[KYHAM] Fwd: ARLB015 Minor FCC amateur rule changes effective June 1

[Bill Fuqua]

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>
>SB QST @ ARL $ARLB015
>ARLB015 Minor FCC amateur rule changes effective June 1
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>ZCZC AG15
>QST de W1AW
>ARRL Bulletin 15  ARLB015
> From ARRL Headquarters
>Newington CT  May 7, 2004
>To all radio amateurs
>
>SB QST ARL ARLB015
>ARLB015 Minor FCC amateur rule changes effective June 1
>
>The FCC says minor amendments to various Amateur Radio rules become
>effective June 1. The regulatory changes, which the FCC made on its
>own motion rather than in reaction to any petitions, appeared May 5
>in the Federal Register.
>
>"This document makes minor amendments to various rule sections to
>clarify or eliminate duplicative language or conform them with other
>rule sections," the FCC said.
>
>Among other changes, the most significant involved revising the
>wording of Section 97.307(d), which defines spurious emissions. The
>updated language imposes a slightly higher standard on newer
>transmitters or amplifiers of any power level. Starting June 1, the
>rule will provide that:
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>    * the mean power of any spurious emission from HF transmitters or
>external RF power amplifiers installed after January 1, 2003, must
>be at least 43 dB below the mean power of the fundamental emission.
>
>    * the mean power of any spurious emission from HF transmitters or
>external RF power amplifiers installed on or before January 1, 2003,
>must not exceed 50 mW and must be at least 40 dB below the mean
>power of the fundamental emission. If the mean power output of such
>as transmitter is less than 5 W, the attenuation must be at least 30
>dB.
>
>Still exempt from the provisions of Section 97.307(d) are
>transmitters built before April 15, 1977, or those first marketed
>before January 1, 1978.
>
>The FCC also has redefined what constitutes an Amateur Radio
>operator to reflect the advent of the Universal Licensing System
>(ULS) electronic licensee database. Under the revised Section
>97.3(a)(1) an amateur operator is "a person named in an amateur
>operator/primary license station grant on the ULS consolidated
>licensee database to be the control operator of an amateur station."
>The current rule defines an amateur operator as "a person holding a
>written authorization to be the control operator of an amateur
>station."
>
>Anther change eliminates Technician or Technician with Element 1
>credit licensees from the classes of operators permitted to prepare
>Element 1 (5 WPM Morse) and Element 2 (Technician written)
>examinations.
>
>The Commission ordered the rule changes within the context of a
>larger, wide-ranging Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT
>Docket 04-140. That NPRM addresses several Amateur Radio-related
>petitions and proposes revisions to operating privileges. The FCC
>continues to seek comments on these proposals. Comments are due by
>Tuesday, June 15, and reply comments by Wednesday, June 30. Among
>other changes, the FCC has recommended adopting the ARRL's "Novice
>refarming" plan.
>NNNN
>/EX