[Boatanchors] Canada A.M.

[Ed Swynar]

Hi Guys,

I just downloaded a copy of "STANDARDS FOR THE OPERATION OF RADIO STATIONS IN THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE" from Industry Canada (our FCC), with an eye on just what, exactly, the maximum power limitations for Canadian Hams are anymore...I hear of guys in this country running amplifiers with jugs that are capable of far more than the proverbial / traditional "1 kilowatt input" --- maybe I've missed something...?

It seems that I have, indeed!

We actually have SEVERAL power limitations, per mode, as I see it...specifically, if you're running CW, it's still "...1000 W to the anode...circuit of the transmitter stage that supplies radio frequency energy to the antenna." For SSB, it goes on to say, "...2250 W peak envelope power for transmitters that produce any type of single sideband emission." 

When it comes to AM, here's the rule: "...750 W carrier power for transmitters that produce any other type of emission." I guess that means if you have an amplifier with only 60% efficiency, you can, readily, run more than a KW input, as long as the carrier doesn't exceed 750 watts...and that level translates to 3 KW output, PEP!

There are AM BC stations here in Ontario that don't run that kind of power...

There is one caveat specifically related to AM, i.e. "...An amteur station transmitting amplitude modulation is limited to 100 per cent modulation." Looks like "super-modulation", "Taylor modulation", etc. are verboten here!

As for bandwidth, in the HF spectrum it's a maximum 6 khz, except for 10-meters, where we can run up to 20 KHz bandwidth! Talk about your hi-fi BC quality audio in the 10-meter AM window! Hi Hi.

Anyway, it's all quite interesting, I think, in light of all the hassles & threats AM seems to continually be defending itself against in the U.S.A. --- something that I simply do NOT understand, considering the small amount of AM'ers (in proportion to the entire service) that are active there to-day...why can't the "...do-gooders / do as I say, not as I do" crowd simply leave well enough alone, & try to get along, as the AM'ers do...?!

~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ