The AM Forum

The FCC rule changes resulting in phone band expansion on the 75/80 and 40 meter bands were published today in the Federal Register. You may see them at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-19189.pdf

The amended rules will take effect on December 15, 30 days from today. It's a nice Christmas present for relieving the horrible congestion on 75 meters.

Phil said:
Damn straight, Phil! Now lets take advantage of this opportunity. I know people, myself included, have bitched about how easy and stupid the advanced and extra exams have become. But face it, you won't be able to use these added privleges unless you take the exams! I took them about 4 years ago just for the added bandwidth. There are 30 days before they go into effect. Do what I did and study the self tests on QRZ.com and go take the exams.

Well said, Mike.

Dec 15th is my birthday.. what an interesting present.

Yes, 30 days is plenty of time to study those canned Extra questions and pass the test. What an incentive to upgrade.

If tomorrow, the FCC came out with a new and more difficult license class that permitted additional band privies, I'd be in there studying the first day. If ham radio is my main hobby, there's no way I'm gonna let the gov't tell me I'm not qualified to do something permitted in the rules. Screw that.

I think it'd be cool to have a group of brand new AM Extras. We did this before and should do it again. Let's start a thread where guys post their intentions and then post when they've passed the test.  I'll start it.

T

Paragraph 3: 
Considering the typos in the R&O as originally released, looks like someone needs to brush up on their proofreading skills.

And a "net" will start on 3826 >:(  Anyho I'm gonna start to study and hope to be ready by Dec.  I've been working 65 hour weeks including weekends but I'm going to find the time and just do it. I've procrastinated enough.

Seems like a number of the changes target certain types of undesired operation such as we have seen at 3900.

Does the change to third party traffic on automated stations mean that you can't have an unlicensed person say "Hello" over your repeater? I suppose a licensed person would have to identify with their own call too. And, unless a stated exception elsewhere, doen't it screw up digipeater networks, APRS forwarding etc.?  Once your message leaves the first node and heads to another, isn't it third party tarffic? And, for that matter, if you work in an HF traffic net, doesn't this mean you can't use a repeater to  relay messages at the local level? And wouldn't it kill autopatch operation?

Anyone up for an AM qso party on say, 3685 at 12:01 on the 16th? Good incentive to get that Extra. Much of the stuff is non technical and requires brute force memorization. If you just plan to spend a half hour each day to take any of the online practice tests that select randomly from the pool, you will learn and master all the questions within two to three weeks. And this includes the dumb-ass trick questions.

correction...make that qso party for Friday the 15th.

I  reread and realized that DATA transmissions not prohibited. But I sitill believe that third party traffic over a repeater would be. 

The question is whether a repeater is an automatically controlled station.
IF a repeater is not an automated station, what is it? Automatic control is defined as:
"(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."

So, the automatic transmitter keying/timeout would apply, as would the automatic CW  ID. It even has a paragraph that states that a repeater could be one.

"97.205 Repeater stations.
(d) A repeater may be automatically controlled."


OR does this intend to target stations controlled by a Radio Shack timer.

The QSO party: think of it as Thursday night - midnight.

You're right  about the repeater CAN be 'auto controlled'.....

Ok, I BELIEVE the difference is.....

in 97.109 (e)...."....... All messages that are retransmitted must origionate at a station that is being locally or remotely controlled"

So, I if am sending a voice message via a repeater (my station is under local control)  ....

everything's ok.........



The "no third party traffic over an automatically controlled station" rule has been around for quite some time....it is NOT a new rule.....(97.109(e))
It is only being added to another section of the rules for "clarification".



""....OR does this intend to target stations controlled by a Radio Shack timer. ""

No.... that's THIS part   ;D

(2)  The third party is not a prior amateur service licensee whose license was revoked or not renewed after hearing and re-licensing has not taken place; suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect; suspended for the balance of the license term and re-licensing has not taken place; or surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary forfeiture proceedings.  The third party may not be the subject of a cease and desist order which relates to amateur service operation and which is still in effect.