Commission's Rules Flashcards
Which of the following is part of the Basis and Purpose of the Amateur Radio Service?
A. Providing personal radio communications for as many citizens as possible?
B. Providing communications for international non-profit organizations
C. Advancing skills in the technical and communications phases of the radio art
D. All these choices are correct
C. Advancing skills in the technical and communications phases of the radio art
The purpose of providing personal communications and those for international non-profits are not in Part 97, but advancing skills are.
If it were for as many citizens as possible, why bother with a test? Family Radio Service is available without a test - it doesn’t even radio does.
If it were just for US Citizens, then a non-US Citizen couldn’t get a license, but they can - they just need a US mailing address.
So, you can eliminate those two choices, which leaves you with the final one. If you don’t get a license and transmit you could be hit with a heavy fine.
Which agency regulates and enforces the rules for the Amateur Radio Service in the United States?
A. FEMA
B. Homeland Security
C. The FCC
D. All these choices are correct
C. The FCC
What do the FCC rules state regarding the use of a phonetic alphabet for station identification in the Amateur Radio Service?
A. It is required when transmitting emergency messages
B. It is encouraged
C. It is required when in contact with foreign stations
D. All these choices are correct
B. It is encouraged
How many operator/primary station license grants may be held by any one person?
A. One
B. No more than two
C. One for each band on which the person plans to operate
D. One for each permanent station location from which the person plans to operate
A. One
What proves that the FCC has issued an operator/primary license grant?
A. A printed copy of the certificate of successful completion of examination
B. An email notification from the NCVEC granting the license
C. The license appears in the FCC ULS database
D. All these choices are correct
C. The license appears in the FCC ULS database
What is the FCC Part 97 definition of a beacon?
A. A government transmitter marking the amateur radio band edges
B. A bulletin sent by the FCC to announce a national emergency
C. A continuous transmission of weather information authorized in the amateur bands by the National Weather Service
D. An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes of observing propagation or related experimental activities
D. An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes of observing propagation or related experimental activities
What is the FCC Part 97 definition of a space station?
A. Any satellite orbiting Earth
B. A manned satellite orbiting Earth
C. An amateur station located more than 50 km above Earth’s surface
D. An amateur station using amateur radio satellites for relay of signals
C. An amateur station located more than 50 km above Earth’s surface
Which of the following entities recommends transmit/receive channels and other parameters for auxiliary and repeater stations?
A. Frequency Spectrum Manager appointed by the FCC
B. Volunteer Frequency Coordinator recognized by local amateurs
C. FCC Regional Field Office
D. International Telecommunication Union
B. Volunteer Frequency Coordinator recognized by local amateurs
Frequency Coordinators are regular amateur radio operators who are selected by repeater operators to coordinate the use of the radio frequencies for a given geographical area. This is important to keep repeaters from interfering with each other and to ensure that enough frequencies remain usable for simplex operation.
Some people may think that any frequencies can be used for simplex operation, but if you are uninformed as to the band plan selected by the Frequency Coordinator in your area, you may find yourself operating on or close to the input frequency of a repeater, thus causing harmful interference to others in the area.
Who selects a Frequency Coordinator?
A. The FCC Office of Spectrum Management and Coordination Policy
B. The local chapter of the Office of National Council of Independent Frequency Coordinators
C. Amateur operators in a local or regional area whose stations are eligible to be repeater or auxiliary stations
D. FCC Regional Field Office
C. Amateur operators in a local or regional area whose stations are eligible to be repeater or auxiliary stations
What is the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)?
A. A radio service using amateur frequencies for emergency management or civil defense communications
B. A radio service using amateur stations for emergency management or civil defense communications
C. An emergency service using amateur operators certified by a civil defense organization as being enrolled in that organization
D. All these choices are correct
D. All these choices are correct
When is willful interference to other amateur radio stations permitted?
A. To stop another amateur station that is breaking the FCC rules
B. At no time
C. When making short test transmissions
D. At any time, stations in the Amateur Radio Service are not protected from willful interference
B. At no time
Which of the following frequency ranges are available for phone operation by Technician licensees?
A. 28.050 MHz to 28.150 MHz
B. 28.100 MHz to 28.300 MHz
C. 28.300 MHz to 28.500 MHz
D. 28.500 MHz to 28.600 MHz
C. 28.300 MHz to 28.500 MHz
Technician licensees have access to the 10-meter band between 28.000 and 28.500, however below 28.300 use is limited to CW and digital modes.
Which amateurs may contact the International Space Station (ISS) on VHF bands?
A. Any amateur holding a General class or higher license
B. Any amateur holding a Technician class or higher license
C. Any amateur holding a General class or higher license who has applied for and received approval from NASA
D. Any amateur holding a Technician class or higher license who has applied for and received approval from NASA
B. Any amateur holding a Technician class or higher license
There are no special requirements as far as licensing goes for talking to a satellite or space station; it’s a station like any other, it just happens to be in a very remote location. As long as you are allowed to transmit on the uplink frequency (the frequency the satellite listens on) you can communicate through it.
Since any amateur radio operator with a Technician or higher class license can operate on the 2 meter and 70 cm bands, that means that those operators can also make contact with a station in space.
Which frequency is in the 6 meter amateur band?
A. 49.00 MHz
B. 52.525 MHz
C. 28.50 MHz
D. 222.15 MHz
B. 52.525 MHz
As an aid, convert the wavelength to frequency:
f(MHz)=300 / λ(meters)
So in this case:
f(MHz)=300 / 6m ≈ 50MHz
52.525 MHzis the only frequency in the6 meter band.
Which amateur band includes 146.52 MHz?
A. 6 meters
B. 20 meters
C. 70 centimeters
D. 2 meters
D. 2 meters
As an aid, you can convert the frequency (f) to wavelength in meters (λ) :
λ(m) = 300 / f(MHz)
(300 is approximately the number of Mm/sec light travels in a vacuum.) So in this case:
λ(m)=300 / 146.52MHz = 2.05m ≈ 2m
144-148Mhzis the frequency range allocated to ham radio operators in the 2 meter band, with 144.0-144.1 being allocated for CW mode only.
How may amateurs use the 219 to 220 MHz segment of 1.25 meter band?
A. Spread spectrum only
B. Fast-scan television only
C. Emergency traffic only
D. Fixed digital message forwarding systems only
D. Fixed digital message forwarding systems only
Whenever there is a part of the band that is reserved for Data it is generally the lowest part, and so it makes sense that the range at the bottom of the 220 MHz range would be for data. In point of fact, all non-data frequencies allowed to ham operators in the 1.25 meter band (222 MHz) are from 222.0 to 225.0 MHz, and that block allows phone and image.
219 to 220MHz is for fixed digital message forwarding systems only.
On which HF bands does a Technician class operator have phone privileges?
A. None
B. 10 meter band only
C. 80 meter, 40 meter, 15 meter, and 10 meter bands
D. 30 meter band only
B. 10 meter band only
Technician class operators are much more limited in their HF band privileges than General or Amateur Extra class operators. Remember that while Technician class operators have CW privileges on some other HF bands, they only havePhone, RTTY, and Data privileges on a portion of the10m band.
This is why if you have an HF radio you will want to get your General class license sooner rather than later!
See theARRL Frequency Chartfor a handy one-page reference to band privileges.
An easy way to remember this is to look for the “1” first. Technician class is the first license.
Which of the following VHF/UHF band segments are limited to CW only?
A. 50.0 MHz to 50.1 MHz and 144.0 MHz to 144.1 MHz
B. 219 MHz to 220 MHz and 420.0 MHz to 420.1 MHz
C. 902.0 MHz to 902.1 MHz
D. All these choices are correct
A. 50.0 MHz to 50.1 MHz and 144.0 MHz to 144.1 MHz
This is a trick question intended to confuse guessing attempts.There are no UHF (300-3000MHz) frequencies reserved for CW!But there are 0.1MHz regions of VHF reserved for CW on the lowest part of the 6m (50Mhz) and 2m (144MHz) bands for all amateur operators.
Just remember that above VHF, no frequencies are limited to CW.
How are US amateurs restricted in segments of bands where the Amateur Radio Service is secondary?
A. U.S. amateurs may find non-amateur stations in those segments, and must avoid interfering with them
B. U.S. amateurs must give foreign amateur stations priority in those segments
C. International communications are not permitted in those segments
D. Digital transmissions are not permitted in those segments
A. U.S. amateurs may find non-amateur stations in those segments, and must avoid interfering with them
Secondary means that while amateur radio is allowed to use that band, amateurs are not considered the primary user. Therefore amateurs must give priority access to the primary users by not interfering with them.
The answers involving foreign amateur stations are not correct, they are still amateur radio operators, so they aren’t protected by this rule. The only proscription on talking to foreign amateur stations is when their country does not allow communications with our country - there aren’t many of those, but there are a few.
In the US, digital transmissions are allowed on the entire 70 cm band, so this choice is also not correct.
Why should you not set your transmit frequency to be exactly at the edge of an amateur band or sub-band?
A. To allow for calibration error in the transmitter frequency display
B. So that modulation sidebands do not extend beyond the band edge
C. To allow for transmitter frequency drift
D. All these choices are correct
D. All these choices are correct
The frequency you set on a transmitter is actually the carrier frequency which is either at the center of the total bandwidth that you’re using (for FM or non-SSB) or at the top or bottom of the bandwidth (for SSB). When you transmit on a frequency, you will actually use a little bit of bandwidth above and/or below that frequency (referred to as deviation) even with a properly calibrated transmitter!
Not all transmitters are calibrated perfectly, and so if you set your transmitter exactly on a specific frequency, say the bottom edge of the amateur portion of the band even when using upper sideband (USB), you may actually be transmitting illegally out of band, due to calibration error.
Some transmitters may drift a little bit off frequency during transmission as well (due to temperature changes as the radio gets warmer etc).
Where may SSB phone be used in amateur bands above 50 MHz?
A. Only in sub-bands allocated to General class or higher licensees
B. Only on repeaters
C. In at least some segment of all these bands
D. On any band if the power is limited to 25 watts
C. In at least some segment of all these bands
Amateur radio operators have some portion of all amateur bands above 50 MHz where they are permitted to use SSB.
SSB is an abbreviation for Single Side Band, a type of amplitude modulation.
“Phone” means “voice.”
What is the maximum peak envelope power output for Technician class operators in their HF band segments?
A. 200 watts
B. 100 watts
C. 50 watts
D. 10 watts
A. 200 watts
Memory Aid: the ‘maximum’ happens to be the largest option given
This is a FCC regulation you just have to memorize. (‘HF’ has 2 letters, limit is 2-hundred W)Technician class operators are limited to 200W PEP (Peak Envelope Power) on any part of an HF band that they’re otherwise allowed to use.
As always, FCC 97.313 says “An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.”
Except for some specific restrictions, what is the maximum peak envelope power output for Technician class operators using frequencies above 30 MHz?
A. 50 watts
B. 100 watts
C. 500 watts
D. 1500 watts
D. 1500 watts
For frequenciesabove HF frequencies (>30MHz), Technician class operators are generallyallowed to use the full power of 1500W PEPallowed for amateur transmissions.
§97.313 Transmitter power standards.
(a) An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.
(b) No station may transmit with a transmitter power exceeding 1.5 kW PEP.
For which license classes are new licenses currently available from the FCC?
A. Novice, Technician, General, Amateur Extra
B. Technician, Technician Plus, General, Amateur Extra
C. Novice, Technician Plus, General, Advanced
D. Technician, General, Amateur Extra
D. Technician, General, Amateur Extra
Who may select a desired call sign under the vanity call sign rules?
A. Only a licensed amateur with a General or Amateur Extra Class license
B. Only a licensed amateur with an Amateur Extra Class license
C. Only a licensed amateur who has been licensed continuously for more than 10 years
D. Any licensed amateur
D. Any licensed amateur
An entry-level Technician Class licensee can select a vanity call sign, but there are more restrictions on what call signs a Technician can choose, compared to what an Extra Class can choose.
You can submit an application for a vanity call sign just as soon as your license appears in the FCC database.
What types of international communications are an FCC-licensed amateur radio station permitted to make?
A. Communications incidental to the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service and remarks of a personal character
B. Communications incidental to conducting business or remarks of a personal nature
C. Only communications incidental to contest exchanges; all other communications are prohibited
D. Any communications that would be permitted by an international broadcast station
A. Communications incidental to the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service and remarks of a personal character
What may happen if the FCC is unable to reach you by email?
A. Fine and suspension of operator license
B. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license
C. Revocation of access to the license record in the FCC system
D. Nothing; there is no such requirement
B. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license
The FCC requires an email address to be on file as the primary contact method for every amateur station and operator license issued. The FCC will no longer mail physical correspondence.
§ 97.23 Mailing and email addresses.
Each license grant must show the grantee’s correct name, mailing address, and email address. The email address must be an address where the grantee can receive electronic correspondence. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct email address.
