but not to exceed the control operator privileges of
an FCC-granted Amateur Extra Class operator license.
(b) For an amateur service license granted by any country, other than Canada, with which
the United States has a multilateral or bilateral agreement:
(1) The terms of the agreement between the alien’s government and the United States;
(2) The operating terms and conditions of the amateur service license granted by the
alien’s government;
(3) The applicable rules of this part, but not to exceed the control operator privileges of
an FCC-granted Amateur Extra Class operator license; and
(c) At any time the FCC may, in its discretion, modify, suspend or cancel the reciprocal
operating authority granted to any person by this section.
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§97.109 Station control.
(a) Each amateur station must have at least one control point.
(b) When a station is being locally controlled, the control operator must be at the control
point. Any station may be locally controlled.
(c) When a station is being remotely controlled, the control operator must be at the
control point. Any station may be remotely controlled.
(d) When a station is being automatically controlled, the control operator need not be at
the control point. Only stations specifically designated elsewhere in this Part may be
automatically controlled. Automatic control must cease upon notification by an EIC that
the station is transmitting improperly or causing harmful interference to other stations.
Automatic control must not be resumed without prior approval of the EIC.
(e) No station may be automatically controlled while transmitting third party
communications, except a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission. All messages
that are retransmitted must originate at a station that is being locally or remotely
controlled.
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§97.111 Authorized transmissions.
(a) An amateur station may transmit the following types of two-way communications:
(1) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with other stations in the amateur
service, except those in any country whose administration has given notice that it objects
to such communications. The FCC will issue public notices of current arrangements for
international communications;
(2) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with a station in another FCCregulated
service while providing emergency communications;
(3) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with a United States government
station, necessary to providing communications in RACES; and
(4) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with a station in a service not
regulated by the FCC, but authorized by the FCC to communicate with amateur stations.
An amateur station may exchange messages with a participating United States military
station during an Armed Forces Day Communications Test.
(b) In addition to one-way transmissions specifically authorized elsewhere in this Part, an
amateur station may transmit the following types of one-way communications:
(1) Brief transmissions necessary to make adjustments to the station;
(2) Brief transmissions necessary to establishing two-way communications with other
stations;
(3) Telecommand;
(4) Transmissions necessary to providing emergency communications;
(5) Transmissions necessary to assisting persons learning, or improving proficiency in,
the international Morse code;
(6) Transmissions necessary to disseminate information bulletins;
(7) Transmissions of telemetry.
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§97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
(a) No amateur station shall transmit:
(1) Communications specifically prohibited elsewhere in this Part;
(2) Communications for hire or for material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or
promised, except as otherwise provided in these rules;
(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary
interest, including communications on behalf of an employer. Amateur operators may,
however, notify other amateur operators of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus
normally used in an amateur station, provided that such activity is not conducted on a
regular basis;
(4) Music using a phone emission except as specifically provided elsewhere in this
Section; communications intended to facilitate a criminal act; messages in codes or
ciphers intended to obscure the meaning thereof, except as otherwise provided herein;
obscene or indecent words or language; or false or deceptive messages, signals or
identification;
(5) Communications, on a regular basis, which could reasonably be furnished
alternatively through other radio services.
(b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, nor may an amateur
station transmit one-way communications except as specifically provided in these rules;
nor shall an amateur station engage in any activity related to program production or news
gathering for broadcasting purposes, except that communications directly related to the
immediate safety of human life or the protection of property may be provided by amateur
stations to broadcasters for dissemination to the public where no other means of
communication is reasonably available before or at the time of the event.
(c) A control operator may accept compensation as an incident of a teaching position
during periods of time when an amateur station is used by that teacher as a part of
classroom instruction at an educational institution.
(d) The control operator of a club station may accept compensation for the periods of time
when the station is transmitting telegraphy practice or information bulletins, provided that
the station transmits such telegraphy practice and bulletins for at least 40 hours per week;
schedules operations on at least six amateur service MF and HF bands using reasonable
measures to maximize coverage; where the schedule of normal operating times and
frequencies is published at least 30 days in advance of the actual transmissions; and
where the control operator does not accept any direct or indirect compensation for any
other service as a control operator.
(e) No station shall retransmit programs or signals emanating from any type of radio
station other than an amateur station, except propagation and weather forecast
information intended for use by the general public and originated from United States
Government stations and communications, including incidental music, originating on
United States Government frequencies between a space shuttle and its associated Earth
stations. Prior approval for shuttle retransmissions must be obtained from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Such retransmissions must be for the exclusive
use of amateur operators. Propagation, weather forecasts, and shuttle retransmissions may
not be conducted on a regular basis, but only occasionally, as an incident of normal
amateur radio communications.
(f) No amateur station, except an auxiliary, repeater or space station, may automatically
retransmit the radio signals of other amateur stations.
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§97.115 Third party communications.
(a) An amateur station may transmit messages for a third party to:
(1) Any station within the jurisdiction of the United States.
(2) Any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign government whose administration
has made arrangements with the United States to allow amateur stations to be used for
transmitting international communications on behalf of third parties. No station shall
transmit messages for a third party to any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign
government whose administration has not made such an arrangement. This prohibition
does not apply to a message for any third party who is eligible to be a control operator of
the station.
(b) The third party may participate in stating the message where:
(1) The control operator is present at the control point and is continuously monitoring and
supervising the third party’s participation; and
(2) The third party is not a prior amateur service licensee whose license was revoked;
suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect;
suspended for the balance of the license term and relicensing has not taken place; or
surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary
forfeiture proceedings. The third party may not be the subject of a cease and desist order
which relates to amateur service operation and which is still in effect.
(c) At the end of an exchange of international third party communications, the station
must also transmit in the station identification procedure the call sign of the station with
which a third party message was exchanged.
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§97.117 International communications.
Transmissions to a different country, where permitted, shall be made in plain language
and shall be limited to messages of a technical nature relating to tests, and, to remarks of
a personal character for which, by reason of their unimportance, recourse to the public
telecommunications service is not justified.
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§97.119 Station identification.
(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, must transmit its
assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at
least every ten minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the
source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions.
No station may transmit unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the station
call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.
(b) The call sign must be transmitted with an emission authorized for the transmitting
channel in one of the following ways:
(1) By a CW emission. When keyed by an automatic device used only for identification,
the speed must not exceed 20 words per minute;
(2) By a phone emission in the English language. Use of a standard phonetic alphabet as
an aid for correct station identification is encouraged;
(3) By a RTTY emission using a specified digital code when all or part of the
communications are transmitted by a RTTY or data emission;
(4) By an image emission conforming to the applicable transmission standards, either
color or monochrome, of §73.682(a) of the FCC Rules when all or part of the
communications are transmitted in the same image emission.
(c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each indicator must be
separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or by any suitable word that denotes the
slant mark. If an indicator is self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both
before and after, the call sign. No self-assigned indicator may conflict with any other
indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned to another country.
(d) When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special significance, a station may
substitute for its assigned call sign a special event call sign as shown for that station for
that period of time on the common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated
by the special event call sign data base coordinators. Additionally, the station must
transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during such transmissions.
(e) When the operator license class held by the control operator exceeds that of the station
licensee, an indicator consisting of the call sign assigned to the control operator’s station
must be included after the call sign.
(f) When the control operator who is exercising the rights and privileges authorized by
§97.9(b) of this Part, an indicator must be included after the call sign as follows:
(1) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice to
Technician Class: KT;
(2) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice,
Technician or Technician Plus Class to General Class: AG;
(3) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice,
Technician, Technician Plus, General, or Advanced Class operator to Amateur Extra
Class: AE.
(g) When the station is transmitting under the authority of §97.107 of this part, an
indicator consisting of the appropriate letter-numeral designating the station location must
be included before the call sign that was issued to the station by the country granting the
license. For an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada, however,
the indicator must be included after the call sign. At least once during each
intercommunication, the identification announcement must include the geographical
location as nearly as possible by city and state, commonwealth or possession.
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§97.121 Restricted operation.
(a) If the operation of an amateur station causes general interference to the reception of
transmissions from stations operating in the domestic broadcast service when receivers of
good engineering design, including adequate selectivity characteristics, are used to
receive such transmissions, and this fact is made known to the amateur station licensee,
the amateur station shall not be operated during the hours from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., local
time, and on Sunday for the additional period from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., local time,
upon the frequency or frequencies used when the interference is created.
(b) In general, such steps as may be necessary to minimize interference to stations
operating in other services may be required after investigation by the FCC.
SUBPART C-SPECIAL OPERATIONS
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§97.201 Auxiliary station.
(a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, Technician Plus, General,
Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be an auxiliary station. A holder
of a Technician, Technician Plus, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator
license may be the control operator of an auxiliary station, subject to the privileges of the
class of operator license held.
(b) An auxiliary station may transmit only on the 1.25 m and shorter wavelength bands,
except the 219-220 MHz, 222.000-222.150 MHz, 431-433 MHz and 435-438 MHz
segments.
(c) Where an auxiliary station causes harmful interference to another auxiliary station, the
licensees are equally and fully responsible for resolving the interference unless one
station’s operation is recommended by a frequency coordinator and the other station’s is
not. In that case, the licensee of the non-coordinated auxiliary station has primary
responsibility to resolve the interference.
(d) An auxiliary station may be automatically controlled.
(e) An auxiliary station may transmit one-way communications.
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§97.203 Beacon station.
(a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, Technician Plus, General,
Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be a beacon. A holder of a
Technician, Technician Plus, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license
may be the control operator of a beacon, subject to the privileges of the class of operator
license held.
(b) A beacon must not concurrently transmit on more than 1 channel in the same amateur
service frequency band, from the same station location.
(c) The transmitter power of a beacon must not exceed 100 W.
(d) A beacon may be automatically controlled while it is transmitting on the 28.20-28.30
MHz, 50.06-50.08 MHz, 144.275-144.300 MHz, 222.05-222.06 MHz, or 432.300-
432.400 MHz segments, or on the 33 cm and shorter wavelength bands.
(e) Before establishing an automatically controlled beacon in the National Radio Quiet
Zone or before changing the transmitting frequency, transmitter power, antenna height or
directivity, the station licensee must give written notification thereof to the Interference
Office, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944.
(1) The notification must include the geographical coordinates of the antenna, antenna
ground elevation above mean sea level (AMSL), antenna center of radiation above
ground level (AGL), antenna directivity, proposed frequency, type of emission, and
transmitter power.
(2) If an objection to the proposed operation is received by the FCC from the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, Pocahontas County, WV, for itself or on
behalf of the Naval Research Laboratory at Sugar Grove, Pendleton County, WV, within
20 days from the date of notification, the FCC will consider all aspects of the problem
and take whatever action is deemed appropriate.
(f) A beacon must cease transmissions upon notification by an EIC that the station is
operating improperly or causing undue interference to other operations. The beacon may
not resume transmitting without prior approval of the EIC.
(g) A beacon may transmit one-way communications.
(h) The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to beacons that transmit on the 1.2 cm
or shorter wavelength bands. Before establishing an automatically controlled beacon
within 16 km (10 miles) of the Arecibo Observatory or before changing the transmitting
frequency, transmitter power, antenna height or directivity of an existing beacon, the
station licensee must give written notification thereof to the Interference Office, Arecibo
Observatory, Post Office Box 995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00613, in writing or
electronically, of the technical parameters of the proposal. Licensees who choose to
transmit information electronically should e-mail to prcz@naic.edu
(1) The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83
datum), antenna height above mean sea level (AMSL), antenna center of radiation above
ground level (AGL), antenna directivity and gain, proposed frequency and FCC Rule Part,
type of emission, effective radiated power, and whether the proposed use is itinerant.
Licensees may wish to consult interference guidelines provided by Cornell University.
(2) If an objection to the proposed operation is received by the FCC from the Arecibo
Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, within 20 days from the date of notification, the FCC
will consider all aspects of the problem and take whatever action is deemed appropriate.
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§97.205 Repeater stations.
(a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, General, Advanced or
Amateur Extra Class operator license may be a repeater. A holder of a Technician,
General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be the control operator
of a repeater, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held.
(b) A repeater may receive and retransmit only on the 10 m and shorter wavelength
frequency bands except the 28.0-29.5 MHz, 50.0-51.0 MHz, 144.0-144.5 MHz, 145.5-
146.0 MHz, 222.00-222.15 MHz, 431.0-433.0 MHz and 435.0-438.0 MHz segments.
(c) Where the transmissions of a repeater cause harmful interference to another repeater,
the two station licensees are equally and fully responsible for resolving the interference
unless the operation of one station is recommended by a frequency coordinator and the
operation of the other station is not. In that case, the licensee of the noncoordinated
repeater has primary responsibility to resolve the interference.
(d) A repeater may be automatically controlled.
(e) Ancillary functions of a repeater that are available to users on the input channel are
not considered remotely controlled functions of the station. Limiting the use of a repeater
to only certain user stations is permissible.
(f) [Reserved]
(g) The control operator of a repeater that retransmits inadvertently communications that
violate the rules in this Part is not accountable for the violative communications.
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§97.207 Space station.
(a) Any amateur station may be a space station. A holder of any class operator license
may be the control operator of a space station, subject to the privileges of the class of
operator license held by the control operator.
(b) A space station must be capable of effecting a cessation of transmissions by
telecommand whenever such cessation is ordered by the FCC.
(c) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to space stations:
(1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and
1 mm bands; and
(2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz, 1260-1270 MHz
and 2400-2450 MHz, 3.40-3.41 GHz, 5.83-5.85 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz and 24.00-24.05
GHz segments.
(d) A space station may automatically retransmit the radio signals of Earth stations and
other space stations.
(e) A space station may transmit one-way communications.
(f) Space telemetry transmissions may consist of specially coded messages intended to
facilitate communications or related to the function of the spacecraft.
(g) The license grantee of each space station must make two written pre-space station
notifications to the International Bureau, FCC, Washington, DC 20554. Each notification
must be in accord with the provisions of Articles 11 and 13 of the Radio Regulations.
(1) The first notification is required no less than 27 months prior to initiating space
station transmissions and must specify the information required by Appendix 4, and
Resolution No. 642 of the Radio Regulations.
(2) The second notification is required no less than 5 months prior to initiating space
station transmissions and must specify the information required by Appendix 3 and
Resolution No. 642 of the Radio Regulations.
(h) The license grantee of each space station must make a written in-space station
notification to the International Bureau no later than 7 days following initiation of space
station transmissions. The notification must update the information contained in the prespace
notification.
(i) The license grantee of each space station must make a written post-space station
notification to the International Bureau no later than 3 months after termination of the
space station transmissions. When the termination is ordered by the FCC, notification is
required no later than 24 hours after termination.
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§97.209 Earth station.
(a) Any amateur station may be an Earth station. A holder of any class operator license
may be the control operator of an Earth station, subject to the privileges of the class of
operator license held by the control operator.
(b) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to Earth stations:
(1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and
1 mm bands; and
(2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz, 1260-1270 MHz
and 2400-2450 MHz, 3.40-3.41 GHz, 5.65-5.67 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz and 24.00-24.05
GHz segments.
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§97.211 Space telecommand station.
(a) Any amateur station designated by the licensee of a space station is eligible to transmit
as a telecommand station for that space station, subject to the privileges of the class of
operator license held by the control operator.
(b) A telecommand station may transmit special codes intended to obscure the meaning of
telecommand messages to the station in space operation.
(c) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to telecommand stations:
(1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and
1 mm bands; and
(2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz, 1260-1270 MHz
and 2400-2450 MHz, 3.40-3.41 GHz, 5.65-5.67 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz and 24.00-24.05
GHz segments.
(d) A telecommand station may transmit one-way communications.
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§97.213 Telecommand of an amateur station.
An amateur station on or within 50 km of the Earth’s surface may be under telecommand
where:
(a) There is a radio or wireline control link between the control point and the station
sufficient for the control operator to perform his/her duties. If radio, the control link must
use an auxiliary station. A control link using a fiber optic cable or another
telecommunication service is considered wireline.
(b) Provisions are incorporated to limit transmission by the station to a period of no more
than 3 minutes in the event of malfunction in the control link.
(c) The station is protected against making, willfully or negligently, unauthorized
transmissions.
(d) A photocopy of the station license and a label with the name, address, and telephone
number of the station licensee and at least one designated control operator is posted in a
conspicuous place at the station location.
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§97.215 Telecommand of model craft.
An amateur station transmitting signals to control a model craft may be operated as
follows:
(a) The station identification procedure is not required for transmissions directed only to
the model craft, provided that a label indicating the station call sign and the station
licensee’s name and address is affixed to the station transmitter.
(b) The control signals are not considered codes or ciphers intended to obscure the
meaning of the communication.
(c) The transmitter power must not exceed 1 W.
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§97.217 Telemetry.
Telemetry transmitted by an amateur station on or within 50 km of the Earth’s surface is
not considered to be codes or ciphers intended to obscure the meaning of
communications.
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§97.219 Message forwarding system.
(a) Any amateur station may participate in a message forwarding system, subject to the
privileges of the class of operator license held.
(b) For stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operator of the
station originating a message is primarily accountable for any violation of the rules in this
Part contained in the message.
(c) Except as noted in paragraph (d) of this section, for stations participating in a message
forwarding system, the control operators of forwarding stations that retransmit
inadvertently communications that violate the rules in this Part are not accountable for the
violative communications. They are, however, responsible for discontinuing such
communications once they become aware of their presence.
(d) For stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operator of the
first forwarding station must:
(1) Authenticate the identity of the station from which it accepts communication on
behalf of the system; or
(2) Accept accountability for any violation of the rules in this Part contained in messages
it retransmits to the system.
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§97.221 Automatically controlled digital station.
(a) This rule section does not apply to an auxiliary station, a beacon station, a repeater
station, an earth station, a space station, or a space telecommand station.
(b) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data
emission on the 6 m or shorter wavelength bands, and on the 28.120-28.189 MHz,
24.925-24.930 MHz, 21.090-21.100 MHz, 18.105-18.110 MHz, 14.0950-14.0995 MHz,
14.1005-14.112 MHz, 10.140-10.150 MHz, 7.100-7.105 MHz, or 3.620-3.635 MHz
segments.
(c) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data emission
on any other frequency authorized for such emission types provided that:
(1) The station is responding to interrogation by a station under local or remote control;
and
(2) No transmission from the automatically controlled station occupies a bandwidth of
more than 500 Hz.
SUBPART D-TECHNICAL STANDARDS
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§97.301 Authorized frequency bands.
The following transmitting frequency bands are available to an amateur station located
within 50 km of the Earth’s surface, within the specified ITU Region, and outside any
area where the amateur service is regulated by any authority other than the FCC.
(a) For a station having a control operator who has been granted a Technician, Technician
Plus, General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class operator license or who holds a CEPT
radio-amateur license or IARP of any class:
Wavelength ITU ITU ITU Sharing
band Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 requirements
See §97.303,
Paragraph:
VHF MHz MHz MHz
6 m - 50-54 50-54 (a)
2 m 144-146 144-148 144-148 (a)
1.25 m- 219-220 - (a), (e)
-do- - 222-225 - (a)
UHF MHz MHz MHz
70 cm 430-440 420-450 420-450 (a), (b), (f)
33 cm - 902-928 - (a), (b), (g)
23 cm 1240-1300 1240-1300 1240-1300 (h), (i)
13 cm 2300-2310 2300-2310 2300-2310 (a), (b), (j)
-do- 2390-2450 2390-2450 2390-2450 (a), (b), (j)
SHF GHz GHz GHz
9 cm - 3.3-3.5 3.3-3.5 (a), (b), (k), (l)
5 cm 5.650-5.850 5.650-5.925 5.650-5.850 (a), (b), (m)
3 cm 10.00-10.50 10.00-10.50 10.00-10.50 (b), (c), (i), (n)
1.2 cm 24.00-24.25 24.00-24.25 24.00-24.25 (a), (b), (h), (o)
EHF GHz GHz GHz
6 mm 47.0-47.2 47.0-47.2 47.0-47.2
4 mm 75.5-81.0 75.5-81.0 75.5-81.0 (b), (c), (h)
2.5 mm 119.98-120.02 119.98-120.02 119.98-120.02 (k), (p)
2 mm 142-149 142-149 142-149 (b), (c), (h), (k)
1 mm 241-250 241-250 241-250 (b), (c), (h), (q)
- above 300 above 300 above 300 (k)
(b) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an Amateur Extra Class
operator license or who holds a CEPT radio-amateur license Class 1 license or Class 1
IARP:
Wavelength ITU ITU ITU Sharing
band Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 requirements
See §97.303,
Paragraph:
MF kHz kHz kHz
160 m 1810-1850 1800-2000 1800-2000 (a), (b), (c)
HF MHz MHz MHz
80 m 3.50-3.75 3.50-3.75 3.50-3.75 (a)
75 m 3.75-3.80 3.75-4.00 3.75-3.90 (a)
40 m 7.0-7.1 7.0-7.3 7.0-7.1 (a)
30 m 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 (d)
20 m 14.00-14.35 14.00-14.35 14.00-14.35
17 m 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168
15 m 21.00-21.45 21.00-21.45 21.00-21.45
12 m 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99
10 m 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7
(c) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an operator license of
Advanced Class:
Wavelength ITU ITU ITU Sharing
band Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 requirements
See §97.303,
Paragraph:
MF kHz kHz kHz
160 m 1810-1850 1800-2000 1800-2000 (a), (b), (c)
HF MHz MHz MHz
80 m 3.525-3.750 3.525-3.750 3.525-3.750 (a)
75 m 3.775-3.800 3.775-4.000 3.775-3.900 (a)
40 m 7.025-7.100 7.025-7.300 7.025-7.100 (a)
30 m 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 (d)
20 m 14.025-14.150 14.025-14.150 14.025-14.150
-do- 14.175-14.350 14.175-14.350 14.175-14.350
17 m 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168
15 m 21.025-21.200 21.025-21.200 21.025-21.200
-do- 21.225-21.450 21.225-21.450 21.225-21.450
12 m 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99
10 m 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7
(d) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an operator license of
General Class:
Wavelength ITU ITU ITU Sharing
band Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 requirements
See §97.303,
Paragraph:
MF kHz kHz kHz
160 m 1810-1850 1800-2000 1800-2000 (a), (b), (c)
HF MHz MHz MHz
80 m 3.525-3.750 3.525-3.750 3.525-3.750 (a)
75 m - 3.85-4.00 3.85-3.90 (a)
40 m 7.025-7.100 7.025-7.150 7.025-7.100 (a)
-do- - 7.225-7.300 - (a)
30 m 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 10.10-10.15 (d)
20 m 14.025-14.150 14.025-14.150 14.025-14.150
-do- 14.225-14.350 14.225-14.350 14.225-14.350
17 m 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168 18.068-18.168
15 m 21.025-21.200 21.025-21.200 21.025-21.200
-do- 21.30-21.45 21.30-21.45 21.30-21.45
12 m 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99 24.89-24.99
10 m 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7 28.0-29.7
(e) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an operator license of
Novice Class or Technician Class and who has received credit for proficiency in
telegraphy in accordance with the international requirements.
Wavelength ITU ITU ITU Sharing
band Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 requirements
See §97.303,
Paragraph:
HF MHz MHz MHz
80 m 3.675-3.725 3.675-3.725 3.675-3.725 (a)
40 m 7.050-7.075 7.10-7.15 7.050-7.075 (a)
15 m 21.10-21.20 21.10-21.20 21.10-21.20
10 m 28.10-28.50 28.10-28.50 28.10-28.50
VHF MHz MHz MHz
1.25 m- 222-225 - (a)
UHF MHz MHz MHz
23 cm 1270-1295 1270-1295 1270-1295 (h) (i)
Top
§97.303 Frequency sharing requirements.
The following is a summary of the frequency sharing requirements that apply to amateur
station transmissions on the frequency bands specified in §97.301 of this Part. (For each
ITU Region, each frequency band allocated to the amateur service is designated as either
a secondary service or a primary service. A station in a secondary service must not cause
harmful interference to, and must accept interference from, stations in a primary service.
See §§2.105 and 2.106 of the FCC Rules, United States Table of Frequency Allocations
for complete requirements.)
(a) Where, in adjacent ITU Regions or Subregions, a band of frequencies is allocated to
different services of the same category, the basic principle is the equality of right to
operate. The stations of each service in one region must operate so as not to cause
harmful interference to services in the other Regions or Subregions. (See ITU Radio
Regulations, No. 346 (Geneva, 1979).)
(b) No amateur station transmitting in the 1900-2000 kHz segment, the 70 cm band, the
33 cm band, the 13 cm band, the 9 cm band, the 5 cm band, the 3 cm band, the 24.05-
24.25 GHz segment, the 76-81 GHz segment, the 144-149 GHz segment and the 241-248
GHz segment shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from interference due
to the operation of, the Government radiolocation service.
(c) No amateur station transmitting in the 1900-2000 kHz segment, the 3 cm band, the
76-81 GHz segment, the 144-149 GHz segment and the 241-248 GHz segment shall
cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of,
stations in the non-Government radiolocation service.
(d) No amateur station transmitting in the 30 meter band shall cause harmful interference
to stations authorized by other nations in the fixed service. The licensee of the amateur
station must make all necessary adjustments, including termination of transmissions, if
harmful interference is caused.
(e) In the 1.25 m band:
(1) Use of the 219-220 MHz segment is limited to amateur stations participating, as
forwarding stations, in point-to-point fixed digital message forwarding systems, including
intercity packet backbone networks. It is not available for other purposes.
(2) No amateur station transmitting in the 219-220 MHz segment shall cause harmful
interference to, nor is protected from interference due to operation of Automated
Maritime Telecommunications Systems (AMTS), television broadcasting on channels 11
and 13, Interactive Video and Data Service systems, Land Mobile Services systems, or
any other service having a primary allocation in or adjacent to the band.
(3) No amateur station may transmit in the 219-220 MHz segment unless the licensee has
given written notification of the station’s specific geographic location for such
transmissions in order to be incorporated into a data base that has been made available to
the public. The notification must be given at least 30 days prior to making such
transmissions. The notification must be given to:
The American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111-1494
(4) No amateur station may transmit in the 219-220 MHz segment from a location that is
within 640 km of an AMTS Coast Station that uses frequencies in the 217-218/219-220
MHz AMTS bands unless the amateur station licensee has given written notification of
the station’s specific geographic location for such transmissions to the AMTS licensee.
The notification must be given at least 30 days prior to making such transmissions. The
location of AMTS Coast Stations using the 217-218/219-220 MHz channels may be
obtained from either:
The American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111-1494
or
Interactive Systems, Inc.
Suite 1103
1601 North Kent Street
Arlington, VA 22209
Fax: (703) 812-8275
Phone: (703) 812-8270
(5) No amateur station may transmit in the 219-220 MHz segment from a location that is
within 80 km of an AMTS Coast Station that uses frequencies in the 217-218/219-220
MHz AMTS bands unless that amateur station licensee holds written approval from that
AMTS licensee. The location of AMTS Coast Stations using the 217-218/219-220 MHz
channels may be obtained as noted in paragraph (e)(4) of this section.
(f) In the 70 cm band:
(1) No amateur station shall transmit from north of Line A in the 420-430 MHz segment.
(2) The 420-430 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service in the United States on
a secondary basis, and is allocated in the fixed and mobile (except aeronautical mobile)
services in the International Table of allocations on a primary basis. No amateur station
transmitting in this band shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from
interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other nations in the fixed and
mobile (except aeronautical mobile) services.
(3) The 430-440 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis in
ITU Regions 2 and 3. No amateur station transmitting in this band in ITU Regions 2 and
3 shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the
operation of, stations authorized by other nations in the radiolocation service. In ITU
Region 1, the 430-440 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a co-primary
basis with the radiolocation service. As between these two services in this band in ITU
Region 1, the basic principle that applies is the equality of right to operate. Amateur
stations authorized by the United States and radiolocation stations authorized by other
nations in ITU Region 1 shall operate so as not to cause harmful interference to each
other.
(4) No amateur station transmitting in the 449.75-450.25 MHz segment shall cause
interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of stations in, the
space operation service and the space research service or Government or non-
Government stations for space telecommand.
(g) In the 33 cm band:
(1) No amateur station shall transmit from within the States of Colorado and Wyoming,
bounded on the south by latitude 39° N, on the north by latitude 42° N, on the east by
longitude 105° W, and on the west by longitude 108° W.1 This band is allocated on a
secondary basis to the amateur service subject to not causing harmful interference to, and
not receiving protection from any interference due to the operation of, industrial,
scientific and medical devices, automatic vehicle monitoring systems or Government
stations authorized in this band.
(2) No amateur station shall transmit from those portions of the States of Texas and New
Mexico bounded on the south by latitude 31° 41´ N, on the north by latitude 34° 30´ N, on
the east by longitude 104° 11´ W, and on the west by longitude 107° 30´ W.
(h) No amateur station transmitting in the 23 cm band, the 3 cm band, the 24.05-24.25
GHz segment, the 76-81 GHz segment, the 144-149 GHz segment and the 241-248 GHz
segment shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the
operation of, stations authorized by other nations in the radiolocation service.
(i) In the 1240-1260 MHz segment, no amateur station shall cause harmful interference
to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations in the
radionavigation-satellite service, the aeronautical radio-navigation service, or the
radiolocation service.
(j) In the 13 cm band:
(1) The amateur service is allocated on a secondary basis in all ITU Regions. In ITU
Region 1, no amateur station shall cause harmful interference to, and is not protected
from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other nations in the fixed
and mobile services. In ITU Regions 2 and 3, no amateur station shall cause harmful
interference to, and shall not be protected from interference due to the operation of,
stations authorized by other nations in the fixed, mobile and radiolocation services.
(2) In the United States:
(i) The 2300-2305 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis.
(Currently the 2300-2305 MHz segment is not allocated to any service on a primary
basis.);
(ii) The 2305-2310 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis
to the fixed, mobile, and radiolocation services;
(iii) The 2390-2400 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a primary basis;
(iv) The 2400-2402 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary
basis. (Currently the 2400-2402 MHz segment is not allocated to any service on a primary
basis.) The 2402-2417 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a primary
basis. The 2417-2450 MHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a co-secondary
basis with the Government radiolocation service. Amateur stations operating within the
2400-2450 MHz segment must accept harmful interference that may be caused by the
proper operation of industrial, scientific, and medical devices operating within the band.
(k) No amateur station transmitting in the 3.332-3.339 GHz and 3.3458-3525 GHz
segments, the 2.5 mm band, the 144.68-144.98 GHz, 145.45-145.75 GHz and 146.82-
147.12 GHz segments and the 343-348 GHz segment shall cause harmful interference to
stations in the radio astronomy service. No amateur station transmitting in the 300-302
GHz, 324-326 GHz, 345-347 GHz, 363-365 GHz and 379-381 GHz segments shall cause
harmful interference to stations in the space research service (passive) or Earth
exploration-satellite service (passive).
(l) In the 9 cm band:
(1) In ITU Regions 2 and 3, the band is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary
basis.
(2) In the United States, the band is allocated to the amateur service on a co-secondary
basis with the non-Government radiolocation service.
(3) In the 3.3-3.4 GHz segment, no amateur station shall cause harmful interference to,
nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other
nations in the fixed and fixed-satellite service.
(4) In the 3.4-3.5 GHz segment, no amateur station shall cause harmful interference to,
nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other
nations in the fixed and fixed-satellite service.
(m) In the 5 cm band:
(1) In the 5.650-5.725 GHz segment, the amateur service is allocated in all ITU Regions
on a co-secondary basis with the space research (deep space) service.
(2) In the 5.725-5.850 GHz segment, the amateur service is allocated in all ITU Regions
on a secondary basis. No amateur station shall cause harmful interference to, nor is
protected from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other nations in
the fixed-satellite service in ITU Region 1.
(3) No amateur station transmitting in the 5.725-5.875 GHz segment is protected from
interference due to the operation of industrial, scientific and medical devices operating on
5.8 GHz.
(4) In the 5.650-5.850 GHz segment, no amateur station shall cause harmful interference
to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other
nations in the radiolocation service.
(5) In the 5.850-5.925 GHz segment, the amateur service is allocated in ITU Region 2 on
a co-secondary basis with the radiolocation service. In the United States, the segment is
allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis to the non-Government fixedsatellite
service. No amateur station shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected
from interference due to the operation of, stations authorized by other nations in the fixed,
fixed-satellite and mobile services. No amateur station shall cause harmful interference
to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations in the non-
Government fixed-satellite service.
(n) In the 3 cm band:
(1) In the United States, the 3 cm band is allocated to the amateur service on a cosecondary
basis with the non-government radiolocation service.
(2) In the 10.00-10.45 GHz segment in ITU Regions 1 and 3, no amateur station shall
cause interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of, stations
authorized by other nations in the fixed and mobile services.
(o) No amateur station transmitting in the 1.2 cm band is protected from interference due
to the operation of industrial, scientific and medical devices on 24.125 GHz. In the
United States, the 24.05-24.25 GHz segment is allocated to the amateur service on a cosecondary
basis with the non-government radiolocation and Government and nongovernment
Earth exploration-satellite (active) services.
(p) The 2.5 mm band is allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis. No amateur
station transmitting in this band shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from
interference due to the operation of, stations in the fixed, inter-satellite and mobile
services.
(q) No amateur station transmitting in the 244-246 GHz segment of the 1 mm band is
protected from interference due to the operation of industrial, scientific and medical
devices on 245 GHz.
Top
§97.305 Authorized emission types.
(a) An amateur station may transmit a CW emission on any frequency authorized to the
control operator.
(b) A station may transmit a test emission on any frequency authorized to the control
operator for brief periods for experimental purposes, except that no pulse modulation
emission may be transmitted on any frequency where pulse is not specifically authorized
and no SS modulation emission may be transmitted on any frequency where SS is not
specifically authorized.
(c) A station may transmit the following emission types on the frequencies indicated, as
authorized to the control operator, subject to the standards specified in §97.307(f) of this
part.
Wavelength Frequencies Emission Types Standards
band Authorized See §97.307(f),
paragraph:
MF:
160 m Entire band RTTY, data (3)
-do- -do- Phone, image (1), (2)
HF:
80 m Entire band RTTY, data (3), (9)
75 m Entire band Phone, image (1), (2)
40 m 7.000-7.100 MHz RTTY, data (3), (9)
-do- 7.075-7.100 MHz Phone, image (1), (2), (9), (11)
-do- 7.100-7.150 MHz RTTY, data (3), (9)
-do- 7.150-7.300 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
30 m Entire band RTTY, data (3)
20 m 14.00-14.15 MHz RTTY, data (3)
-do- 14.15-14.35 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
17 m 18.068-18.110 MHz RTTY, data (3)
-do- 18.110-18.168 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
15 m 21.0-21.2 MHz RTTY, data (3), (9)
-do- 21.20-21.45 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
12 m 24.89-24.93 MHz RTTY, data (3)
-do- 24.93-24.99 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
10 m 28.0-28.3 MHz RTTY, data (4)
-do- 28.3-28.5 MHz Phone, image (1), (2), (10)
-do- 28.5-29.0 MHz Phone, image (1), (2)
-do- 29.0-29.7MHzPhone, image (2)
VHF:
6 m 50.1-51.0 MHz RTTY, data (5)
-do- -do- MCW, phone, image (2)
-do- 51.0-54.0 MHz RTTY, data, test (5), (8)
-do- -do- MCW, phone, image (2)
2 m 144.1-148.0 MHz RTTY, data, test (5), (8)
-do- -do- MCW, phone, image (2)
1.25 m 219-220 MHz Data (13)
-do- 222-225 MHz MCW, phone, image
RTTY, data, test (2), (6), (8)
UHF:
70 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS, test (6), (8)
33 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS, test,
pulse (7), (8), (12)
23 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS, test (7), (8), (12)
13 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
SHF:
9 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
5 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
3 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS, test (7), (8), (12)
1.2 cm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
EHF:
6 mm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
4 mm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
2.5 mm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
2 mm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
1 mm Entire band MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
- Above 300 GHz MCW, phone, image,
RTTY, data, SS,
test, pulse (7), (8), (12)
Top
§97.307 Emission standards.
(a) No amateur station transmission shall occupy more bandwidth than necessary for the
information rate and emission type being transmitted, in accordance with good amateur
practice.
(b) Emissions resulting from modulation must be confined to the band or segment
available to the control operator. Emissions outside the necessary bandwidth must not
cause splatter or keyclick interference to operations on adjacent frequencies.
(c) All spurious emissions from a station transmitter must be reduced to the greatest
extent practicable. If any spurious emission, including chassis or power line radiation,
causes harmful interference to the reception of another radio station, the licensee of the
interfering amateur station is required to take steps to eliminate the interference, in
accordance with good engineering practice.
(d) The mean power of any spurious emission from a station transmitter or external RF
power amplifier transmitting on a frequency below 30 MHz must not exceed 50 mW and
must be at least 40 dB below the mean power of the fundamental emission. For a
transmitter of mean power less than 5 W, the attenuation must be at least 30 dB. A
transmitter built before April 15, 1977, or first marketed before January 1, 1978, is
exempt from this requirement.
(e) The mean power of any spurious emission from a station transmitter or external RF
power amplifier transmitting on a frequency between 30-225 MHz must be at least 60 dB
below the mean power of the fundamental. For a transmitter having a mean power of 25
W or less, the mean power of any spurious emission supplied to the antenna transmission
line must not exceed 25 μW and must be at least 40 dB below the mean power of the
fundamental emission, but need not be reduced below the power of 10 μW. A transmitter
built before April 15, 1977, or first marketed before January 1, 1978, is exempt from this
requirement.
(f) The following standards and limitations apply to transmissions on the frequencies
specified in §97.305(c) of this Part.
(1) No angle-modulated emission may have a modulation index greater than 1 at the
highest modulation frequency.
(2) No non-phone emission shall exceed the bandwidth of a communications quality
phone emission of the same modulation type. The total bandwidth of an independent
sideband emission (having B as the first symbol), or a multiplexed image and phone
emission, shall not exceed that of a communications quality A3E emission.
(3) Only a RTTY or data emission using a specified digital code listed in §97.309(a) of
this Part may be transmitted. The symbol rate must not exceed 300 bauds, or for
frequency-shift keying, the frequency shift between mark and space must not exceed 1
kHz.
(4) Only a RTTY or data emission using a specified digital code listed in §97.309(a) of
this Part may be transmitted. The symbol rate must not exceed 1200 bauds. For
frequency-shift keying, the frequency shift between mark and space must not exceed 1
kHz.
(5) A RTTY, data or multiplexed emission using a specified digital code listed in
§97.309(a) of this Part may be transmitted. The symbol rate must not exceed 19.6
kilobauds. A RTTY, data or multiplexed emission using an unspecified digital code under
the limitations listed in §97.309(b) of this Part also may be transmitted. The authorized
bandwidth is 20 kHz.
(6) A RTTY, data or multiplexed emission using a specified digital code listed in
§97.309(a) of this Part may be transmitted. The symbol rate must not exceed 56
kilobauds. A RTTY, data or multiplexed emission using an unspecified digital code under
the limitations listed in §97.309(b) of this Part also may be transmitted. The authorized
bandwidth is 100 kHz.
(7) A RTTY, data or multiplexed emission using a specified digital code listed in
§97.309(a) of this Part or an unspecified digital code under the limitations listed in
§97.309(b) of this Part may be transmitted.
(8) A RTTY or data emission having designators with A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J or R as
the first symbol; 1, 2, 7 or 9 as the second symbol; and D or W as the third symbol is also
authorized.
(9) A station having a control operator holding a Novice or Technician Class operator
license may only transmit a CW emission using the international Morse code.
(10) A station having a control operator holding a Novice Class operator license or a
Technician Class operator license and who has received credit for proficiency in
telegraphy in accordance with the international requirements may only transmit a CW
emission using the international Morse code or phone emissions J3E and R3E.
(11) Phone and image emissions may be transmitted only by stations located in ITU
Regions 1 and 3, and by stations located within ITU Region 2 that are west of 130° West
longitude or south of 20° North latitude.
(12) Emission F8E may be transmitted.
(13) A data emission using an unspecified digital code under the limitations listed in §
97.309(b) of this Part also may be transmitted. The authorized bandwidth is 100 kHz.
Top
§97.309 RTTY and data emission codes.
(a) Where authorized by §97.305(c) and 97.307(f) of this Part, an amateur station may
transmit a RTTY or data emission using the following specified digital codes:
(1) The 5-unit, start-stop, International Telegraph Alphabet No. 2, code defined in
International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee Recommendation F.1,
Division C (commonly known as Baudot).
(2) The 7-unit code, specified in International Radio Consultative Committee
Recommendation CCIR 476-2 (1978), 476-3 (1982), 476-4 (1986) or 625 (1986)
(commonly known as AMTOR).
(3) The 7-unit code defined in American National Standards Institute X3.4-1977 or
International Alphabet No. 5 defined in International Telegraph and Telephone
Consultative Committee Recommendation T.50 or in International Organization for
Standardization, International Standard ISO 646 (1983), and extensions as provided for in
CCITT Recommendation T.61 (Malaga-Torremolinos, 1984) (commonly known as
ASCII).
(4) An amateur station transmitting a RTTY or data emission using a digital code
specified in this paragraph may use any technique whose technical characteristics have
been documented publicly, such as CLOVER, G-TOR, or PacTOR, for the purpose of
facilitating communications.
(b) Where authorized by §§97.305(c) and 97.307(f) of this Part, a station may transmit a
RTTY or data emission using an unspecified digital code, except to a station in a country
with which the United States does not have an agreement permitting the code to be used.
RTTY and data emissions using unspecified digital codes must not be transmitted for the
purpose of obscuring the meaning of any communication. When deemed necessary by an
EIC to assure compliance with the FCC Rules, a station must:
(1) Cease the transmission using the unspecified digital code;
(2) Restrict transmissions of any digital code to the extent instructed;
(3) Maintain a record, convertible to the original information, of all digital
communications transmitted.
Top
§97.311 SS emission types.
(a) SS emission transmissions by an amateur station are authorized only for
communications between points within areas where the amateur service is regulated by
the FCC and between an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC and an
amateur station in another country that permits such communications. SS emission
transmissions must not be used for the purpose of obscuring the meaning of any
communication.
(b) A station transmitting SS emissions must not cause harmful interference to stations
employing other authorized emissions, and must accept all interference caused by stations
employing other authorized emissions.
(c) When deemed necessary by a District Director to assure compliance with this Part, a
station licensee must:
(1) Cease SS emission transmissions;
(2) Restrict SS emission transmissions to the extent instructed; and
(3) Maintain a record, convertible to the original information (voice, text, image, etc.) of
all spread spectrum communications transmitted.
(d) The transmitter power must not exceed 100 W under any circumstances. If more than
1 W is used, automatic transmitter control shall limit output power to that which is
required for the communication. This shall be determined by the use of the ratio,
measured at the receiver, of the received energy per user data bit (Eb) to the sum of the
received power spectral densities of noise (N0) and co-channel interference (I0). Average
transmitter power over 1 W shall be automatically adjusted to maintain an Eb/(N0 + I0)
ratio of no more than 23 dB at the intended receiver.
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§97.313 Transmitter power standards.
(a) An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out
the desired communications.
(b) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 1.5 kW PEP.
(c) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 200 W PEP on:
(1) The 3.675-3.725 MHz, 7.10-7.15 MHz, 10.10-10.15 MHz and 21.1-21.2 MHz
segments;
(2) The 28.1-28.5 MHz segment when the control operator is a Novice Class operator or a
Technician Class operator who has received credit for proficiency in telegraphy in
accordance with the international requirements; or
(3) The 7.050-7.075 MHz segment when the station is within ITU Regions 1 or 3.
(d) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 25 W PEP on the VHF
1.25 m band when the control operator is a Novice operator.
(e) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 5 W PEP on the UHF 23
cm band when the control operator is a Novice operator.
(f) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 50 W PEP on the UHF 70
cm band from an area specified in footnote US7 to § 2.106 of Part 2, unless expressly
authorized by the FCC after mutual agreement, on a case-by-case basis, between the
District Director of the applicable field facility and the military area frequency
coordinator at the applicable military base. An Earth station or telecommand station,
however, may transmit on the 435-438 MHz segment with a maximum of 611 W
effective radiated power (1 kW equivalent isotropically radiated power) without the
authorization otherwise required. The transmitting antenna elevation angle between the
lower half-power ( - 3 dB relative to the peak or antenna bore sight) point and the horizon
must always be greater than 10°.
(g) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 50 W PEP on the 33 cm
band from within 241 km of the boundaries of the White Sands Missile Range. Its
boundaries are those portions of Texas and New Mexico bounded on the south by latitude
31° 41´ North, on the east by longitude 104° 11´ West, on the north by latitude 34° 30´
North, and on the west by longitude 107° 30´ West.
(h) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 50 W PEP on the 219-
220 MHz segment of the 1.25 m band.
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§97.315 Certification of external RF power amplifiers.
(a) No more than 1 unit of 1 model of an external RF power amplifier capable of
operation below 144 MHz may be constructed or modified during any calendar year by an
amateur operator for use at a station without a grant of certification. No amplifier capable
of operation below 144 MHz may be constructed or modified by a non-amateur operator
without a grant of certification from the FCC.
(b) Any external RF power amplifier or external RF power amplifier kit (see §2.815 of
the FCC Rules), manufactured, imported or modified for use in a station or attached at
any station must be certificated for use in the amateur service in accordance with Subpart
J of Part 2 of the FCC Rules. This requirement does not apply if one or more of the
following conditions are met:
(1) The amplifier is not capable of operation on frequencies below 144 MHz. For the
purpose of this part, an amplifier will be deemed to be incapable of operation below 144
MHz if it is not capable of being easily modified to increase its amplification
characteristics below 120 MHz and either:
(i) The mean output power of the amplifier decreases, as frequency decreases from 144
MHz, to a point where 0 dB or less gain is exhibited at 120 MHz; or
(ii) The amplifier is not capable of amplifying signals below 120 MHz even for brief
periods without sustaining permanent damage to its amplification circuitry.
(2) The amplifier was manufactured before April 28, 1978, and has been issued a
marketing waiver by the FCC, or the amplifier was purchased before April 28, 1978, by
an amateur operator for use at that amateur operator’s station.
(3) The amplifier was:
(i) Constructed by the licensee, not from an external RF power amplifier kit, for use at the
licensee’s station; or
(ii) Modified by the licensee for use at the licensee’s station.
(4) The amplifier is sold by an amateur operator to another amateur operator or to a
dealer.
(5) The amplifier is purchased in used condition by an equipment dealer from an amateur
operator and the amplifier is further sold to another amateur operator for use at that
operator’s station.
(c) Any external RF power amplifier appearing in the Commission’s database as
certificated for use in the amateur service may be marketed for use in the amateur service.
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§97.317 Standards for certification of external RF power amplifiers.
(a) To receive a grant of certification, the amplifier must satisfy the spurious emission
standards of §97.307(d) or (e) of this Part, as applicable, when the amplifier is:
(1) Operated at its full output power;
(2) Placed in the "standby" or "off" positions, but still connected to the transmitter; and
(3) Driven with at least 50 W mean RF input power (unless higher drive level is
specified).
(b) To receive a grant of certification, the amplifier must not be capable of operation on
any frequency or frequencies between
24 MHz and 35 MHz. The amplifier will be deemed incapable
of such operation if it:
(1) Exhibits no more than 6 dB gain between 24 MHz and 26 MHz and between 28 MHz
and 35 MHz. (This gain will be determined by the ratio of the input RF driving signal
(mean power measurement) to the mean RF output power of the amplifier); and
(2) Exhibits no amplification (0 dB gain) between 26 MHz and
28 MHz.
(c) Certification may be denied when denial would prevent the use of these amplifiers in
services other than the amateur service. The following features will result in dismissal or
denial of an application for certification:
(1) Any accessible wiring which, when altered, would permit operation of the amplifier in
a manner contrary to the FCC Rules;
(2) Circuit boards or similar circuitry to facilitate the addition of components to change
the amplifier’s operating characteristics in a manner contrary to the FCC Rules;
(3) Instructions for operation or modification of the amplifier in a manner contrary to the
FCC Rules;
(4) Any internal or external controls or adjustments to facilitate operation of the amplifier
in a manner contrary to the FCC Rules;
(5) Any internal RF sensing circuitry or any external switch, the purpose of which is to
place the amplifier in the transmit mode;
(6) The incorporation of more gain in the amplifier than is necessary to operate in the
amateur service; for purposes of this paragraph, the amplifier must:
(i) Not be capable of achieving designed output power when driven with less than 40 W
mean RF input power;
(ii) Not be capable of amplifying the input RF driving signal by more than 15 dB, unless
the amplifier has a designed transmitter power of less than 1.5 kW (in such a case, gain
must be reduced by the same number of dB as the transmitter power relationship to 1.5
kW; This gain limitation is determined by the ratio of the input RF driving signal to the
RF output power of the amplifier where both signals are expressed in peak envelope
power or mean power);
(iii) Not exhibit more gain than permitted by paragraph (c)(6)(ii) of this Section when
driven by an RF input signal of less than 50 W mean power; and
(iv) Be capable of sustained operation at its designed power level.
(7) Any attenuation in the input of the amplifier which, when removed or modified,
would permit the amplifier to function at its designed transmitter power when driven by
an RF frequency input signal of less than 50 W mean power; or
(8) Any other features designed to facilitate operation in a telecommunication service
other than the Amateur Radio Services, such as the Citizens Band (CB) Radio Service.
SUBPART E-PROVIDING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
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§97.401 Operation during a disaster.
(a) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged or disrupted because
a disaster has occurred, or is likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service is
regulated by the FCC, an amateur station may make transmissions necessary to meet
essential communication needs and facilitate relief actions.
(b) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged or disrupted because
a natural disaster has occurred, or is likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service
is not regulated by the FCC, a station assisting in meeting essential communication needs
and facilitating relief actions may do so only in accord with ITU Resolution No. 640
(Geneva, 1979). The 80 m, 75 m, 40 m, 30 m, 20 m, 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 2 m bands
may be used for these purposes.
(c) When a disaster disrupts normal communication systems in a particular area, the FCC
may declare a temporary state of communication emergency. The declaration will set
forth any special conditions and special rules to be observed by stations during the
communication emergency. A request for a declaration of a temporary state of emergency
should be directed to the EIC in the area concerned.
(d) A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit emissions J3E and R3E on the
channel at 5.1675 MHz for emergency communications. The channel must be shared with
stations licensed in the Alaska-private fixed service. The transmitter power must not
exceed 150 W.
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§97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of
radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in
connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property
when normal communication systems are not available.
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§97.405 Station in distress.
(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any
means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and
obtain assistance.
(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional
circumstances described in paragraph (a), of any means of radiocommunications at its
disposal to assist a station in distress.
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§97.407 Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).
(a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed primary, club, or
military recreation station and it is certified by a civil defense organization as registered
with that organization, or it is an FCC-licensed RACES station. No person may be the
control operator of a RACES station, or may be the control operator of an amateur station
transmitting in RACES unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license
and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that organization.
(b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the control operator
are available to stations transmitting communications in RACES on a shared basis with
the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates the invoking of the
President’s War Emergency Powers under the provisions of Section 706 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §606, RACES stations and amateur
stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the following frequency segments:
(1) The 1800-1825 kHz, 1975-2000 kHz, 3.50-3.55 MHz, 3.93-3.98 MHz, 3.984-4.000
MHz, 7.079-7.125 MHz, 7.245-7.255 MHz, 10.10-10.15 MHz, 14.047-14.053 MHz,
14.22-14.23 MHz, 14.331-14.350 MHz, 21.047-21.053 MHz, 21.228-21.267 MHz,
28.55-28.75 MHz, 29.237-29.273 MHz, 29.45-29.65 MHz, 50.35-50.75 MHz, 52-54
MHz, 144.50-145.71 MHz, 146-148 MHz, 2390-2450 MHz segments;
(2) The 1.25 m, 70 cm and 23 cm bands; and
(3) The channels at 3.997 MHz and 53.30 MHz may be used in emergency areas when
required to make initial contact with a military unit and for communications with military
stations on matters requiring coordination.
(c) A RACES station may only communicate with:
(1) Another RACES station;
(2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization;
(3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to
communicate with RACES stations;
(4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is
authorized by the FCC.
(d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only
communicate with:
(1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with which the amateur
station is registered;
(2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil defense official for
the organization with which the amateur station is registered:
(i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization;
(ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense organization;
(iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to
communicate with RACES stations; and
(iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is
authorized by the FCC.
(e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized by the
civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil defense communications of the
following types may be transmitted:
(1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or
affecting the national defense or security during periods of local, regional, or national
civil emergencies;
(2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the
immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human
suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;
(3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public
information or instructions to the civilian population essential to the activities of the civil
defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and
(4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the
establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the RACES as
ordered by the responsible civil defense organizations served. Such drills and tests may
not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for
emergency planning in the applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory,
however, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no
more than twice in any calendar year.
SUBPART F-QUALIFYING EXAMINATION SYSTEMS
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§97.501 Qualifying for an amateur operator license.
Each applicant must pass an examination for a new amateur operator license grant and for
each change in operator class. Each applicant for the class of operator license grant
specified below must pass, or otherwise receive examination credit for, the following
examination elements:
(a) Amateur Extra Class operator: Elements 1, 2, 3, and 4;
(b) General Class operator: Elements 1, 2, and 3;
(c) Technician Class operator: Element 2.
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§97.503 Element standards.
(a) A telegraphy examination must be sufficient to prove that the examinee has the ability
to send correctly by hand and to receive correctly by ear texts in the international Morse
code at not less than the prescribed speed, using all the letters of the alphabet, numerals 0-
9, period, comma, question mark, slant mark and prosigns AR, BT and SK.
Element 1: 5 words per minute.
(b) A written examination must be such as to prove that the examinee possesses the
operational and technical qualifications required to perform properly the duties of an
amateur service licensee. Each written examination must be comprised of a question set
as follows:
(1) Element 2: 35 questions concerning the privileges of a Technician Class operator
license. The minimum passing score is 26 questions answered correctly.
(2) Element 3: 35 questions concerning the privileges of a General Class operator license.
The minimum passing score is 26 questions answered correctly.
(3) Element 4: 50 questions concerning the privileges of an Amateur Extra Class operator
license. The minimum passing score is 37 questions answered correctly.
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§97.505 Element credit.
(a) The administering VEs must give credit as specified below to an examinee holding
any of the following license grants or license documents:
(1) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted
Advanced Class operator license grant: Elements 1, 2, and 3.
(2) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted
General Class operator license grant: Elements 1, 2, and 3.
(3) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted
Technician Plus Class operator (including a Technician Class operator license granted
before February 14, 1991) license grant: Elements 1 and 2.
(4) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted
Technician Class operator license grant: Element 2.
(5) An unexpired (or expired) FCC-granted Novice Class operator license grant: Element
1.
(6) A CSCE: Each element the CSCE indicates the examinee passed within the previous
365 days.
(7) An unexpired (or expired less than 5 years) FCC-issued commercial radiotelegraph
operator license or permit: Element 1.
(8) An expired FCC-issued Technician Class operator license document granted before
March 21, 1987: Element 3.
(9) An expired or unexpired FCC-issued Technician Class operator license document
granted before February 14, 1991: Element 1.
(b) No examination credit, except as herein provided, shall be allowed on the basis of
holding or having held any other license grant or document.
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§97.507 Preparing an examination.
(a) Each telegraphy message and each written question set administered to an examinee
must be prepared by a VE holding an Amateur Extra Class operator license. A telegraphy
message or written question set may also be prepared for the following elements by a VE
holding an operator license of the class indicated:
(1) Element 3: Advanced Class operator.
(2) Elements 1 and 2: Advanced, General, or Technician (including Technician Plus)
Class operators.
(b) Each question set administered to an examinee must utilize questions taken from the
applicable question pool.
(c) Each telegraphy message and each written question set administered to an examinee
for an amateur operator license must be prepared, or obtained from a supplier, by the
administering VEs according to instructions from the coordinating VEC.
(d) A telegraphy examination must consist of a message sent in the international Morse
code at no less than the prescribed speed for a minimum of 5 minutes. The message must
contain each required telegraphy character at least once. No message known to the
examinee may be administered in a telegraphy examination. Each 5 letters of the alphabet
must be counted as 1 word. Each numeral, punctuation mark and prosign must be counted
as 2 letters of the alphabet.
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§97.509 Administering VE requirements.
(a) Each examination for an amateur operator license must be administered by a team of
at least 3 VEs at an examination session coordinated by a VEC. Before the session, the
administering VEs or the VE session manager must ensure that a public announcement is
made giving the location and time of the session. The number of examinees at the session
may be limited.
(b) Each administering VE must:
(1) Be accredited by the coordinating VEC;
(2) Be at least 18 years of age;
(3) Be a person who holds an amateur operator license of the class specified below:
(i) Amateur Extra, Advanced or General Class in order to administer a Technician Class
operator license examination;
(ii) Amateur Extra or Advanced Class in order to administer a General Class operator
license examination;
(iii) Amateur Extra Class in order to administer an Amateur Extra Class operator license
examination.
(4) Not be a person whose grant of an amateur station license or amateur operator license
has ever been revoked or suspended.
(c) Each administering VE must be present and observing the examinee throughout the
entire examination. The administering VEs are responsible for the proper conduct and
necessary supervision of each examination. The administering VEs must immediately
terminate the examination upon failure of the examinee to comply with their instructions.
(d) No VE may administer an examination to his or her spouse, children, grandchildren,
stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters,
aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
(e) No VE may administer or certify any examination by fraudulent means or for
monetary or other consideration including reimbursement in any amount in excess of that
permitted. Violation of this provision may result in the revocation of the grant of the VE’s
amateur station license and the suspension of the grant of the VE’s amateur operator
license.
(f) No examination that has been compromised shall be administered to any examinee.
Neither the same telegraphy message nor the same question set may be re-administered to
the same examinee.
(g) Passing a telegraphy receiving examination is adequate proof of an examinee’s ability
to both send and receive telegraphy. The administering VEs, however, may also include a
sending segment in a telegraphy examination.
(h) Upon completion of each examination element, the administering VEs must
immediately grade the examinee’s answers. The administering VEs are responsible for
determining the correctness of the examinee’s answers.
(i) When the examinee is credited for all examination elements required for the operator
license sought, 3 VEs must certify that the examinee is qualified for the license grant and
that the VEs have complied with these administering VE requirements. The certifying
VEs are jointly and individually accountable for the proper administration of each
examination element reported. The certifying VEs may delegate to other qualified VEs
their authority, but not their accountability, to administer individual elements of an
examination.
(j) When the examinee does not score a passing grade on an examination element, the
administering VEs must return the application document to the examinee and inform the
examinee of the grade.
(k) The administering VEs must accommodate an examinee whose physical disabilities
require a special examination procedure. The administering VEs may require a
physician’s certification indicating the nature of the disability before determining which,
if any, special procedures must be used.
(l) The administering VEs must issue a CSCE to an examinee who scores a passing grade
on an examination element.
(m) Within 10 days of the administration of a successful examination for an amateur
operator license, the administering VEs must submit the application document to the
coordinating VEC.
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§97.511 Examinee conduct.
Each examinee must comply with the instructions given by the administering VEs.
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§97.513 VE session manager requirements.
(a) A VE session manager may be selected by the VE team for each examination session.
The VE session manager must be accredited as a VE by the same VEC that coordinates
the examination session. The VE session manager may serve concurrently as an
administering VE.
(b) The VE session manager may carry on liaison between the VE team and the
coordinating VEC.
(c) The VE session manager may organize activities at an examination session.
§97.515 [Reserved]
§97.517 [Reserved]
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§97.519 Coordinating examination sessions.
(a) A VEC must coordinate the efforts of VEs in preparing and administering
examinations.
(b) At the completion of each examination session, the coordinating VEC must collect
applicant information and tests results from the administering VEs. Within 10 days of
collection, the coordinating VEC must:
(1) Screen collected information;
(2) Resolve all discrepancies and verify that the VE’s certifications are properly
completed; and
(3) For qualified examinees, forward electronically all required data to the FCC. All data
forwarded must be retained for at least 15 months and must be made available to the FCC
upon request.
(c) Each VEC must make any examination records available to the FCC, upon request.
(d) The FCC may:
(1) Administer any examination element itself;
(2) Readminister any examination element previously administered by VEs, either itself
or under the supervision of a VEC or VEs designated by the FCC; or
(3) Cancel the operator/primary station license of any licensee who fails to appear for
readministration of an examination when directed by the FCC, or who does not
successfully complete any required element that is readministered. In an instance of such
cancellation, the person will be granted an operator/primary station license consistent
with completed examination elements that have not been invalidated by not appearing for,
or by failing, the examination upon readministration.
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§97.521 VEC qualifications.
No organization may serve as a VEC unless it has entered into a written agreement with
the FCC. The VEC must abide by the terms of the agreement. In order to be eligible to be
a VEC, the entity must:
(a) Be an organization that exists for the purpose of furthering the amateur service;
(b) Be capable of serving as a VEC in at least the VEC region (see Appendix 2) proposed;
(c) Agree to coordinate examinations for any class of amateur operator license;
(d) Agree to assure that, for any examination, every examinee qualified under these rules
is registered without regard to race, sex, religion, national origin or membership (or lack
thereof) in any amateur service organization.
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§97.523 Question pools.
All VECs must cooperate in maintaining one question pool for each written examination
element. Each question pool must contain at least 10 times the number of questions
required for a single examination. Each question pool must be published and made
available to the public prior to its use for making a question set. Each question on each
VEC question pool must be prepared by a VE holding the required FCC-issued operator
license. See §97.507(a) of this Part.
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§97.525 Accrediting VEs.
(a) No VEC may accredit a person as a VE if:
(1) The person does not meet minimum VE statutory qualifications or minimum
qualifications as prescribed by this Part;
(2) The FCC does not accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of the person;
(3) The VEC determines that the person is not competent to perform the VE functions; or
(4) The VEC determines that questions of the person’s integrity or honesty could
compromise the examinations.
(b) Each VEC must seek a broad representation of amateur operators to be VEs. No VEC
may discriminate in accrediting VEs on the basis of race, sex, religion or national origin;
nor on the basis of membership (or lack thereof) in an amateur service organization; nor
on the basis of the person accepting or declining to accept reimbursement.
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§97.527 Reimbursement for expenses.
VEs and VECs may be reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
preparing, processing, administering, or coordinating an examination for an amateur
operator license.
Appendix 1-Places Where the Amateur Service is Regulated by the FCC
In ITU Region 2, the amateur service is regulated by the FCC within the territorial limits
of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Caribbean Insular areas [Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands (50 islets and cays) and Navassa Island], and
Johnston Island (Islets East, Johnston, North and Sand) and Midway Island (Islets Eastern
and Sand) in the Pacific Insular areas.
In ITU Region 3, the amateur service is regulated by the FCC within the Pacific Insular
territorial limits of American Samoa (seven islands), Baker Island, Commonwealth of
Northern Mariannas Islands, Guam Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef,
Kure Island, Palmyra Island (more than 50 islets) and Wake Island (Islets Peale, Wake
and Wilkes).
Appendix 2-VEC Regions
1. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
2. New Jersey and New York.
3. Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
4. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and
Virginia.
5. Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
6. California.
7. Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
8. Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
9. Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
10. Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South
Dakota.
11. Alaska.
12. Caribbean Insular areas.
13. Hawaii and Pacific Insular areas.
SUBPART B- STATION OPERATION STANDARDS[1In a waiver effective July 2,
1990, the FCC permitted amateurs in the restricted areas to transmit in the following
segments: 902.0-902.4, 902.6-904.3, 904.7-925.3, 925.7-927.3, and 927.7-928.0
MHz.]Wavelength Frequencies Emission Types Standards
band Authorized See §97.307(f),
paragraph: