§ 97.3   Definitions.

   (a) The definitions of terms used in part 97 are:

   (1) Amateur operator. 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.

   (2) Amateur radio services. The amateur service, the amateur-satellite
   service and the radio amateur civil emergency service.

   (4)  Amateur  service. A radiocommunication service for the purpose of
   self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out
   by amateurs, that is, duly authorized persons interested in radio technique
   solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.

   (5) Amateur station. A station in an amateur radio service consisting of the
   apparatus necessary for carrying on radiocommunications.

   (6) Automatic control. The use of devices and procedures for control of a
   station when it is transmitting so that compliance with the FCC Rules is
   achieved without the control operator being present at a control point.

   (7)  Auxiliary  station.  An  amateur station, other than in a message
   forwarding system, that is transmitting communications point-to-point within
   a system of cooperating amateur stations.

   (8) Bandwidth. The width of a frequency band outside of which the mean power
   of the transmitted signal is attenuated at least 26 dB below the mean power
   of the transmitted signal within the band.

   (9) Beacon. An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes
   of observation of propagation and reception or other related experimental
   activities.

   (10) Broadcasting. Transmissions intended for reception by the general
   public, either direct or relayed.

   (11) Call sign system. The method used to select a call sign for amateur
   station over-the-air identification purposes. The call sign systems are:

   (i) Sequential call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from
   an  alphabetized  list  corresponding  to the geographic region of the
   licensee's mailing address and operator class. The call sign is shown on the
   license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of
   the sequential call sign system.

   (ii) Vanity call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from a
   list of call signs requested by the licensee. The call sign is shown on the
   license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of
   the vanity call sign system.

   (iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by the
   station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a common data base
   coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station special
   event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must have the single
   letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral 0 through 9, followed
   by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for example K1A). The special
   event  call sign is substituted for the call sign shown on the station
   license grant while the station is transmitting. The FCC will issue public
   announcements  detailing the procedures of the special event call sign
   system.

   (12) CEPT radio amateur license. A license issued by a country belonging to
   the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations
   (CEPT) that has adopted Recommendation T/R 61-01 (Nice 1985, Paris 1992,
   Nicosia 2003).

   (13) Control operator. An amateur operator designated by the licensee of a
   station to be responsible for the transmissions from that station to assure
   compliance with the FCC Rules.

   (14) Control point. The location at which the control operator function is
   performed.

   (15) CSCE. Certificate of successful completion of an examination.

   (16) Earth station. An amateur station located on, or within 50 km of, the
   Earth's surface intended for communications with space stations or with
   other Earth stations by means of one or more other objects in space.

   (17) [Reserved]

   (18) External RF power amplifier. A device capable of increasing power
   output  when  used in conjunction with, but not an integral part of, a
   transmitter.

   (19) [Reserved]

   (20) FAA. Federal Aviation Administration.

   (21) FCC. Federal Communications Commission.

   (22) Frequency coordinator. An entity, recognized in a local or regional
   area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible to be auxiliary or
   repeater stations, that recommends transmit/receive channels and associated
   operating and technical parameters for such stations in order to avoid or
   minimize potential interference.

   (23) Harmful interference. Interference which endangers the functioning of a
   radionavigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades,
   obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in
   accordance with the Radio Regulations.

   (24) IARP (International Amateur Radio Permit). A document issued pursuant
   to the terms of the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur
   Radio Permit by a country signatory to that Convention, other than the
   United States. Montrouis, Haiti. AG/doc.3216/95.

   (25) Indicator. Words, letters or numerals appended to and separated from
   the call sign during the station identification.

   (26) Information bulletin. A message directed only to amateur operators
   consisting  solely of subject matter of direct interest to the amateur
   service.

   (27) In-law. A parent, stepparent, sibling, or step-sibling of a licensee's
   spouse;  the  spouse  of a licensee's sibling, step-sibling, child, or
   stepchild; or the spouse of a licensee's spouse's sibling or step-sibling.

   (28)  International  Morse  code.  A dot-dash code as defined in ITU-T
   Recommendation F.1 (March, 1998), Division B, I. Morse code.

   (29) ITU. International Telecommunication Union.

   (30) Line A. Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle arc to the
   intersection  of  48°  N,  120° W, thence along parallel 48° N, to the
   intersection of 95° W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost
   point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45° N, 85° W, thence
   southward along meridian 85° W, to its intersection with parallel 41° N,
   thence along parallel 41° N, to its intersection with meridian 82° W, thence
   by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Bangor, ME, thence by
   great circle arc through the southernmost point of Searsport, ME, at which
   point it terminates.

   (31) Local control. The use of a control operator who directly manipulates
   the operating adjustments in the station to achieve compliance with the FCC
   Rules.

   (32) Message forwarding system. A group of amateur stations participating in
   a voluntary, cooperative, interactive arrangement where communications are
   sent from the control operator of an originating station to the control
   operator of one or more destination stations by one or more forwarding
   stations.

   (33) National Radio Quiet Zone. The area in Maryland, Virginia and West
   Virginia Bounded by 39°15′ N on the north, 78°30′ W on the east, 37°30′ N on
   the south and 80°30′ W on the west.

   (34) Physician. For the purpose of this part, a person who is licensed to
   practice in a place where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, as
   either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.)

   (35) Question pool. All current examination questions for a designated
   written examination element.

   (36) Question set. A series of examination questions on a given examination
   selected from the question pool.

   (37) Radio Regulations. The latest ITU Radio Regulations to which the United
   States is a party.

   (38) RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service). A radio service using
   amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of local,
   regional or national civil emergencies.

   (39)  Remote  control.  The  use  of a control operator who indirectly
   manipulates the operating adjustments in the station through a control link
   to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.

   (40)  Repeater. An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the
   transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels.

   (41) Space station. An amateur station located more than 50 km above the
   Earth's surface.

   (42)  Space  telemetry. A one-way transmission from a space station of
   measurements made from the measuring instruments in a spacecraft, including
   those relating to the functioning of the spacecraft.

   (43) Spurious emission. An emission, or frequencies outside the necessary
   bandwidth of a transmission, the level of which may be reduced without
   affecting the information being transmitted.

   (44) Telecommand. A one-way transmission to initiate, modify, or terminate
   functions of a device at a distance.

   (45) Telecommand station. An amateur station that transmits communications
   to initiate, modify or terminate functions of a space station.

   (46) Telemetry. A one-way transmission of measurements at a distance from
   the measuring instrument.

   (47) Third party communications. A message from the control operator (first
   party) of an amateur station to another amateur station control operator
   (second party) on behalf of another person (third party).

   (48)  ULS  (Universal  Licensing  System).  The consolidated database,
   application  filing  system  and  processing  system  for all Wireless
   Telecommunications Services.

   (49) VE. Volunteer examiner.

   (50) VEC. Volunteer-examiner coordinator.

   (b) The definitions of technical symbols used in this part are:

   (1) EHF (extremely high frequency). The frequency range 30-300 GHz.

   (2) HF (high frequency). The frequency range 3-30 MHz.

   (3) Hz. Hertz.

   (4) m. Meters.

   (5) MF (medium frequency). The frequency range 300-3000 kHz.

   (6) PEP (peak envelope power). The average power supplied to the antenna
   transmission line by a transmitter during one RF cycle at the crest of the
   modulation envelope taken under normal operating conditions.

   (7) RF. Radio frequency.

   (8) SHF (super-high frequency). The frequency range 3-30 GHz.

   (9) UHF (ultra-high frequency). The frequency range 300-3000 MHz.

   (10) VHF (very-high frequency). The frequency range 30-300 MHz.

   (11) W. Watts.

   (c) The following terms are used in this part to indicate emission types.
   Refer to § 2.201 of the FCC Rules, Emission, modulation and transmission
   characteristics, for information on emission type designators.

   (1) CW. International Morse code telegraphy emissions having designators
   with A, C, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; A or B as
   the third symbol; and emissions J2A and J2B.

   (2) Data. Telemetry, telecommand and computer communications emissions
   having (i) designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol, 1
   as the second symbol, and D as the third symbol; (ii) emission J2D; and
   (iii) emissions A1C, F1C, F2C, J2C, and J3C having an occupied bandwidth of
   500 Hz or less when transmitted on an amateur service frequency below 30
   MHz. Only a digital code of a type specifically authorized in this part may
   be transmitted.

   (3) Image. Facsimile and television emissions having designators with A, C,
   D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; C or
   F as the third symbol; and emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9
   as the second symbol; W as the third symbol.

   (4) MCW. Tone-modulated international Morse code telegraphy emissions having
   designators with A, C, D, F, G, H or R as the first symbol; 2 as the second
   symbol; A or B as the third symbol.

   (5) Phone. Speech and other sound emissions having designators with A, C, D,
   F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2, 3 or X as the second symbol; E as
   the third symbol. Also speech emissions having B or F as the first symbol;
   7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. MCW for the purpose
   of  performing  the station identification procedure, or for providing
   telegraphy practice interspersed with speech. Incidental tones for the
   purpose  of selective calling or alerting or to control the level of a
   demodulated signal may also be considered phone.

   (6) Pulse. Emissions having designators with K, L, M, P, Q, V or W as the
   first symbol; 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 or X as the second symbol; A, B, C, D, E,
   F, N, W or X as the third symbol.

   (7)  RTTY.  Narrow-band  direct-printing  telegraphy  emissions having
   designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the
   second symbol; B as the third symbol; and emission J2B. Only a digital code
   of a type specifically authorized in this part may be transmitted.

   (8) SS. Spread spectrum emissions using bandwidth-expansion modulation
   emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first
   symbol; X as the second symbol; X as the third symbol.

   (9) Test. Emissions containing no information having the designators with N
   as  the  third  symbol.  Test does not include pulse emissions with no
   information or modulation unless pulse emissions are also authorized in the
   frequency band.

   [ 54 FR 25857 , June 20, 1989]

   Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 97.3, see the List
   of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the
   printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov.

   return arrow Back to Top