Login or Register for FREE!
Subelement E1

COMMISSION RULES

Section E1C

Automatic and remote control; band-specific regulations; operating in and communicating with foreign countries; spurious emission standards; HF modulation index limit; band-specific rules

What is the maximum bandwidth for a data emission on 60 meters?

  • 60 Hz
  • 170 Hz
  • 1.5 kHz
  • Correct Answer
    2.8 kHz

The maximum bandwidth for a data emission on 60 meters is 2.8 kHz.


Amateurs are not the primary users on the 60 meter band so operation on 60 meters is restricted to five 2.8 kHz wide channels centered on

  • 5332 kHz,
  • 5348 kHz,
  • 5368 kHz,
  • 5373 kHz, and
  • 5405 kHz

...with USB, data, and CW signals.

Silly Tip: Question asks for MAXIMUM bandwidth and the answer is the HIGHEST frequency of answers.

Last edited by sparkie855. Register to edit

Tags: none

Which of the following apply to communications transmitted to amateur stations in foreign countries?

  • Third party traffic must be limited to that intended for the exclusive use of government and non-Government Organization (NGOs) involved in emergency relief activities
  • All transmissions must be in English
  • Correct Answer
    Communications must be limited to those incidental to the purpose of the amateur service and remarks of a personal nature
  • All these choices are correct

Business-related messages are never allowed to be sent over amateur radio, even if it's for a non-profit organization.

A maritime satellite service would most likely be a service for connecting to seafaring vessels -- a web search turned up nothing useful -- which would not be part of the amateur service.

Communications incidental to the purpose of the amateur service and remarks of a personal nature are always welcome on amateur radio, so this should generally be the most obvious choice -- good thing it's the correct one.

Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit

Tags: none

How long must an operator wait after filing a notification with the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) before operating on the 2200-meter or 630-meter band?

  • Operators must not operate until approval is received
  • Correct Answer
    Operators may operate after 30 days, providing they have not been told that their station is within 1 kilometer of PLC systems using those frequencies
  • Operators may not operate until a test signal has been transmitted in coordination with the local power company
  • Operations may commence immediately, and may continue unless interference is reported by the UTC

§97.303 Frequency sharing requirements.

(g)(2) Prior to commencement of operations in the 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200 m) and/or 472-479 kHz (630 m) bands, amateur operators shall notify the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) of their intent to operate by submitting their call signs, intended band or bands of operation, and the coordinates of their antenna's fixed location. Amateur stations will be permitted to commence operations after the 30-day period unless UTC notifies the station that its fixed location is located within one kilometer of PLC (power-line carrier) systems operating in the same or overlapping frequencies.

Last edited by noji-instructor. Register to edit

Tags: none

What is an IARP?

  • Correct Answer
    A permit that allows US amateurs to operate in certain countries of the Americas
  • The internal amateur radio practices policy of the FCC
  • An indication of increased antenna reflected power
  • A forecast of intermittent aurora radio propagation

International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) is for operation in certain countries of the Americas (see below for list) and allows US amateur radio operators to operate without seeking a special license or permit to operate from that country. For a US citizen to operate an amateur station in a CITEL country, an IARP is necessary and may be issued by a member-society of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)--for the US, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). The permit lists its authority in four different languages.

See http://www.arrl.org/iarp

Participating IARP Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Last edited by w3mit. Register to edit

Tags: none

Under what situation may a station transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled?

  • Never
  • Correct Answer
    Only when transmitting RTTY or data emissions
  • Only when transmitting SSB or CW
  • On any mode approved by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration

Third Party Communications of an amatuer station are governed by Part 97.115.

This section of the code covers all the acceptable times when a station is allowed to transmit messages for a third party, however it limits these messages to having a control operator present except in the case of RTTY or data emissions.

97.115(c) - No station may transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled except a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission.

Last edited by n4vtb. Register to edit

Tags: none

Which of the following is required in order to operate in accordance with CEPT rules in foreign countries where permitted?

  • You must identify in the official language of the country in which you are operating
  • The US embassy must approve of your operation
  • Correct Answer
    You must have a copy of FCC Public Notice DA 16-1048
  • You must append "/CEPT" to your call sign

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/DA-11-221A1.pdf

Therein: While operating an amateur station in a CEPT country, the person must have in his or her possession a copy of this Public Notice DA-11-221, proof of U.S. citizenship, and evidence of the FCC license grant. These documents must be shown to proper authorities upon request.

Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit

Tags: none

What notifications must be given before transmitting on the 630- or 2200-meter bands?

  • A special endorsement must be requested from the FCC
  • An environmental impact statement must be filed with the Department of the Interior
  • Operators must inform the FAA of their intent to operate, giving their call sign and distance to the nearest runway
  • Correct Answer
    Operators must inform the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) of their call sign and coordinates of the station

Utilities Telecom Council notification/registration is required because of the use of Power-line Carrier systems on these frequencies and the potential for interference with PLC communication systems. The process for registration is simple though and can be done at https://utc.org/plc-database-amateur-notification-process/

The Regs:

§97.303 Frequency sharing requirements.

(g)(2) Prior to commencement of operations in the 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200 m) and/or 472-479 kHz (630 m) bands, amateur operators shall notify the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) of their intent to operate by submitting their call signs, intended band or bands of operation, and the coordinates of their antenna's fixed location. Amateur stations will be permitted to commence operations after the 30-day period unless UTC notifies the station that its fixed location is located within one kilometer of PLC systems operating in the same or overlapping frequencies.

Last edited by rjstone. Register to edit

Tags: none

What is the maximum permissible duration of a remotely controlled station’s transmissions if its control link malfunctions?

  • 30 seconds
  • Correct Answer
    3 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes

Memory Trick: If your control link malfunctions, it cannot transmit more than 3 minutes. “3 strikes and you’re out!”

Real Answer: FCC 97.213(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.

3M m on its side looks like the number 3. malfunction, minutes, m rotated

Last edited by dogshed. Register to edit

Tags: none

What is the highest modulation index permitted at the highest modulation frequency for angle modulation below 29.0 MHz?

  • 0.5
  • Correct Answer
    1.0
  • 2.0
  • 3.0

Any modulation index greater than 1.0 will result in bandwidths that are wider than necessary for good amateur practices.

§ 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.

The definition of modulation index differs between AM and FM.

The AM Modulation Index is (\(m = \frac{M}{A}\)), where M = the peak CHANGE in modulated carrier AMPLITUDE from its UNMODULATED value, and A = the unmodulated carrier amplitude. A modulation index of 1 is when the envelope cycles between TWICE the steady state value (increases by 1X) and ZERO (decreases by 1X) .

With FM, the FM carrier FREQUENCY is modulated by some frequency spectrum, typically speech. The FM modulation index is (\(m = \frac{Fd}{A}\)), where Fd is the maximum deviation from the carrier frequency, and A is the highest audio frequency.

If the maximum deviation Fd of a signal, set by FCC standards at down 26 dB, is, say, 3 kHz on either side of the center freq (146.52 MHz, for example), and the modulating frequency A is speech low-pass filtered to 3 kHz, then the modulation index is (\(\frac{3000}{3000} = 1\)), right at the limit. If the transmitted signal had side bands that used, say, 5 kHz on either side of the carrier frequency, for the same 3 kHz audio stream, the MI would be (\(\frac{5000}{3000} = 1.67\)).

ARRL 2021 Handbook, Sect 11.3 Angle Modulation

SILLY HINT: 29 MHz is the 10 Metre band, answer is 1.0 (10)

For further reading: Wikipedia on modulation indexes

Last edited by cs403. Register to edit

Tags: none

What is the maximum mean power level for a spurious emission below 30 MHz with respect to the fundamental emission?

  • Correct Answer
    - 43 dB
  • - 53 dB
  • - 63 dB
  • - 73 dB

§ 97.307 Emission standards.


For transmitters installed after January 1, 2003, the mean power of any spurious emission from a station transmitter or external RF power amplifier transmitting on a frequency below 30 MHz must be at least 43 dB below the mean power of the fundamental emission.

*Memory - The lowest number in the list -- W1SBC

TEST TIP: "86'd" is a slang term meaning "to get rid of." The correct answer (43 dB) is half way to 86. FCC doesn't expect us to completely eliminate spurious emissions, so just think of the expectation as being "half way to 86'd".

Last edited by w9mpx. Register to edit

Tags: none

Which of the following operating arrangements allows an FCC-licensed US citizen to operate in many European countries, and amateurs from many European countries to operate in the US?

  • Correct Answer
    CEPT
  • IARP
  • ITU reciprocal license
  • All these choices are correct

CEPT - European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations. C "European" PT

Hint: Usually not allowed, but they make exCEPTions.

Fun Fact, from Wikipedia:

The acronym comes from the French version of its name:

Conférence Européenne des administrations des Postes et des Télécommunications.

Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit

Tags: none

In what portion of the 630-meter band are phone emissions permitted?

  • None
  • Only the top 3 kHz
  • Only the bottom 3 kHz
  • Correct Answer
    The entire band

Just another one of those "learn the regs" questions.

This one is covered in §97.305(c) Authorized emission types where RTTY, Data, Phone, and Image are all authorized for the entire 630m band.

Last edited by rjstone. Register to edit

Tags: none

Go to E1B Go to E1D