KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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FCC Petitioned to Eliminate 15 dB Gain Limit on Amateur Amps

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:14 PM PDT
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What do you think? Is it time for a change?? Â* Â*Dan
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB015

ARLB015 FCC Invites Comments on Petition to Eliminate 15 dB GainÂ*Limit on
Amateur Amplifiers
ZCZC AG15

QST de W1AW

ARRL Bulletin 15 Â*ARLB015

From ARRL Headquarters

Newington CT Â*April 28, 2016

To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB015
ARLB015 FCC Invites Comments on Petition to Eliminate 15 dB GainÂ*Limit on
Amateur Amplifiers
The FCC has put on public notice and invited comments on a PetitionÂ*for
Rule Making (RM-11767), filed on behalf of an amateur
amplifierÂ*distributor, which seeks to revise the Amateur Service
rulesÂ*regarding maximum permissible amplifier gain. Expert Linears
AmericaÂ*LLC of Magnolia, Texas, which distributes linearsÂ* manufactured
byÂ*SPE in Italy, wants the FCC to eliminate the 15 dB gain limitationÂ*on
amateur amplifiers, spelled out in Part 97.317(a)(2). ExpertÂ*asserts that
there should be no gain limitation at all on Â*amplifiersÂ*sold or used in
the Amateur Service.
RM-11767 can be found on the web
at,Â*http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001536394 .
There is no technical or regulatory reason [that] an amplifierÂ*capable of
being driven to full legal output by even a fraction of aÂ*watt should not
be available to Amateur Radio operators in theÂ*United States, Expert said
in its Petition.
Expert maintains that the 15 dB gain limitation is an unneededÂ*holdover
from the days when amplifiers were less efficient and theÂ*FCC was
attempting to rein in the use of Amateur Service amplifiersÂ*by Citizens
Band operators. While the FCC proposed in its 2004Â*Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking and Order in WT Docket 04-140 toÂ*delete the requirement that
amplifiers be designed to use a minimumÂ*of 50 W of drive power and
subsequently did so, it did not furtherÂ*discuss the 15 dB amplification
limit in the subsequent Report andÂ*Order in the docket.
The R&O is in PDF format
at,Â*https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/at...C-06-149A1.pdf.
Although no party advocated retention of the 15 dB limit, itÂ*remains in
place today, Expert pointed out in its filing. In theÂ*intervening years,
advancements in Amateur Radio transmitterÂ*technology have led to the
availability of highly compact,Â*sophisticated low-power transmitters that
require more than 15 dB ofÂ*amplification to achieve maximum legal power
output. Therefore,Â*Expert seeks to remove the 15 dB limit from Part 97.317
so thatÂ*Amateur Radio manufacturers and distributors will not be forced
toÂ*needlessly cripple their amplifiers for sale in the United States.
Expert pointed to its Model 1.3K FA amplifier as an example of aÂ*linear
inherently capable of considerably more than 15 dB ofÂ*amplification, which
would make it a suitable match for low-powerÂ*transceivers now on the market
having output power on the order of Â*10 W.

NNNN

/EX

The post FCC Petitioned to Eliminate 15 dB Gain Limit on Amateur Amps
appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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Amateur radio in the news: club celebrates 50 years, university club
reaches out, NPOTA

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT
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Anderson radio club celebrates 50th anniversary. Anderson County Emergency
Services Deputy Director Matthew Littleton is an amateur radio operator and
so is his son. And his father, James Littleton, is president of the
Anderson Radio Club. Speaking at the clubs 50th anniversary celebration on
Saturday, Matthew Littleton said the emergence of cellphones and the
Internet have not diminished the importance of amateur radio. In the last
couple of years Ive seen a resurgence in amateur radio because we are
beginning to realize how vulnerable things are, how vulnerable systems are,
he said.

Amateur Radio Society revamps, uses radio in unconventional ways.Â*The word
radio is often associated with music and talk show chatter, but theÂ*Amateur
Radio Society is exploring the lesser known side of radio — its role in
facilitating communication and winning wars.Â*The clubÂ*uses radio
communications to facilitate an interest for students who would like to
explore the hobby of the wavelengths of possibilities that come
withÂ*amateur radio.

Taking parks to the air, with the help of some hams.Â*What do you pack when
you visit a national park? A map, a water bottle and snacks, and a tube of
sunscreen? Maybe some camping gear, or a kayak and a paddle?Â*When Sean
Kutzko packs for his national park trips, he brings a seven-pound backpack
with a battery, a transmitter, and a 30-foot piece of wire. Using this
modest equipment, he can communicate with people around the country and
sometimes even other parts of the world.

The post Amateur radio in the news: club celebrates 50 years, university
club reaches out, NPOTA appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.