Leo Szumel wrote:
Hi,

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. ...

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

...
(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes
...

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" ...


Section 97.113(c) prohibits transmission of "Communications in which the
station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including
communications on behalf of an employer."

Are you being employeed by UC to conduct university research projects?

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Good luck,

Duane Allen
N6JPO

Leo Szumel wrote:
Hi,

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. ...

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

...
(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes
...

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" ...


Section 97.113(a)(3) prohibits transmission of "Communications in which
the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest,
including communications on behalf of an employer."

Are you being employeed by UC to conduct university research projects?

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Good luck,

Duane Allen
N6JPO

On Thu, 03 Jul 2003 13:54:46 GMT, Duane Allen wrote:

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Yes, UC does have such resources, and the source of who has what
where throughout the UC system is the Office of the Vice President
of Administration, located on the UC Berkeley campus.

At least that's who we used to deal with concerning radio spectrum
assignment and licensing matters for the UC system.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Thu, 03 Jul 2003 13:54:46 GMT, Duane Allen wrote:

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Yes, UC does have such resources, and the source of who has what
where throughout the UC system is the Office of the Vice President
of Administration, located on the UC Berkeley campus.

At least that's who we used to deal with concerning radio spectrum
assignment and licensing matters for the UC system.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

"Leo Szumel" wrote

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects.

I don't see a problem with that, as research is what interests Amateurs.

Specifically, we would like to use AR equipment in sensor
network research. Sensor networks are basically like APRS without people
at the transmit nodes, and more than just position information is
reported (maybe temperature, etc). Also, multi-hop relay may be employed.

Conducted every day.

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

(a) automated transmissions are OK (with caveats)

If you don't use a specified code, you must identify using a specified code.
For example, if you design your own protocol (unspecified code), then you
should design the system to ID every 10 minutes, or every transmission.

(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes

See below

(c) AR can be used for data transmissions, using encrypted
authentication, provided the data payload is unencrypted

Yes. Phil Karn proposed a DES authentication many years ago, however, I
don't see why just a plain old MD5 checksum of the data and the time-stamp
wouldn't fit most requirements.

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" but it
seems to me to fall into the category of "experimentation" and
(hopefully) "advancing the field."

I don't see a problem in what you are proposing, and I think you could enlist
several amateurs who wanted to help. It goes without saying, that you would
need a ham license yourself, but that is pretty simple these days on a no-code
ticket.

Even if the money you use to buy the equipment, and power the equipment,
is grant money, it would be legal. Where you would begin to have problems,
is if you made the data proprietary, or sold subscriptions/membership/access
to say web sites where the data is stored. You could maintain a compilation
type copyright, and restrict access to the raw data and software, if you provided
say access to the processed data. I'm being vague, but the gist of it, is that you
can't make money, and I never heard of a research program that did.

73,

Steve

In article ,
says...

snip

What do you think of using AR bands for relaying sensor information for
research purposes? Would an FCC Special Temporary Authority be
appropriate/required?

I think you need to get your Technician-class (or higher) ham
license. That, at least, would be a good start.


--
Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR, Owner and Head Hardware Heavy,
Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com)
kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech dot c=om (Reassemble to use).
"Raf tras spintern. Raf tras spoit." (Keith Laumer, "The Galaxy
Builder")

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. Specifically, we would like to use AR equipment in sensor
network research. Sensor networks are basically like APRS without people
at the transmit nodes, and more than just position information is
reported (maybe temperature, etc). Also, multi-hop relay may be employed.

I would say find a comercial frequency and use it. YOu did not mention the
frequency that you would be using . If under 30 mhz it will be would wide.
If in the UHF and above you may go ok. Just remember you will be subject
to a shared frequency and others may use that frequency.

Sounds like one way or beacon modes to me.

Leo Szumel wrote:
Hi,

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. ...

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

...
(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes
...

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" ...


Section 97.113(c) prohibits transmission of "Communications in which the
station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including
communications on behalf of an employer."

Are you being employeed by UC to conduct university research projects?

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Good luck,

Duane Allen
N6JPO

Leo Szumel wrote:
Hi,

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. ...

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

...
(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes
...

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" ...


Section 97.113(a)(3) prohibits transmission of "Communications in which
the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest,
including communications on behalf of an employer."

Are you being employeed by UC to conduct university research projects?

I would think that the University already has or can easily get
non-amateur resources (both hardware and spectrum allocation) that would
support your research projects. The challenging task is finding out who
may have such resources. In addition to checking with the project lead
faculty, you may need to check with the department head and the college
dean. An often overlooked channel for information is contacting the
purchasing persons at the department/college/campus levels. They know
who requisitioned what. From there you can go to the requisitioners and
find out what administrative activities they went through for licensing.

Good luck,

Duane Allen
N6JPO

go for it. as long as u share your info and results with the ham
community..and it wouldn't hurt to get ur ticket..
73's de n0mnb
"Leo Szumel" wrote in message
...
Hi,

What we'd like to do is use amateur radio for some university research
projects. Specifically, we would like to use AR equipment in sensor
network research. Sensor networks are basically like APRS without people
at the transmit nodes, and more than just position information is
reported (maybe temperature, etc). Also, multi-hop relay may be employed.

I've examined Part 97 rules and tried to read as many applicable threads
as possible. My interpretation is that:

(a) automated transmissions are OK (with caveats)
(b) AR can be used for educational (non-commercial) purposes
(c) AR can be used for data transmissions, using encrypted
authentication, provided the data payload is unencrypted

Part (b) is the most shaky becaues it seems to dependon "reasonable use"
and other gray terms. Certainly my proposed use is not "hobby" but it
seems to me to fall into the category of "experimentation" and
(hopefully) "advancing the field."

What do you think of using AR bands for relaying sensor information for
research purposes? Would an FCC Special Temporary Authority be
appropriate/required?

Sincerely,

--
Leo Szumel | ECE Graduate Student, UC Davis
Email: