§  15.712   Interference protection requirements.

   (a) Digital television stations, and digital and analog Class A TV, low
   power TV, TV translator and TV booster stations:

   (1) Protected contour . TVBDs must protect digital and analog TV
   services within the contours shown in the following table. The contours
   are based on the R–6602 curves contained in § 73.699 of this chapter.
   Type of station Protected contour
   Channel Contour
   (dBu) Propagation
   curve
   Analog: Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster Low VHF (2–6) 47
   F(50,50)
      High VHF (7–13) 56 F(50,50)
      UHF (14–69) 64 F(50,50)
   Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster Low
   VHF (2–6) 28 F(50,90)
      High VHF (7–13) 36 F(50,90)
      UHF (14–51) 41 F(50,90)

   (2) Required separation distance . Fixed TVBDs and personal/portable
   TVBDs operating in Mode II must be located outside the contours
   indicated in paragraph (a)(1) of this section of co-channel and
   adjacent channel stations by at least the minimum distances specified
   in the following table. Personal/portable TVBDs operating in Mode II
   must comply with the separation distances specified for an unlicensed
   device with an antenna height of less than 3 meters. Alternatively,
   Mode II personal/portable TVBDs may operate at closer separation
   distances, including inside the contour of adjacent channel stations,
   provided the power level is reduced as specified in § 15.709(a)(2).
   Antenna height of unlicensed device Required separation (km) from
   digital or analog TV (full service or low power) protected contour
   Co-channel
   (km) Adjacent
   channel
   (km)
   Less than 3 meters 6.0 0.1
   3–Less than 10 meters 8.0 0.1
   10–30 meters 14.4 0.74

   (b) Translator receive sites and cable headends . For translator
   receive sites and cable headends registered in the TV bands database,
   TVBDs may not operate within an arc of ±30 degrees from a line between
   the registered translator or cable headend receive site and the TV
   station being received within a distance of 80 km from the protected
   contour for co-channel operation and 20 km from the protected contour
   for adjacent channel operation. Outside of this ±30 degree arc, TVBDs
   may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel
   operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel
   operation.

   (c) Fixed Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) Links . For permanent BAS
   receive sites appearing in the Commission's Universal Licensing System
   or temporary BAS receive sites registered in the TV bands database,
   TVBDs may not operate within an arc of ±30 degrees from a line between
   the BAS receive site and its associated permanent transmitter within a
   distance of 80 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 20
   km for adjacent channel operation. Outside this ±30 degree arc, TVBDs
   may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel
   operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel
   operation.

   (d) PLMRS/CMRS operations . TVBDs may not operate at distances less
   than 134 km for co-channel operations and 131 km for adjacent channel
   operations from the coordinates of the metropolitan areas and on the
   channels listed in § 90.303(a) of this chapter. For PLMRS/CMRS
   operations outside of the metropolitan areas listed in § 90.303(a) of
   this chapter, co-channel and adjacent channel TVBDs may not operate
   closer than 54 km and 51 km, respectively from a base station.

   (e) Offshore Radiotelephone Service. TVBDs may not operate on channels
   used by the Offshore Radio Service within the geographic areas
   specified in § 74.709(e) of this chapter.

   (f) Low power auxiliary services, including wireless microphones. (1)
   TVBDs will not be permitted to operate within 1 km of the coordinates
   of registered wireless microphone sites during designated times on the
   channels used by wireless microphones.

   (2) In the 13 metropolitan areas listed in § 90.303(a) of this chapter
   and nearby areas where private land mobile services and commercial land
   mobile services are authorized by waiver, operation of TVBDs will not
   be permitted to operate on the first channel on each side of TV channel
   37 (608–614 MHz) that is available, i.e., not occupied by a licensed
   service, at all locations within the protection range of the
   coordinates of each such area as set forth in § 15.712(d).

   (g) Border areas near Canada and Mexico. (1) Fixed and
   personal/portable TVBDs shall not operate within 32 kilometers of the
   Canadian Border.

   (2) Fixed and personal/portable TVBDs shall not operate within 40
   kilometers of the Mexican border on UHF channels, or within 60
   kilometers of that border on VHF channels.

   (h) Radio astronomy services. Operation of fixed and personal/portable
   TVBDs is prohibited on all channels within 2.4 kilometers at the
   following locations.

   (1) The Naval Radio Research Observatory in Sugar Grove, West Virginia.

   (2) The Table Mountain Radio Receiving Zone (TMRZ) at 40°07'50" N and
   105°15'40" W.

   (3) The following facilities.
   Observatory Longitude
   (deg/min/sec) Latitude
   (deg/min/sec)
   Allen Telescope Array 121°28'24" W 40°49'04" N.
   Arecibo Observatory 066°45'11" W 18°20'46" N.
   Green Bank Telescope (GBT) 079°50'24" W 38°25'59" N.
   Very Large Array (VLA) 107°37'04" W 34°04'44" N.
   Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) Stations:
   Pie Town, AZ 108°07'07" W 34°18'04" N.
   Kitt Peak, AZ 111°36'42" W 31°57'22" N.
   Los Alamos, NM 106°14'42" W 35°46'30" N.
   Ft. Davis, TX 103°56'39" W 30°38'06" N.
   N. Liberty, IA 091°34'26" W 41°46'17" N.
   Brewster, WA 119°40'55" W 48°07'53" N.
   Owens Valley, CA 118°16'34" W 37°13'54" N.
   St. Croix, VI 064°35'03" W 17°45'31" N.
   Hancock, NH 071°59'12" W 42°56'01" N.
   Mauna Kea, HI 155°27'29" W 19°48'16" N.