Chapter 6 – Operating Regulations

1. Chapter 6 – Operating Regulations • Control Operators • Identification • Interference • Third-party Communications • Remote and Automatic Operation • Prohibited Transmissions

2. Control Operator • Control operator is an amateur operator designated by the licensee of the station to be responsible for station transmissions. • Control operator must be present at the station control point when a transmitter is operating. • A control operator can control any number of transmitters. • When an amateur operator designates another licensed operator as control operator, both share responsibility for station operation.

3. Control Operator (Cont’d) • An amateur can only operate a amateur station as control operator according to his license privileges. • A repeater station may be operated by automatic control with no control operator at the transmitter control point.

4. Station Identification • An amateur station must identify with the assigned call sign every ten minutes or less during a contact and at the end of the contact. • There is no requirement to transmit both call signs when communicating with another amateur station. • An exception is the case of third-party communications with a station in a foreign county. Both station call signs are required at the end of the contact. • Morse code emission mode may always be used to transmit your station identification.

5. Station Identification (Cont’d) • Any language may be used to communicate with other amateur stations; however, you must identify your station using English. • FCC recommends that you use a phonetic alphabet as an aid to station identification. • Two exceptions to identification rules: • When transmitting signals to control model craft • An amateur satellite does not have to transmit a station call sign.

6. Interference • Any transmission that disturbs other communications is harmful interference. • In general, interference may be natural noise (QRN) or signals from other operators (QRM). • Intentional harmful interference is never allowed. • Be polite, use common sense, use good equipment. Nobody owns a frequency.

7. Third-Party Communications • A message sent between two amateur stations for someone else is third-party communications. • Third-party messages with other stations in the United Stations is allowed. • Third-party messages may be passed only to stations in other countries who have a third-party communications agreement with the U.S.

8. Third-Party Communications (Cont’d) • In general, third-party international communications is prohibited except when: • An international third-party communications agreement exists. • In cases of emergency where there is a threat to lives or property. • The third party is eligible to be a control operator of the station. • Third-party participation is when an unlicensed person participates in communications from your amateur station.

9. Permitted One-Way Transmissions • One-way transmissions are not intended to be answered. • Examples are: control of model craft and beacon station operations. • Part 97 of FCC rules also allow: • Brief transmissions to make station adjustments. • Brief transmissions to establish communications with another station. • Morse code practice transmissions. • Transmissions to disseminate information bulletins to amateurs.

10. Remote and Automatic operation • Local control: a control operator is physically present. • Remote operation: the transmitter is controlled from somewhere else, but an operator is directly controlling through a link. • Automatic operation: the transmitter is controlled by a device. (E.g. a repeater, beacon, or space station) • The licensee must guarantee that the transmitter operates in compliance with FCC rules. • Automatic operation is limited to specific band segments.

11. Prohibited Practices • FCC rules prohibit unidentified communications or signals • These are transmissions without giving a call sign. • FCC rules prohibit transmission of false or deceptive signals. • These are transmissions intended to mislead or confuse. • An example is transmitting a MAYDAY when there is no emergency. • You must avoid deliberately interfering with another station’s communications.