[Packet] Re[2]: OT: Ham rules

[Miroslav Skoric]

Hello Bob,

Tuesday, April 29, 2003, 10:25:44 PM, you wrote:

Bac> Indeed, things are a lot simpler here in the United States.  First of
Bac> all, anyone can legally purchase an amateur rig.

Depends  on  what you mean by 'legally'. There is not much of shops in
the  country that sell amateur radios. So hams usually bring them from
abroad.  And  the  custom  officials  ask  for  a  'supply permission'
document before allow an item to be imported.

Bac> Some stores will
Bac> decline to sell an amateur radio transceiver or transmitter to someone
Bac> that can't demonstrate that they hold an amateur radio license, but that
Bac> is an individual store policy - not a legal requirement.  Some stores
Bac> will sell to those who state that they intend to get a license, or to
Bac> someone who states they are purchasing the radio as a gift for an
Bac> amateur or prospective amateur.  Some stores will sell to anyone without
Bac> question.

As  long as I know, in Serbia there is no store who may 'legally' sell
you  a  radio  transmitter  case  you  don't  show  them  your 'supply
permission'.  I  remember  when  I purchased my handy talkie ten years
ago, first I had to get the 'supply permission' from the national FCC.
It  was  not  a  problem  because  I already had my 'operator ticket',
except  that  was another bureaucracy business to do. The store in the
other  city  asked  from me to send the 'supply permission' along with
the payment, so they could deliver the radio to me. Actually, case you
don't  have an 'operator ticket', that in turn, after passing the exam
you  apply for, you are not able to apply for the 'supply permission'.
It  means,  that  people  who  are not legal hams (yet), should no way
purchase  a radio legally. Somehow it makes sense, because they seemed
to want avoid selling transmitters to people other than real hams (say
some criminals or like). On the other hand, your shops may sell radios
to everybody without questions (similarly to selling pistols or like),
so criminals' equipment is easily supplied.

The  problems  that  follows, is that in Serbia even brand new factory
made  radios,  have to be submitted to the services to be 'technically
checked' if they comply with the standards etc. And after that you get
a  receipt  from  the  service.  With  that  receipt  and  the 'supply
permission' and the bill from the store where you bought the radio and
some other documents (like one that confirms you haven't been arrested
or in a jail recently), you apply again to the national FCC to get the
'second station permission', in order to may run the radio. What makes
things  worse,  all  of  that  papers void in 5 years, so the complete
procedures  must  be  repeated again and again. Of course, every paper
and application asks for some fees so it makes your budget lower.


Bac> Some stores will post a sign or text in printed
Bac> advertisements that state that to use the transmitting device requires
Bac> the operator to hold an appropriate license.

That's ok.

Bac> After our amateur license examination, performed by volunteer examiners,
Bac> the examiners submit the successful applicant's paperwork goes to the
Bac> Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for processing and issuance of
Bac> the combined operators and station license, at whatever license grade
Bac> the applicant successfully examined for.  As mentioned by others, the
Bac> FCC could decline to issue a license, however the occurrence of this is
Bac> very rare.

Make it clear: is that you get as 'combined operators and station license' a
ONE paper or there are TWO documents?

Bac> So, once a license has been issued by the FCC (and it doesn't even have
Bac> to have arrived via the mails), the operator can operate any radio on
Bac> any frequency, power level, and mode that their license class allows.

Ok. With domestic 'operator permission' you can operate only a club's
or a friend's radio. Not your own radio yet.

Bac> It doesn't matter if the transmitter is home-brew or commercially
Bac> manufactured.  The operator is the one that's legally responsible for
Bac> the emissions, in all regards.

I agree with that.

Bac> The station license primarily states
Bac> where the operator can be communicated with in the event that the FCC
Bac> desires to do so.  An operator isn't legally required to operate a
Bac> station at the location stated on the station license, and is also not
Bac> prevented from operating a station at any other location within the
Bac> United States, unless there is some other overriding legal requirement
Bac> to not operate an amateur station at that location.  Examples could
Bac> include operating stations on boats, ships,  and aircraft, without the
Bac> permission of the master of that vehicle.  Certain government
Bac> reservations would also apply.

A location is not an issue for me. Our law says that a location may be
either  permanent  (an  address of ham's house or like) or temporarily
relocated  (like  a  picnic  location or like). You just have to carry
both your 'operator ticket' and particular 'station ticket' along with
you,  in  order  to  prove that you are a legal ham and the station is
legally registered.

Bac> There is testing required of radios that are manufactured in quantity,
Bac> for some of the following reasons:

Bac> - Ensure that a receiver does not emit signals at levels that might
Bac> interfere with other receiving equipment.  This would include emissions
Bac> due to inadequate shielding of local oscillators and microprocessors use
Bac> to control the receiver.  This requirement applies to all receivers.

Bac> - Ensure that the equipment (if it has a large number of memories, that
Bac> can be scanned) can not be used or easily modified to receive cellular
Bac> telephone frequencies.  Receivers with very few memories (less than 4?)
Bac> are exempt from this requirement.  Interestingly this requirement does
Bac> not include eliminating the ability to receive cordless phones which are
Bac> not used in cellular phone service.

I find that reasonable IF a manufacturer (or a seller) makes that job.
But here a ham personally has to handle that business. I would like to
stop with that nonsense.

-- 
Best regards,
 Misko YT7MPB                            mailto:skoric@ptt.yu