[South Florida DX Association] FCC released R&O on WT Docket 04-140 (FCC 06-149) so-called "omnibus" Amateur Radio proceeding

[Tony N2MFT]

F Y I
Breaking News

NEWINGTON, CT (November 15, 2006) -- Just a little over a month after the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the Report and Order (R&O),
the so-called "omnibus" Amateur Radio proceeding, WT Docket 04-140 (FCC
06-149) to the public, appeared today in the Federal Register. It will take
effect on Friday, December 15 at 12:01 EST, 30 days after its publication.

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, expressed the League's gratitude to the
FCC for acting in the wide-ranging proceeding. "On behalf of the ARRL and
the Commission's licensees in the Amateur Radio Service I want to express
appreciation for [the] release of the Report and Order in WT Docket 04-140
(FCC 06-149) amending Part 97 of the Commission's Rules," Harrison wrote
October 11. "The Commission's action in clearing this pending proceeding
will assist the Amateur Radio Service in meeting its objectives,
particularly with regard to providing emergency and public service
communications."

The Highlights

The FCC has:
. expanded the phone subbands in the 75 and 40 meter bands;
. agreed to allow Novice and Tech Plus (Technician with Element 1 credit)
licensees to operate in the General class CW subbands on 80, 40, 15 and 10
meters;
. implemented rules to discourage multiple vanity call sign filings on the
same day from the same applicant;
. permitted auxiliary stations to transmit on portions of the 2 meter band;
. permitted the use of spread spectrum on 222-225 MHz;
. permitted amateurs to retransmit communications from the International
Space Station;
. permitted amateur licensees to designate a specific Amateur Radio club to
receive their call sign in memoriam;
. eliminated certain restrictions governing the manufacture, marketing and
sale of external RF power amplifiers intended for Amateur Radio use;
. clarified that "amateur stations may, at all times and on all frequencies
authorized to the control operator, make transmissions necessary to meet
essential communication needs and to facilitate relief actions";
. deleted the frequency bands and segments specified for Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (RACES) stations;
. deleted the requirement to publicly announce Amateur Radio examination
locations and times, and
. permitted Amateur Radio stations in Alaska and surrounding waters more
flexibility in providing emergency communications.

The FCC also took several other miscellaneous actions.

"Novice Band Refarming"

In response to an ARRL Petition for Rule Making, the Commission agreed to
"refarm" the HF segments currently authorized to Novice and Technician Plus
licensees. The reallocation will expand the phone subbands for General,
Advanced and Amateur Extra licensees, although not all commenters agreed
with the idea.

"We are persuaded, however, by ARRL's contention that increasing the amount
of spectrum for voice communications will reduce interference among stations
using voice communications," the FCC said in its R&O, "thereby benefiting
all licensees, and that authorizing more spectrum for voice communications
will more closely reflect licensees' operating preferences, thereby
resulting in more efficient use of amateur service spectrum."

On 75 meters, Generals will be able to operate on phone from 3800-4000 kHz,
an increase of 50 kHz. Advanced class licensees will be able to use voice
from 3700-4000, an increase of 75 kHz, and Amateur Extras will be able to
use voice from 3600 to 4000 kHz -- a generous increase of 150 kHz and
substantially more spectrum than the League had requested for phone
operation on 75. The ARRL had sought an additional 25 kHz. The FCC provided
150 kHz.

"Indeed, a number of commenters argue that the NPRM proposal to increase the
amount of spectrum permitted for voice communications would still not meet
the demand for voice communication spectrum in the HF bands, particularly in
the 80 meter band," the FCC noted in the R&O.

On 40 meters, Advanced and Extra Class licensees will be able to use voice
from 7125-7300 kHz, an increase of 25 kHz. General class licensees will be
able to use voice on 7175-7300 kHz, an increase of 50 kHz.

On 15 meters, General class operators will have phone privileges on
21275-21450 kHz, an increase of 25 kHz.

To accommodate the remaining Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with
Element 1 credit) licensees on HF CW, the FCC affirmed its intention to
permit these licensees to operate CW in the current General exclusive-CW
allocations on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters.

"In this connection, we note that the comments generally support maintaining
HF frequency allocations for Novice and Technician Plus Class licensees
stating, for example, that the Commission's proposal would simplify the band
plans and ... also provide Novice and Technician Class licensees the
opportunity to contact a greater number of other amateur operators,'" the
FCC said. "Other commenters support the Commission's proposal on the grounds
that it would 'increase utilization of the three bands involved' and
generate and continue the effective and efficient use of valuable and
priceless spectrum, generate experimentation, and further the advance of the
industry.'"

Novice/Tech Plus licensees still may only run no more than 200 W PEP on
those HF CW segments, but the Commission has done away with similar power
limitations on HF segments for higher-class licensees, with the exception of
the 200 W PEP power limitation already in place on 30 meters and the 50 W
ERP restriction on 60 meters.

Vanity Call Sign Applications

The FCC has revised its vanity call sign rules to discourage the filing of
multiple applications for the same call sign on the same day, and many
commenters supported this concept. As implemented in §97.19(d)(1), if the
FCC receives more than one application requesting a vanity call sign from a
single applicant on the same receipt day, it will process only the first
application entered into the Universal Licensing System. "Subsequent vanity
call sign applications from that applicant with the same receipt date will
not be accepted," the rule concludes.

Current Commission rules and procedures do not preclude applicants from
filing multiple applications on the same day for the same vanity call sign,
provided that they pay the filing fee for each application.

"We are persuaded that we should adopt rule amendments to discourage
multiple vanity call sign applications," the FCC said in the R&O, "and we
believe that a one-application-per-day-per-applicant rule, as requested by
ARRL and others, will eliminate multiple applications requesting the same
assignable call sign on the same day."

The FCC concedes that its one-application-per-day rule "will not prevent an
individual from requesting multiple vanity call signs per se," because an
applicant may request up to 25 call signs at a time.

When the FCC receives multiple valid applications from several individuals
requesting the same vanity call sign as a first choice on the same day, it
uses a lottery system to decide which application to process first.

RF Power Amplifiers

The R&O also affirms changes to Part 2 and Part 97 rules the FCC had
proposed regarding the manufacture, marketing and sale of external RF power
amplifiers. Current FCC rules prohibit commercial manufacturers from
marketing RF power amplifiers capable of transmitting on the 12 and 10 meter
bands. The rules were put in place as a way to prevent use of such
amplifiers by CBers.

"We agree with ARRL that the requirements imposed on Amateur Radio operators
by the current rule are unnecessary because, under the present rules, 'the
equipment, once authorized, can be modified to transmit on all amateur
service frequency allocations,' and that revising the rule 'will enhance use
of the 12 and 10 meter amateur bands,'" the FCC said.

To prevent the use of Amateur Radio amplifiers by CBers, the FCC says it's
still necessary to require manufacturers of Amateur Radio amplifiers design
their products to avoid operation on the CB frequencies.

"We will, therefore, retain the requirement that amplifiers exhibit no
amplification capability between 26 MHz and 28 MHz and require manufacturers
to certify that amplifiers are not capable of amplification between 26 MHz
and 28 MHz and are not easily modifiable to operate between 26 MHz and 28
MHz prior to the grant of an equipment certification," the FCC said.

The FCC also concluded that the definition of an external RF power amplifier
kit is no longer needed in Part 97.

The Commission said it may deny certification of external radio frequency
power amplifiers to prevent their use in services other than the Amateur
Radio Service. Non-amateur licensees will not be permitted to construct or
modify an RF amplifier capable of operation below 144 MHz without a grant of
certification from the FCC. Radio amateurs may build or modify RF amplifiers
for use at an Amateur Radio station without a certification grant, however.

Morse Code Requirement

The "omnibus" R&O does not include action on the Commission's proposal to
eliminate the Morse code requirement for all license classes. A Report and
Order in that proceeding, WT Docket 05-235, is still pending, and the ARRL
will announce when the Commission releases it.