Why is There Ham Radio?

1. Technician License CourseChapter 7 Lesson Module 15:Licensing Regulations: Terms & Working with the FCC

2. Why is There Ham Radio? • Providing emergency communication capability. • Advancement of the art and science of radio. • Advance communication and technical skills of radio. • Provide a trained reservoir of operators, technicians, and electronics experts. • Promote and enhance international goodwill.

3. Some Definitions • Amateur Service – no pecuniary interest (private and personal, non commercial). • Amateur Operator – the person holding authorization (license) to operate an Amateur Radio station. • Amateur Station – equipment capable of transmitting on frequencies authorized for Amateur Service.

4. Licensing Authority • Federal Communications Commission • Amateur Radio Intended for: • Persons who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. • Amateur Radio operations covered by FCC rules published in Part 97 of Title 47 – Code of Federal Regulations. • Use Part 97 for short

5. The Amateur License • No age limit or citizenship restrictions. • One exception – foreign representatives. • License actually contains two parts. • Operator License. • Station License (the Call Sign). • Three levels of operator privileges: Technician, General, Amateur Extra.

6. Examinations • Preparation • Study the content. • Question Pool. • Taking the exam • Proctored exam. • Multiple choice. • What the fee pays for. • Volunteer Examiners (VEs). • Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs). • License valid when it appears in database

7. License Term and Renewal • The license is free and good for 10 years. • Renewable within 90 days of the expiration date. • 2 year grace period for renewal • Some personal identification information is required. • Tax ID (Social Security number). • Current Mailing Address. • Federal Registration Number (FRN).

8. Responsibilities of Licensure • Prevent unauthorized operation of your station. • Provide personal information as required – keep a current mailing address on file. • Returned FCC correspondence can result in revocation of license • Make your station available for FCC inspection upon request.

9. FCC ULS Web Site • www.wireless.fcc.gov/uls • Register for on-line access to your license information. • Make changes to your address and other information. • Renew your license. • Search for other station information.

10. What can you do with a Technician Class License? • Power limits. • Use the minimum power required to get the job done. • Up to 1500 watts peak envelope power (PEP). • Will generally require an external amplifier to achieve these power levels. • Some special cases where power is restricted.

11. What can you do with a Technician Class License? • Frequency Privileges: • Band versus frequency. • Note the Bottom 100 Khz on 6M & 2M is CW only. • 219 to 220 is fixed digital message forwarding only

12. What can you do with a Technician Class License? • Emission Privileges:

13. Repeater Co-ordination • Done by volunteer regional frequency coordinators • Goal is to prevent interference between repeaters • Chosen by amateurs in an area who opreate repeaters • Uncoordinated repeaters not illegal but discouraged

14. Primary and Secondary Allocations • Some authorized amateur frequencies are shared. • Primary Users. • Secondary Users. • If Amateur allocation is secondary then amateur stations may not cause harmful interference to the primary user • Most Bands above 70cm are secondary

15. Amateur Radio - Internationally • International Telecommunication Union (ITU) a UN agency. • Regions 1, 2 and 3. • CONUS hams are in Region 2. • Reciprocal operating authorizations. • There are times when there are restrictions on certain countries that we can contact. • A country may notify the ITU that it objects to its amateurs communicating internationally

16. ITU Regions

17. International Communication • Communications incidental to the purposes of amateur radio and remarks of a personal nature. – generally permitted • You may operate in a foreign country if that country authorizes it. • You may operate from any vessel or craft located in international waters and documented or registered in the United States with the permission of the master.

18. Call Signs • US call signs begin with: K, N, W, and A. • US call sign districts: 0-9 • Prefix – one or two letters followed by a number • Suffix one to three letters

19. Call Signs • Portable – operating away from primary station location. • If in the different call sign district add: • “portable 6” if voice. • /6 if Morse code or digital. • Not required, just nice to do. • If recent upgrade add “AG” or “AE.”

20. Special Call Signs • Club (minimum 4 members) • Special event call signs. • 1x1 calls temporally assigned for operations in conjunction with an activity of special significance to the amateur community • Vanity call signs. • Normally a minimum of 4 characters

21. Quiz Time • Chapter 7

22. Chapter 7 Key • Section 7.1 • T1A01 A B C D • T1A02 A B C D • T1A03 A B C D • T1A10 A B C D • T1C07 A B C D • T1C08 A B C D • T1C09 A B C D • T1C10 A B C D • T1C11 A B C D • T1F13 A B C D

23. Chapter 7 Key • Section 7.3 • T1A08 A B C D • T1A09 A B C D • T1B03 A B C D • T1B04 A B C D • T1B05 A B C D • T1B06 A B C D • T1B07 A B C D • T1B08 A B C D • T1B10 A B C D • T1B11 A B C D • T1C05 A B C D • T2A10 A B C D • T2A11 A B C D • T8D05 A B C D

24. Chapter 7 Key Section 7.4 T1B01 A B C D T1B02 A B C D T1C03 A B C D T1C04 A B C D T1C06 A B C D T1D01 AB C D Section 7.5 T1C01 A B C D T1C02 A B C D T1F12 A B C D T8C06 A B C D