W3BE
CHECKLISTS
Review your
duties using these checklists before causing a station to transmit on amateur
service frequencies. For complete
information, see Parts 0, 1, 17 and 97 of the FCC rules at www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html.
Your station licensee duties
o
Make certain that your station
license grant as shown on the FCC ULS consolidated license database has
your correct name and mailing address in the United States. See §97.23. This obligation does not apply to stations authorized for alien
reciprocal authorization. See §§97.5(c),
(d) and (e).
o
Maintain physical
control of your station. See
§§97.5(a). You do not have to own the
station apparatus, but at all times you must control access to, and the use of,
the apparatus. When your station is
under telecommand, protect it against making, willfully or negligently,
unauthorized transmissions. See
§97.213(c).
o
Select your station
location. See §97.5(a). It is authorized to transmit from
practically anywhere the FCC regulates communications. You do not have to own or lease the property
where your station is located. Do not
locate your station within one mile of an FCC monitoring facility.
See §97.13(b).
In ITU Region 2, the FCC regulates the Amateur Radio Services 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 FCC regulates within the Pacific Insular territorial limits of
American Samoa, Baker Island, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam
Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Island and Wake
Island. Your station may operate in
ITU Regions 1, 2 and 3 on or over the high seas in areas where the service
is not regulated by a foreign government or by an agency of the U.S. Government
other than the FCC. See Appendix 1 to
Part 97. §0.121(c) gives the specific
geographical coordinates for each FCC monitoring facility: Allegan, MI; Anchorage, AK; Belfast, ME; Canandaigua,
NY; Douglas, AZ; Ferndale, WA; Grand Island, NE;
Kingsville, TX; Laurel, MD; Livermore, CA; Powder Springs, GA;
Sabina Seca, PR; Santa Isabel,
PR; Vero Beach, FL; and Waipahu, HI.
o
Notify the FAA and
register with the FCC when your station antenna structure exceeds 200 feet
above ground level at its site. Follow the notification and registration
procedures specified in Part 17 when your antenna structure is located near a
heliport or public-use airport.
§17.7(b) describes an imaginary surface above which
notification and registration are required.
It extends outward and upward at one of the following slopes: For a
heliport, the slope is 25:1 for a horizontal distance of 5,000 feet from
the nearest landing and takeoff area. For
a small airport (longest runway length no more than 3,200 feet), the slope
is 50 to 1 for a horizontal distance of 10,000 feet from the nearest point on
the nearest runway. For a large
airport (any runway length more than 3,200 feet), the slope is 100 to 1 for
a horizontal distance of 20,000 feet from the nearest point on the nearest
runway.
o
Obtain approval from the
master of the ship or pilot in command of the aircraft on which you intend to
install your station. See
§97.11(a). Make certain that that the
station complies with the interference requirements in §97.11(b) and the hazard
provisions in §97.11(c).
o
Determine the PEP input
to the station antenna for each frequency band where your station will
transmit. Where the PEP exceeds that
listed in §97.13(c)(1), reduce it or perform the routine RF environmental
evaluation prescribed by §1.1307(b).
Take action to prevent the radiated fields from exceeding the limits for
exposure to humans.
o
Make certain that your
station is operated in compliance with FCC rules. See §97.103(a). Configure
and operate your station depending upon your interests, your resources, your
ingenuity and your good judgment. There
are no “how to” requirements in the rules nor does the FCC pre-approve systems
in the Amateur Radio Service.
o
Provide at least one
control point for your station. See
§97.109(a).
o
Provide a radio or wire
line control link between the control point and the station when your station
is under telecommand. See §97.213. Incorporate provisions to limit transmissions
to three minutes should your control link fail. See §97.213(b). Post at
the station a copy of your station license and a label with information on how
you and your station control operator can be reached. See §97.213(d).
o
Maintain station
records. Include as a copy of your
license grant as shown on the FCC ULS consolidated license database, your
license grant document, your control operator designation records, your RF
environmental determinations and evaluations, such records as may be required
by an FCC Engineer in Charge, instructions from the FCC and other documents
relating to your station’s operation.
Make your station and its records available for inspection by a FCC
representative. See §97.103(c).
o
Designate your
station control operator. See
§97.103(b). The FCC presumes that you
are the station control operator, unless there is documentation to the contrary
in your station records. A station
license grant does not authorize operating privileges.
Your control operator duties
Your class of operator license grant determines your
operating privileges. Although it is
issued with your primary station license grant, it is a separate
authorization. Make certain that:
o
You are designated to be
the control operator by the station licensee.
See §97.103(b).
o
You are situated at the
station’s control point while it is being locally or remotely controlled. See §97.109(b).
o
You select the station’s
transmitting channel from those frequency bands authorized to your class of
operator license. See §97.301. Listen before transmitting. Make your selection such that the
transmissions do not cause interference to any radio communication or
signal. See §97.101(d). Observe all frequency sharing requirements
for the band you are using. See
§97.303. Select the emission type from
those authorized for the transmitting channel.
See §97.305.
o
You prevent the station
from transmitting on any channel being used by stations engaged in providing
emergency communications. See
§97.101(c).
o
The station
identification announcement is performed properly. See §§97.119 and 97.115(c).
o
The station makes no
prohibited transmission. See §97.113.
o
The station does not
transmit any message for a third party to any station within the jurisdiction
of any foreign government whose administration has not made arrangements with
the United States to allow such communications. See §97.115.
o
The station does not
transmit any communications to a station in a foreign country whose government
has given notice that it objects to such communications. See §97.111(a)(1).
o
The station’s
transmissions to a station in a foreign country are in plain language and are
limited to messages of a technical nature relating to tests and to remarks of a
personal character so unimportant that use of a public telecommunications
service is unjustified. See
§97.117.
o
The station is operated
in accordance with good engineering and good Amateur Radio Service
practice. See §97.101(a).
o
The station uses the
minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired
communications. See §97.313(a).
o
When participating in a
message forwarding system, stop forwarding any communications that violate the
rules in Part 97, once you become aware of their presence. When the station is the first forwarding
station in the system, make certain that communications are accepted from only
stations whose identity you have authenticated. See § 97.219.
Your duties to the Amateur Radio Service
o
Maintain your interest
in the technology developments and operating trends in the service.
o
Be courteous on the
air. Let your communications be an
asset to the service. Operate as if the whole world is listening.
o
Enjoy!
June 27, 2002