You always have to have a control operator. Remember that!

The key to remember here is that the question doesn't ask for the control operator to be present at the physical equipment:

• For remotely controlled stations: only at the control point which is wherever the station is being controlled from.

• For automatically controlled stations: they don't have to be present at a control point but someone is still responsible for being the control operator of an automatic station.

Last edited by rjstone. Register to edit

Tags: section8.7

There are no special requirements as far as licensing goes for talking to a satellite; it's a station like any other, it just happens to be in a very remote location. As long as you are allowed to transmit on the uplink frequency (the frequency the satellite listens on) you can communicate through it.

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Tags: satellite operation control operator space station section7.4

The station licensee is the licensee who owns the station; since it is their station, they can designate who the control operator is. It is not uncommon for a station licensee to allow someone else with higher license privileges to be the control operator. When a ham operates a station other than their own (another ham’s, club, military), the control operator’s license class determines frequency, power, and mode privileges.

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Tags: operating rules control operator section8.7

When operating, the privileges that can be used are determined by the control operator. Keep in mind that you could have an extra class operator acting as the control operator and allowing a technician class operator to operate with their privileges, as long as they are present, but the extra class operator as the control operator would be responsible for the emissions of the station.

The station licensee shares responsibility for the operation of the station, but it is the control operator who determines the privileges that can be used. Just having someone with a higher class license on the premises is not enough to allow you to use their privileges; they must be the control operator, you must be using their callsign and license, and they must be supervising (controlling) the operation of the station when their privileges are used.

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Tags: operating rules license class section8.7

This is an important thing to understand; the control point is the location of the control operator when the station is in use. In some cases this may be the same location as the station (local control) or it could be across some sort of auxiliary link, such as a cross-band repeater, controlling through Echolink or IRLP across the internet from a computer or cellphone, etc.

It does not matter where the station is located -- what determines the control point is the location of the control operator.

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Tags: control operator definitions section8.7

The control operator of a station is the one in control of that station. You may never be a control operator of a station outside of your authorized bands. This is different than operating a station in those outside frequencies when there IS a licensed control operator present as with a special event station, a contest, or at field day, for instance.

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Tags: control operator license class section8.7

The control operator is responsible for anything that occurs while they are the control operator, but the station licensee is responsible for their equipment. Therefore, they share the responsibility.

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Tags: rules and regulations operating rules control operator section8.7

Automatic control means control where there isn't a control operator present at the control point -- the station is operating automatically, or autonomously. Repeaters match this description, since they have a callsign and control operator, but no control operator at a control point (local or remote) controlling them most of the time.

Conversely, using a computer in whatever way to tell the radio to do something just changes the location of the control point. When the station is being operated in these cases there is still a control operator controlling the station, just possibly not from the physical location of the station. These are examples of remote control, but not automatic control.

§97.3 Definitions

(a)(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.

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Tags: section8.7

The main thing to remember here is that the control point of a remotely controlled station is the location at which the control operator function is performed.

Therefore, "remote" does not refer to the control operator being away from the control point! It means that the control point itself (most often a terminal such as a laptop or mobile device) is "remote" from the local controls of the station and thus they're "indirectly manipulated" via remote controls.

Try to remember these definitions from CFR §97.3 and you will get all these questions right. Since the control operator is responsible for transmissions from the station, they must always be at the control point even under remote control.

§97.3(a)

(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.

(39) 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.

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Tags: section8.7

A Repeater is operating as Automatic Control., rather than via Remote Control. A model aircraft, boat or car is being operated directly by the control operator. So that leaves operating the station over the Internet.

Keep these definitions in mind and you will get all of these questions right:

§97.3(a)

(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.

(39) 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.

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Tags: section8.7

If someone other than the station licensee is operating, it would be difficult to guess that without any information in the station records to the contrary. Since the station licensee is generally the owner of the station, it makes sense that they would be assumed to be the control operator in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

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Tags: operating rules control operator section8.7