§ 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.

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