Subpart A - General Provisions

(1) Amateur operator. A person named in an amateur operator/primary license grant on the ULS consolidated licensee database 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-the-air 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 0 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) 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).

(13) 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.

(14) Control point. The location at which the control operator function is performed.

(15) CSCE. Certificate of successful completion of an examination.

(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.

(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) 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. AG/doc.3216/95).

(25) Indicator. Words, letters or numerals appended to and separated from the call sign during the station identification.

(26) Information bulletin. A message directed only to amateur operators consisting solely of subject matter of direct interest to the amateur service.

(27) 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.

(28) ITU. International Telecommunication Union.

(29) Line A. Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle arc to the intersection of 48 deg. N, 120 deg. W, thence along parallel 48 deg. N, to the intersection of 95 deg. W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45 deg. N, 85 deg. W, thence southward along meridian 85 deg. W, to its intersection with parallel 41 deg. N, thence along parallel 41 deg. N, to its intersection with meridian 82 deg. 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 deg. 15'N on the north, 78 deg. 30'W on the east, 37 deg. 30' N on the south and 80 deg. 30' W on the west.

(33) Physician. For the purpose 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 (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.)

(34) Question pool. A series of examination questions for a designated written examination element.

(35) Question set. A series of examination 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, or 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.

(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.

[54 FR 25857, June 20, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 29, Jan. 2, 1991; 56 FR 56171, Nov. 1, 1991; 59 FR 18975, Apr. 21, 1994; 60 FR 7460, Feb. 8, 1995; 62 FR 17567, Apr. 10, 1997] Section 97.3(a)17 deleted

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(a) For whom an amateur operator/primary station license grant appears on the ULS consolidated licensee database, or

(b) Who is authorized for alien operation by §97.107 of this Part.

 [59 FR 54832, Nov. 2, 1994]

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(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.

(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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(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.]

[54 FR 25857, June 20, 1989; 54 FR 39535, Sept. 27, 1989, as amended at 60 FR 50123, Sept. 28, 1995; 61 FR 4369, Feb. 6, 1996]

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(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 a 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 of each new primary, club, and military recreation station. The call sign will be selected by the sequential call sign system.

[59 FR 54832, Nov. 2, 1994, as amended at 60 FR 7460, Feb. 8, 1995; 60 FR 53132, Oct. 12, 1995]

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(a) An amateur service license is normally granted for a 10-year term.

[59 FR 54833, Nov. 2, 1994]

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(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.

[59 FR 54833, Nov. 2, 1994]

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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.

[59 FR 54833, Nov. 2, 1994]

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