These notes cover the information needed to answer the questions on Subelement T1 of the Amateur Radio Technician Test. They can be used by instructors as a reference to make sure that all of the information in this subelement is addressed in class.
Subelement T1 covers basic definitions, license information, authorized transmissions, prohibited transmissions and available frequencies. This information can be found by reading the Federal Communications Commission rules for Amateur Radio. The short name for the rules is Part 97.
Purpose:
The Amateur Radio service provides voluntary noncommercial communications to the public, particularly in times of emergency. The service also increases the number of trained radio operators and electronics experts, and improves international goodwill.
Definitions:
Amateur operator: A person holding a written authorization to be the control operator of an amateur station.
Amateur station: A station in an amateur radio service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radio communications.
Harmful interference: Interference which endangers the functioning of a radio navigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radio communication service operating in accordance with the Radio Regulations.
ITU: International Telecommunication Union.
Subelement T1 covers basic definitions, license information, authorized transmissions, prohibited transmissions and available frequencies. This information can be found by reading the Federal Communications Commission rules for Amateur Radio. The short name for the rules is Part 97.
Purpose:
The Amateur Radio service provides voluntary noncommercial communications to the public, particularly in times of emergency. The service also increases the number of trained radio operators and electronics experts, and improves international goodwill.
Definitions:
Amateur operator: A person holding a written authorization to be the control operator of an amateur station.
Amateur station: A station in an amateur radio service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radio communications.
Harmful interference: Interference which endangers the functioning of a radio navigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radio communication service operating in accordance with the Radio Regulations.
ITU: International Telecommunication Union.
Volunteer Examiner: An amateur accredited by one or more Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VEC’s) who administers amateur license exams.
Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE): A document earned by an individual passing one or more elements (tests) for an Amateur Radio license. A CSCE is valid for license upgrade purposes for 365 days.
The Station license grant:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforces the rules and grants Amateur Radio licenses in the United States.
Before you can control an amateur station you must be named in the FCC amateur license database, or be an alien with reciprocal operating authorization.
You can transmit as soon as your license grant appears in the FCC's Universal Licensing Service (ULS) database. The database can be queried on the Internet.
After the license is granted you are allowed to transmit within the privileges of your license class wherever the Amateur Radio Service is regulated by the FCC or where reciprocal agreements are in place.
Application for new license grant:
There is no minimum age requirement for a license and anyone can get a license except a representative of a foreign government.
Upon passing this test the FCC will issue you an operator station license for the Amateur Radio Service. New amateur radio call signs are assigned in sequential order. The new call sign will start with an A, K, N and W as the first letter and contain a single digit from 0 through 9.
You can apply for an amateur radio club call sign by applying through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator.
Application for a vanity call sign:
If you want a call sign with your initials or to get back a call sign you once held, you can apply for it with the vanity call sign program.
License Data:
The grace period during which the FCC will renew an expired ten year license without re-examination is two years. You are not allowed to transmit after your ten year license expires.
Make sure your mailing address is correct with the FCC. This is so you can receive official mail from the FCC. If the FCC receives returned mail as undeliverable, they could revoke or suspend your license. This address must be your station license mailing address.
As stated above the normal term for an amateur station license grant is 10 years.
Your responsibility as a station licensee is to operate in accordance with the FCC rules.
Reciprocal operating authority:
You are allowed to operate your amateur station in a foreign country when there is a reciprocal operating agreement between the countries.
Authorized transmissions:
When authorized by the FCC, amateur stations are allowed to communicate with stations operating in other radio services.
A United States amateur operator may communicate with an amateur in a foreign country unless prohibited by either government.
Prohibited transmissions:
Communications on a regular basis that could reasonably be furnished alternatively through other radio services are not permitted in the Amateur Radio Service.
There is no minimum age requirement for a license and anyone can get a license except a representative of a foreign government.
Upon passing this test the FCC will issue you an operator station license for the Amateur Radio Service. New amateur radio call signs are assigned in sequential order. The new call sign will start with an A, K, N and W as the first letter and contain a single digit from 0 through 9.
You can apply for an amateur radio club call sign by applying through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator.
Application for a vanity call sign:
If you want a call sign with your initials or to get back a call sign you once held, you can apply for it with the vanity call sign program.
License Data:
The grace period during which the FCC will renew an expired ten year license without re-examination is two years. You are not allowed to transmit after your ten year license expires.
Make sure your mailing address is correct with the FCC. This is so you can receive official mail from the FCC. If the FCC receives returned mail as undeliverable, they could revoke or suspend your license. This address must be your station license mailing address.
As stated above the normal term for an amateur station license grant is 10 years.
Your responsibility as a station licensee is to operate in accordance with the FCC rules.
Reciprocal operating authority:
You are allowed to operate your amateur station in a foreign country when there is a reciprocal operating agreement between the countries.
Authorized transmissions:
When authorized by the FCC, amateur stations are allowed to communicate with stations operating in other radio services.
A United States amateur operator may communicate with an amateur in a foreign country unless prohibited by either government.
Prohibited transmissions:
Communications on a regular basis that could reasonably be furnished alternatively through other radio services are not permitted in the Amateur Radio Service.
ITU:
ITU Regions are used to assist in the management of frequency allocations.
The table below shows only the information needed for answering Subelement T1 questions. It does not contain all bands and frequencies available to the Amateur Radio licensee.
ITU Regions are used to assist in the management of frequency allocations.
The table below shows only the information needed for answering Subelement T1 questions. It does not contain all bands and frequencies available to the Amateur Radio licensee.
|
Wavelength band |
ITU--Region 2 |
|
VHF |
MHz |
|
6 m |
50-54 |
|
2 m |
144-148 |
|
1.25 m |
222-225 |
|
UHF |
MHz |
|
70 cm |
420-450 |
|
23 cm |
1240-1300 |
If Amateur Radio is available on a secondary basis on a given band or location, the FCC rules state that amateurs may not cause harmful interference to primary users.
Technician, General and Extra are the only US amateur radio licenses that may currently be earned.
Any FCC-licensed amateur is eligible to apply for temporary use of a 1-by-1 format Special Event call sign.
Technician, General and Extra are the only US amateur radio licenses that may currently be earned.
Any FCC-licensed amateur is eligible to apply for temporary use of a 1-by-1 format Special Event call sign.
*The Technicians Question Pool release 2 and Rules for Amateur Radio, Part 97 are the source documents of these notes. This information is available to the public.
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