T1 Commission’s Rules

C. Advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art

Under 47 CFR 97.1, the amateur service exists for five stated purposes: voluntary noncommercial service to the public (particularly emergency communications), advancing the radio art, advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art, expanding the reservoir of trained operators and technicians, and enhancing international goodwill. Advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art is paragraph (c) of that list.

• A. 97.1 says nothing about serving as many citizens as possible; amateur radio is for licensed operators interested in radio technique, while general-purpose personal communication is the role of services such as CB.
• B. Contesting is a popular amateur activity, but 97.1 does not list it as a purpose of the service.
• D. Personal communications for as many citizens as possible and international contesting are not purposes listed in 97.1, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.1

C. The FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) writes and enforces the rules for the US amateur service, found in Part 97 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The FCC grants amateur licenses and takes enforcement action against violations.

• A. The ARRL is a private membership association for amateurs; it advocates for them and runs a volunteer examiner coordinator, but it does not make or enforce federal rules.
• B. The Department of Homeland Security does not regulate the amateur service; Part 97 is an FCC rule.
• D. Neither the ARRL nor Homeland Security regulates the amateur service, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.1

B. It is encouraged when using phone emissions

Under 47 CFR 97.119(b)(2), a station identifying by phone must do so in English, and use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station identification is encouraged. Phonetics such as "Kilo Foxtrot One" help listeners copy a call sign correctly, but the rule does not require them.

• A. No rule requires phonetics for emergency messages; 97.119(b)(2) encourages phonetics for identification without making them mandatory in any situation.
• C. Contacts with foreign stations have no special phonetic requirement; phonetics are encouraged, never required.
• D. Phonetics are encouraged, not required, so the two statements that call them required are false and not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.119(b)(2)

A. Email from the FCC with a link to download the license grant

The FCC no longer prints or mails paper amateur licenses. When your license is granted, the FCC emails the address on your application with a link to download the official license from its Universal Licensing System (ULS), which is why 47 CFR 97.23 requires every license grant to show an email address where you can receive electronic correspondence.

• B. The FCC stopped mailing paper licenses; official notice now comes by email.
• C. The volunteer examiners give you a CSCE at the session and send your application on for filing, but the license grant and its notice come from the FCC, not the lead examiner.
• D. Volunteer examiners do not issue licenses or mail license notices; only the FCC grants a license, and it notifies you by email.

Pool citation: 97.23

C. The license appears in the FCC ULS database

A license grant exists once it appears in the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) database. Under 47 CFR 97.7(a), a control operator must be a person for whom an operator/primary station license grant appears on the ULS consolidated licensee database, so the database entry is the proof.

• A. A CSCE shows which exam elements you passed, but it is not a license; for a first license, nothing is granted until the grant appears in ULS.
• B. The NCVEC (National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators) does not grant licenses or send grant notices; only the FCC grants licenses.
• D. Neither a CSCE nor an NCVEC email proves a license grant, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.7

D. On ten meters, between 28.200 MHz and 28.300 MHz

Under 47 CFR 97.203(d), a beacon may be automatically controlled only in listed segments, and the only HF segment on that list is 28.20 to 28.30 MHz on 10 meters. The other listed segments are at 50 MHz and above (50.06 to 50.08, 144.275 to 144.300, 222.05 to 222.06, and 432.300 to 432.400 MHz, plus the 33 cm and shorter wavelength bands).

• A. The Technician portion of 10 meters is 28.0 to 28.5 MHz, but automatically controlled beacons are limited to 28.20 to 28.30 MHz within it.
• B. Beacons are not registered with the FCC, and registration would not matter; automatic control is allowed only in the segments listed in 97.203(d).
• C. The other HF bands where Technicians have privileges (80, 40 and 15 meters) have no automatic beacon segment; 10 meters is the only HF band listed in 97.203(d).

Pool citation: 97.203(d)

C. An amateur station located more than 50 km above Earth's surface

47 CFR 97.3(a)(41) defines a space station as an amateur station located more than 50 km above the Earth's surface. The definition depends on where an amateur station is, so an amateur station aboard the International Space Station or an amateur satellite qualifies.

• A. Most satellites are not amateur stations; the Part 97 definition covers only amateur stations, and it is based on being more than 50 km above the Earth.
• B. A space station does not need to be on a crewed craft; any amateur station more than 50 km up qualifies, including uncrewed amateur satellites.
• D. A ground station that communicates through amateur satellites is an Earth station, which 97.3(a)(16) defines as an amateur station on or within 50 km of the Earth's surface.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(41)

B. A Volunteer Frequency Coordinator recognized by local amateurs

Under 47 CFR 97.3(a)(22), a frequency coordinator is an entity recognized in a local or regional area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible to be auxiliary or repeater stations. It recommends transmit/receive channels and related technical parameters to avoid or minimize interference between those stations.

• A. The FCC does not appoint anyone to recommend amateur repeater channels; coordinators are volunteer entities recognized by local amateurs.
• C. FCC field offices handle enforcement; they do not recommend amateur repeater channels.
• D. The ITU sets international frequency allocations among radio services; it does not choose channels for individual repeaters.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(22)

C. Amateur operators in a local or regional area whose stations are eligible to be repeater or auxiliary stations

47 CFR 97.3(a)(22) says a frequency coordinator is recognized in a local or regional area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible to be auxiliary or repeater stations. Those amateurs, not a government agency or national body, select the coordinator.

• A. No FCC office selects amateur frequency coordinators; the rule gives that recognition to local amateurs.
• B. No national council or local chapter selects coordinators; under 97.3(a)(22) the coordinator is recognized by the area's amateurs whose stations are eligible to be repeater or auxiliary stations.
• D. FCC Regional Field Offices handle enforcement and do not select amateur frequency coordinators.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(22)

C. Certification of current enrollment by a civil defense organization

Under 47 CFR 97.407(a), no person may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES unless that person holds an FCC-issued amateur operator license and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that organization. RACES serves government civil defense, so the civil defense organization controls who participates.

• A. No ARRL recommendation is involved; Emergency Coordinators are part of the ARRL's ARES program, which is separate from RACES.
• B. ARES is an ARRL volunteer program separate from RACES; membership in it does not qualify anyone to operate in RACES.
• D. A license alone is not enough; 97.407(a) also requires certification of enrollment by a civil defense organization.

Pool citation: 97.407(a)

B. Willful or malicious interference

47 CFR 97.101(d) states that no amateur operator shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communication or signal. Deliberate interference, such as jamming a repeater or a net, is prohibited at all times.

• A. International contacts are allowed on VHF and higher bands; 97.117 limits the content of international communications, not the band.
• C. Third-party messages may be sent with digital modes; the limits in 97.115 concern destination countries and station control, not the emission type.
• D. VHF international contacts and digital third-party traffic are both allowed, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.101(d)

C. 28.300 MHz to 28.500 MHz

Technicians have HF phone privileges only on 28.300 to 28.500 MHz in the 10-meter band, and only with single sideband (J3E or R3E) emissions, under 47 CFR 97.305(c) and 97.307(f)(10). Their 10 m privileges cover 28.0 to 28.5 MHz (97.301(e)), and the part below 28.3 MHz is for CW, RTTY and data.

• A. 28.050 to 28.150 MHz is in the 10 m CW, RTTY and data segment (28.0 to 28.3 MHz), where phone is not authorized.
• B. 28.100 to 28.300 MHz is also in the CW, RTTY and data segment, below the 28.3 MHz start of phone.
• D. Frequencies above 28.5 MHz are outside Technician privileges; 97.301(e) gives Technicians only 28.0 to 28.5 MHz on 10 meters.

Pool citation: 97.301(e)

B. Any amateur with a Technician class or higher license

The amateur station on the ISS uses VHF frequencies in the 2-meter band (the 144 to 146 MHz segment that 97.207(c) and 97.209(b) authorize for space and Earth stations), and Technicians have full 2 m privileges. Under 47 CFR 97.209(a), any licensee may be the control operator of an Earth station within the privileges of their class, so any Technician or higher licensee may contact the ISS on VHF.

• A. General class is not required; Technicians hold full 2-meter privileges, which cover the ISS VHF frequencies.
• C. Neither a General license nor NASA approval is required to contact the ISS on VHF.
• D. Technicians are eligible, but no NASA approval is needed to make contacts; the NASA approval in 97.113(c) applies to retransmitting manned spacecraft communications, not to talking with the ISS station.

Pool citation: 97.301, 97.207(c)

B. 52.525 MHz

The 6-meter band runs from 50 to 54 MHz under 47 CFR 97.301(a), and 52.525 MHz falls inside it. (52.525 MHz is the common 6 m FM simplex calling frequency.)

• A. 49.00 MHz is below the 50 MHz lower edge of the 6-meter band, so it is outside the amateur band.
• C. 28.50 MHz is in the 10-meter band (28.0 to 29.7 MHz).
• D. 222.15 MHz is in the 1.25-meter band (222 to 225 MHz).

Pool citation: 97.301(a)

D. 2 meters

The 2-meter band is 144 to 148 MHz in ITU Region 2 under 47 CFR 97.301(a), so 146.52 MHz is in it; the wavelength is about 300 / 146.52 = 2.05 m. 146.52 MHz is the national 2 m FM simplex calling frequency.

• A. The 6-meter band is 50 to 54 MHz, well below 146.52 MHz.
• B. The 20-meter band is an HF band at 14.000 to 14.350 MHz.
• C. The 70-centimeter band is 420 to 450 MHz, well above 146.52 MHz.

Pool citation: 97.301(a)

D. All these choices are correct

Digital modes such as FT8 are data emissions. Under 47 CFR 97.305(c), Technicians may transmit RTTY and data on 28.0 to 28.3 MHz in the 10-meter band, on 50.1 to 54 MHz in the 6-meter band, and on 144.1 to 148 MHz in the 2-meter band.

• A. True: Technicians may use data modes on 28.0 to 28.3 MHz, where FT8 activity is found near 28.074 MHz, but 10 meters is only one of the listed bands.
• B. True: data is authorized on 50.1 to 54 MHz for Technicians, but 6 meters is only one of the listed bands.
• C. True: data is authorized on 144.1 to 148 MHz for Technicians, but 2 meters is only one of the listed bands.

Pool citation: 97.301, 97.305

B. 10-meter band only

A Technician's only HF phone privileges are on 28.300 to 28.500 MHz in the 10-meter band, using single sideband, at up to 200 W PEP (47 CFR 97.301(e), 97.305(c), 97.307(f)(10) and 97.313(c)(2)).

• A. Technicians do have HF phone privileges, on part of the 10-meter band.
• C. On 80, 40 and 15 meters, 97.307(f)(9) limits Technicians to CW only; phone is allowed only on 10 meters.
• D. Technicians have no privileges at all on 30 meters, and 30 meters allows no phone for any license class.

Pool citation: 97.301(e), 97.305

A. 50.0 MHz to 50.1 MHz and 144.0 MHz to 144.1 MHz

47 CFR 97.305(a) allows CW on every frequency the control operator may use, and the 97.305(c) table lists other emission types on 6 m starting at 50.1 MHz and on 2 m starting at 144.1 MHz. That leaves 50.0 to 50.1 MHz and 144.0 to 144.1 MHz as CW-only segments.

• B. 219 to 220 MHz is limited to data for fixed point-to-point message forwarding, not CW, and 420.0 to 420.1 MHz is in the 70 cm band, where many emission types are authorized.
• C. The 97.305(c) table authorizes MCW, phone, image, RTTY, data, SS, test and pulse across the entire 33 cm band, including 902.0 to 902.1 MHz.
• D. Only the bottom segments of 6 m and 2 m are CW only, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.305(a), (c)

A. U.S. amateurs may find non-amateur stations in those segments, and must avoid interfering with them

Under 47 CFR 97.303, a station in a secondary service must not cause harmful interference to, and must accept interference from, stations in a primary service. Where amateurs are secondary, such as on the 70 cm band shared with government radiolocation, amateurs may hear non-amateur stations and must avoid interfering with them.

• B. Secondary status concerns other radio services, not other amateurs; foreign amateur stations get no priority over US amateurs.
• C. Secondary status does not restrict international communications; it governs interference with primary services.
• D. Digital emissions are authorized in many secondary segments, such as 70 cm; secondary status limits interference, not emission type.

Pool citation: 97.303

D. All these choices are correct

Under 47 CFR 97.307(b), emissions resulting from modulation must be confined to the band or segment available to the control operator. A signal occupies a range of frequencies around the displayed frequency, the display may be miscalibrated, and the transmitter may drift, so setting the dial exactly on a band edge risks transmitting outside the allowed range.

• A. True: the frequency display may not be exact, so the actual signal could be outside the band, but this is only one of the reasons.
• B. True: modulation sidebands extend above or below the displayed frequency and can cross the band edge, but this is only one of the reasons.
• C. True: a transmitter's frequency can drift, for example as it warms up, and carry the signal past the edge, but this is only one of the reasons.

Pool citation: 97.101(a), 97.301(a-e)

C. In at least some segment of all these bands

Under 47 CFR 97.305(c), phone emissions, including SSB, are authorized in at least part of every amateur band above 50 MHz: for example 50.1 to 54 MHz on 6 m, 144.1 to 148 MHz on 2 m, 222 to 225 MHz on 1.25 m, and all of 70 cm. Technicians have the same privileges as higher classes on these bands.

• A. There are no General-only segments above 50 MHz; 97.301(a) gives Technician, General, Advanced and Extra licensees the same privileges there.
• B. SSB is authorized throughout the phone segments, not only on repeaters; it is widely used for direct weak-signal contacts, while VHF and UHF repeaters usually use FM.
• D. Where SSB may be used depends on the segments in 97.305(c), not a 25-watt limit; 25 W PEP is the Novice limit on 1.25 m (97.313(d)).

Pool citation: 97.305(c)

A. 200 watts

Under 47 CFR 97.313(c)(2), when the control operator is a Novice or Technician, a station may not exceed 200 W PEP output on 3.525 to 3.600, 7.025 to 7.125, 21.025 to 21.200, and 28.0 to 28.5 MHz. Those are the Technician HF segments.

• B. 100 watts is a common transceiver output level, but the Technician HF limit in 97.313(c)(2) is 200 W PEP.
• C. 50 W PEP applies only in special cases, such as the 219 to 220 MHz segment (97.313(h)), not on Technician HF segments.
• D. 10 W PEP is the limit for spread spectrum emissions (97.313(j)), not for Technician HF operation.

Pool citation: 97.313

D. 1500 watts

47 CFR 97.313(b) limits every amateur station to 1.5 kW (1500 W) PEP, and above 30 MHz Technicians share that limit with all other classes. The exceptions are specific segments and areas, such as 50 W PEP on 219 to 220 MHz, and 97.313(a) still requires the minimum power necessary for the communication.

• A. 50 W PEP is one of the specific restrictions, for example on 219 to 220 MHz, not the general limit above 30 MHz.
• B. Part 97 sets no 100-watt limit for Technicians above 30 MHz; the general limit is 1500 W PEP.
• C. 500 W PEP is the transmitter power limit on the 630 m band (97.313(l)), where Technicians have no privileges.

Pool citation: 97.313(b)

D. Technician, General, Amateur Extra

47 CFR 97.9(a) lists five operator license classes: Novice, Technician, General, Advanced and Amateur Extra. Under 97.17(a), no new Novice or Advanced licenses are issued, so the FCC issues new licenses only for Technician, General and Amateur Extra.

• A. No new Novice licenses are issued (97.17(a)), although existing Novice licensees may renew.
• B. Technician Plus is not a current license class; 97.21(a)(3) processes a Technician Plus renewal as a Technician renewal.
• C. Novice, Technician Plus and Advanced licenses are not issued new; of this list, only General is still issued.

Pool citation: 97.9(a), 97.17(a)

D. Any licensed amateur

Under 47 CFR 97.19(a), the person named in any operator/primary station license grant (or a club station grant) may apply for a vanity call sign, whatever the license class. Class matters only for which call signs are available: under 97.19(d), the requested call sign must come from the group for the applicant's class or a lower class.

• A. General class is not required; Technicians may also request vanity call signs, from their own group or a lower one.
• B. Amateur Extra class is not required; any licensee may apply, though Extra licensees can choose from more groups, including the shorter call sign formats.
• C. 97.19 has no requirement for years of continuous licensing.

Pool citation: 97.19

A. Communications incidental to the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service and remarks of a personal character

47 CFR 97.117 limits transmissions to a different country, where permitted, to communications incidental to the purposes of the amateur service and remarks of a personal character. Talking about your station, the weather, or your interests is fine; business is not.

• B. Business communications are not allowed; 97.113(a)(3) prohibits communications in which the licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, apart from narrow exceptions.
• C. International contacts are not limited to contest exchanges; personal remarks and other amateur purposes are allowed.
• D. Amateur stations may not broadcast (97.113(b)), so what an international broadcast station may send is not the standard.

Pool citation: 97.117

B. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license

Under 47 CFR 97.23, each license grant must show an email address where the grantee can receive electronic correspondence. If FCC correspondence is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct email address, the FCC may revoke the station license or suspend the operator license.

• A. 97.23 does not mention a fine; the stated consequence is revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license.
• C. The consequence in 97.23 applies to the license itself, not to access to the license record.
• D. There is such a requirement: 97.23 requires a working email address on every license grant.

Pool citation: 97.23

A. KF1XXX

Group D call signs use the 2-by-3 format: a two-letter prefix beginning with K or W, a call district numeral, and a three-letter suffix, as in KF1XXX. Group D is the lowest call sign group, so a Technician is eligible for a Group D call sign (for vanity requests, 97.19(d) allows the applicant's own group or any lower group).

• B. KA1X is a 2-by-1 call sign (two-letter prefix, numeral, one-letter suffix), a Group A format available only to Amateur Extra licensees.
• C. W1XX is a 1-by-2 call sign (one-letter prefix, numeral, two-letter suffix), also a Group A format available only to Amateur Extra licensees.
• D. The two shorter formats are Group A call signs for Amateur Extra licensees, not Group D, so not all the choices are correct.

D. You may operate from a US-documented vessel with the master's permission

Under 47 CFR 97.5(a)(2), an FCC-licensed amateur may transmit from aboard any vessel or craft documented or registered in the United States, and 97.11(a) requires that the installation and operation of an amateur station on a ship be approved by the master of the ship. On a US-documented vessel in international waters, you may operate with the master's permission.

• A. Operation in international waters is allowed from a vessel documented or registered in the US under 97.5(a)(2).
• B. Operation is not limited to emergencies; normal amateur operation is allowed with the master's approval.
• C. Your amateur license is the FCC authorization; the extra requirement is the master's approval under 97.11(a), not a special FCC authorization.

Pool citation: 97.5(a)(2), 97.11(a)

B. 90 days

47 CFR 97.21(a)(3) points renewals to 47 CFR 1.949, which says renewal applications must be filed no later than the expiration date and no sooner than 90 days before it. If you file on time, your operating authority continues until the FCC acts on the application (97.21(a)(3)(ii)).

• A. You may renew within the last 30 days, but the window opens earlier: renewal may be requested as early as 90 days before expiration.
• C. 6 months before expiration is earlier than allowed; 1.949 allows filing no sooner than 90 days before.
• D. 1 year before expiration is far earlier than the 90-day window in 1.949.

Pool citation: 97.21, 1.949

C. Ten years

47 CFR 97.25 states that an amateur service license is normally granted for a 10-year term. Before it expires you may renew it for another term (97.21(a)(3)).

• A. Five years is not the amateur license term; 97.25 sets 10 years.
• B. Eight years is not the amateur license term; 97.25 sets 10 years.
• D. Amateur licenses are not lifetime licenses; they expire at the end of their term unless renewed.

Pool citation: 97.25

A. Two years

Under 47 CFR 97.21(b), a person whose amateur license has expired may apply for renewal during a 2-year filing grace period. No operating privileges apply during that time until the license is renewed.

• B. Three years is not the grace period; 97.21(b) allows 2 years.
• C. Five years is not the grace period; once the 2-year grace period ends, the expired license can no longer be renewed.
• D. Ten years is the license term (97.25), not the renewal grace period.

Pool citation: 97.21(a)(b)

C. As soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC’s license database

Under 47 CFR 97.5(a), a station may transmit only when its apparatus is under the physical control of a person named in a license grant on the FCC's ULS database, and 97.7(a) requires a control operator's grant to appear on that database. For a first license, you may transmit as soon as your grant appears there.

• A. For a first license, a CSCE gives no operating privileges; it gives temporary upgrade privileges only to someone who already holds a license (97.9(b)).
• B. The ARRL website is not the official record; the grant must appear in the FCC's ULS database.
• D. The FCC no longer mails paper licenses, and no license document is needed in hand; the ULS database entry is what authorizes you.

Pool citation: 97.5a

D. No, you must wait until the license has been renewed

47 CFR 97.21(b) allows 2 years after a license expires to apply for renewal, but states that unless and until the license grant is renewed, no privileges are conferred. You may not transmit during the grace period until the renewal is granted.

• A. The 2-year grace period is time to file for renewal, not time to keep operating; no privileges apply until renewal.
• B. Applying after expiration does not restore privileges; you must wait for the renewal to be granted. (Authority continues during processing only when the renewal was filed on or before the expiration date.)
• C. There is no one-year operating allowance; the license must be renewed before you transmit.

Pool citation: 97.21(b)

A. Any country whose administration has notified the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that it objects to such communications

Under 47 CFR 97.111(a)(1), amateur stations may exchange messages with amateur stations in other countries, except in any country whose administration has notified the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that it objects to such communications. The ITU is the United Nations agency that coordinates international radio regulations.

• B. The ARRL is a US membership organization; the rule refers to objections filed with the ITU, not with the ARRL.
• C. The IARU is a federation of national amateur radio societies and does not ban countries; the rule refers to notifications to the ITU.
• D. The ARRL has no authority to ban any country from amateur communications.

Pool citation: 97.111(a)(1)

B. Broadcasting

47 CFR 97.113(b) states that an amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, which 97.3(a)(10) defines as transmissions intended for reception by the general public. Certain other one-way transmissions are specifically allowed by 97.111(b).

• A. Announcements of amateur operating events are information bulletins (messages directed only to amateurs about amateur radio), which 97.111(b)(6) allows as one-way transmissions.
• C. One-way Morse code practice is allowed under 97.111(b)(5) to help people learn or improve their Morse code.
• D. Telecommand and telemetry are one-way transmissions specifically allowed by 97.111(b)(3) and (b)(7).

Pool citation: 97.113(b), 97.111(b)

C. Only when transmitting control commands to space stations or model craft

47 CFR 97.113(a)(4) prohibits messages encoded to obscure their meaning, except as provided elsewhere. 97.211(b) allows a telecommand station to use special codes to obscure the meaning of telecommand messages to a space station, and under 97.215(b) control signals to model craft are not considered codes or ciphers intended to obscure meaning.

• A. Remote operation and contests have no exception to the ban on messages encoded to obscure their meaning.
• B. Digital codes may never be used to hide meaning; for example, 97.309(b) forbids using unspecified digital codes to obscure the meaning of any communication.
• D. There are exceptions: space station telecommand codes (97.211(b)) and model craft control signals (97.215(b)).

Pool citation: 97.211(b), 97.215(b), 97.113(a)(4)

A. When incidental to an authorized retransmission of manned spacecraft communications

47 CFR 97.113(a)(4) prohibits music using a phone emission except as provided elsewhere in that section, and 97.113(c) allows retransmission of communications, including incidental music, between a manned spacecraft and its Earth stations. Such retransmissions need prior NASA approval and may be made only occasionally.

• B. Spurious emissions have nothing to do with the music rule; music on phone is prohibited apart from the spacecraft retransmission exception.
• C. No time allowance permits music; the only exception is incidental music in authorized retransmissions of manned spacecraft communications.
• D. No frequency range permits music; the prohibition applies on every amateur band.

Pool citation: 97.113(a)(4), 97.113(c)

D. When selling amateur radio equipment and not on a regular basis

47 CFR 97.113(a)(3)(ii) allows an amateur operator to notify other amateurs of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus normally used in an amateur station, provided the activity is not conducted on a regular basis. Occasionally offering your own radio is fine; running a business over the air is not.

• A. Occasional sale or trade announcements of amateur equipment are specifically allowed by 97.113(a)(3)(ii).
• B. The rule does not require that the equipment belong to someone else; it requires amateur station apparatus offered not on a regular basis.
• C. Profit is not the test; the rule requires that the item be amateur station apparatus and that the activity not be on a regular basis.

Pool citation: 97.113(a)(3)(ii)

B. Any such language is prohibited

47 CFR 97.113(a)(4) prohibits transmitting obscene or indecent words or language. The rule is a general ban, not a list of specific words.

• A. The FCC does not publish a list of banned words for amateur radio; the rule prohibits obscene or indecent language in general.
• C. The ITU does not keep a word list for US amateur stations; the prohibition comes from FCC rule 97.113(a)(4).
• D. There is such a prohibition, in 97.113(a)(4).

Pool citation: 97.113(a)(4)

A. A station sending one-way transmissions between a remote repeater receiver and the main repeater transmitter

47 CFR 97.3(a)(7) defines an auxiliary station as an amateur station transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating amateur stations. A link carrying signals one way from a remote repeater receiver to the main repeater transmitter is an example, and 97.201(e) allows auxiliary stations to transmit one-way communications.

• B. A backup radio is spare equipment for the same station, not a point-to-point link within a system of cooperating stations.
• C. The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) is a Department of Defense program outside the amateur service; the word auxiliary in its name has nothing to do with the Part 97 definition.
• D. A second station at a multi-operator contest is an ordinary amateur station, not a point-to-point link within a system of cooperating stations.

Pool citation: 97.113(d), 97.201(e)

B. When the communication is a part of classroom instruction at an educational institution

47 CFR 97.113(a)(3)(iii) allows a control operator to accept compensation as part of a teaching position when an amateur station is used by that teacher as part of classroom instruction at an educational institution. Otherwise, 97.113(a)(2) prohibits communications for hire or compensation.

• A. Communications on behalf of an employer, such as selling the employer's equipment, are prohibited by 97.113(a)(3); the sale exception covers only an individual's occasional sale of amateur apparatus.
• C. Gathering information for a broadcast station is news gathering, which 97.113(b) allows only for the immediate safety of life or property, and no compensation exception covers it.
• D. Only the classroom instruction case is an allowed compensation exception, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.113(a)(3)(iii)

A. When such communications are directly related to the immediate safety of human life or protection of property

47 CFR 97.113(b) bars amateur stations from activity related to program production or news gathering for broadcasting, except communications directly related to the immediate safety of human life or the protection of property. Those may be provided to broadcasters for dissemination to the public where no other means of communication is reasonably available before or at the time of the event.

• B. There is no space shuttle exception for broadcasting; 97.113(c) allows occasional NASA-approved retransmission of manned spacecraft communications for the exclusive use of amateurs, not for broadcasters.
• C. There is no exception for non-commercial or public radio programming; the only exception is for immediate safety of life or protection of property.
• D. There is an exception, for communications directly related to the immediate safety of human life or protection of property.

Pool citation: 97.113(5)(b)

D. Transmissions intended for reception by the general public

47 CFR 97.3(a)(10) defines broadcasting as transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed. Amateur stations may not broadcast (97.113(b)); their transmissions are intended for other amateurs.

• A. Two-way transmissions between amateur stations are ordinary amateur communications, not broadcasting.
• B. Not every transmission is broadcasting; the definition depends on whether the transmission is intended for the general public.
• C. Messages directed only to amateur operators are information bulletins (97.3(a)(26)), which amateurs may transmit.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(10)

D. When transmitting signals to control model craft

Under 47 CFR 97.215(a), station identification is not required for transmissions directed only to a model craft, provided a label with the station call sign and the licensee's name and address is attached to the transmitter. The transmitter power for model craft control must not exceed 1 W (97.215(c)).

• A. Brief adjustment transmissions are allowed under 97.111(b)(1), but they must still be identified under 97.119(a).
• B. Unmodulated carriers are still signals, and 97.119(a) prohibits unidentified communications or signals.
• C. No power level exempts a station from identification; low-power transmissions must also identify.

Pool citation: 97.215

A. Identify the transmitting station

47 CFR 97.119(a) requires each amateur station (other than space and telecommand stations) to transmit its call sign at the end of each communication and at least every 10 minutes, and states that no station may transmit unidentified communications or signals. Test transmissions are no exception.

• B. Part 97 sets no time-of-day window for test transmissions.
• C. No FCC notification is required for on-the-air tests; brief adjustment transmissions are allowed under 97.111(b)(1).
• D. Only identification is required, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.119(a)

D. Never

47 CFR 97.7 states that when transmitting, each amateur station must have a control operator. Automatic control does not remove the control operator; under 97.109(d), it only means the control operator need not be at the control point.

• A. A repeater under automatic control still has a control operator; 97.109(d) only excuses that person from being at the control point.
• B. When another licensed amateur uses the station, that person is the control operator, so the station still has one.
• C. Auxiliary stations may be automatically controlled (97.201(d)), but they still must have a control operator.

Pool citation: 97.7(a)

D. Any amateur allowed to transmit on the satellite uplink frequency

Under 47 CFR 97.209(a), a holder of any license class may be the control operator of an Earth station, the ground station that communicates through a satellite, subject to the privileges of that class. 97.207(a) says the same for space stations, so any amateur allowed to transmit on the satellite's uplink frequency may operate through it.

• A. No rule limits satellite operation to Amateur Extra; license class matters only for which uplink frequencies you may use.
• B. Part 97 has no satellite operator certification; any class may operate through satellites within its privileges.
• C. Neither Extra class nor AMSAT membership is required; AMSAT is a volunteer amateur satellite organization, not a licensing body.

Pool citation: 97.301, 97.207(c)

A. The station licensee

Under 47 CFR 97.103(b), the station licensee must designate the station control operator. The FCC presumes the licensee is also the control operator unless the station records document otherwise.

• B. The FCC does not designate control operators for individual stations; that is the licensee's duty.
• C. Frequency coordinators recommend repeater channels; they do not designate control operators.
• D. The rule gives the duty of designating the control operator to the station licensee, not to any licensed operator.

Pool citation: 97.103(b)

D. The class of operator license held by the control operator

47 CFR 97.105(b) states that a station may be operated only in the manner and to the extent permitted by the privileges of the class of operator license held by the control operator. A Technician operating an Extra licensee's station has Technician privileges, and an Extra operating a Technician's station has Extra privileges.

• A. Frequency coordinators recommend repeater channels; they do not set an operator's privileges.
• B. Amateur license grants do not list frequencies; privileges come from the control operator's class and the band rules in Part 97.
• C. Privileges come from the control operator, not from anyone else who happens to be present.

Pool citation: 97.103(b)

C. The location at which the control operator function is performed

47 CFR 97.3(a)(14) defines the control point as the location at which the control operator function is performed. For a remotely controlled station, the control point is where the operator is, not where the radio and antenna are.

• A. The antenna location is not the control point; the antenna can be far from the operator, as in a remotely controlled station.
• B. The transmitter location is not necessarily the control point; with remote control, the operator controls the transmitter from somewhere else.
• D. The licensee's mailing address is an administrative record (97.23), not the place where the station is controlled.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(14)

A. At no time

Under 47 CFR 97.105(b), a station may operate only with the privileges of the control operator's license class, and only 97.301(b), the Amateur Extra table, includes the Extra-only segments. Outside an emergency, a Technician may never be the control operator in those segments, whoever owns the station.

• B. Designation by an Extra licensee does not transfer privileges; the control operator's own class controls.
• C. Contest teams follow the same rule; each control operator is limited to their own class privileges.
• D. The club trustee's class does not determine privileges; the control operator's class does.

Pool citation: 97.301

D. The control operator and the station licensee

47 CFR 97.103(a) states that the station licensee is responsible for the proper operation of the station, and that when the control operator is a different amateur than the licensee, both persons are equally responsible.

• A. Other amateurs present are not responsible unless they are the licensee or the control operator.
• B. The station licensee is responsible, but not alone; the control operator shares equal responsibility.
• C. The control operator is responsible, but not alone; the station licensee shares equal responsibility.

Pool citation: 97.103(a)

A. Repeater operation

47 CFR 97.3(a)(6) defines automatic control as the use of devices and procedures so that the station complies with the rules without the control operator being present at a control point. 97.205(d) allows repeaters to be automatically controlled, and many operate this way.

• B. Controlling a station over the internet is remote control (97.3(a)(39)): the control operator is at a control point and adjusts the station through a control link.
• C. Using a device to send CW is a way of keying the transmitter while the control operator is still in control; it is not automatic control of the station.
• D. An automatic identifier is a station feature; using one does not mean the station is under automatic control.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(6), 97.205(d)

D. Any station

47 CFR 97.109(c) states that when a station is being remotely controlled, the control operator must be at the control point, and that any station may be remotely controlled.

• A. Remote control is not limited to repeaters; 97.109(c) allows it for any station.
• B. Automatic and remote control are different; remote control needs an operator at the control point, and any station may use it.
• C. Remote control is not limited to digital stations; any station may be remotely controlled.

Pool citation: 97.109(c)

B. Operating the station over the internet

47 CFR 97.3(a)(39) defines remote control as the use of a control operator who indirectly manipulates the station's operating adjustments through a control link. Operating a station over the internet is an example: the internet connection is the control link.

• A. A software defined radio is a type of radio design; it can be operated locally or remotely, so it is not itself an example of remote control.
• C. Controlling a model craft is telecommand of model craft (97.215), in which the amateur station controls a device; it is not remote control of the amateur station.
• D. Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) is a way of making contacts by reflecting signals off the Moon; it has nothing to do with how the station is controlled.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(39)

D. An amateur operator designated by the licensee of a station to be responsible for transmissions and FCC rules compliance at that station

47 CFR 97.3(a)(13) defines a control operator as 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.

• A. The person speaking may be a third party; the control operator is defined by responsibility for the transmissions, not by who is talking.
• B. The licensee is presumed to be the control operator (97.103(b)), but the licensee may designate another amateur, so the definition is not the licensee.
• C. The FCC database does not identify control operators; the station licensee designates them.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(13)

B. At any time upon request by an FCC representative

Under 47 CFR 97.103(c), the station licensee must make the station and the station records available for inspection upon request by an FCC representative. The rule includes no advance notice, waiting period or warrant.

• A. The rule has no ten-day waiting period; inspection is upon request.
• C. Written notification is not required; a request by an FCC representative is enough.
• D. 97.103(c) does not require a warrant; holding the license includes the obligation to allow inspection on request.

Pool citation: 97.103(c)

C. At least every 10 minutes during and at the end of a communication

Tactical call signs such as "Race Headquarters" help at events, but they do not replace station identification. 47 CFR 97.119(a) requires each station to transmit its assigned call sign at the end of each communication and at least every 10 minutes during a communication.

• A. A tactical call is not an assigned call sign; 97.119(a) requires the FCC-assigned call sign.
• B. Once per hour is the rule for the assigned call sign while using a special event call sign (97.119(d)), not for tactical calls.
• D. Identifying at the end of every transmission is allowed but not required; the rule is every 10 minutes and at the end of the communication.

Pool citation: 97.119(a)

D. At least every 10 minutes during and at the end of a communication

47 CFR 97.119(a) requires each amateur station to transmit its assigned call sign at the end of each communication and at least every 10 minutes during a communication. There is no requirement to identify at the start of a contact.

• A. Identifying at the beginning of a contact is not required; the rule requires identification every 10 minutes and at the end of the communication.
• B. Identifying in every transmission is not required; a contact can include several transmissions within 10 minutes.
• C. The interval is 10 minutes, not 15.

Pool citation: 97.119(a)

C. English

Under 47 CFR 97.119(b)(2), a station identifying with a phone emission must do so in the English language. The rest of a contact may be in another language, but the call sign must be given in English.

• A. Recognition by the United Nations has no role; 97.119(b)(2) requires English.
• B. Recognition by the ITU has no role; 97.119(b)(2) requires English.
• D. French and Spanish are not permitted for phone identification; only English is.

Pool citation: 97.119(b)(2)

B. Send the call sign using a CW or phone emission

47 CFR 97.119(b) lists the ways to transmit the call sign, including a CW emission (b)(1) and a phone emission in English (b)(2). A station transmitting phone may identify by voice or by CW, as many repeaters do.

• A. No RPT indicator is required; identification means sending the call sign with an authorized emission such as CW or phone.
• C. No R indicator is required for phone identification.
• D. CW identification is also allowed under 97.119(b)(1), so phone is not the only method.

Pool citation: 97.119(b)(2)

D. All these choices are correct

Under 47 CFR 97.119(c), an indicator must be separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. On phone, "stroke," "slant" and "slash" all denote the slant mark.

• A. True: "stroke" is a word denoting the slant mark, but it is only one of the acceptable forms.
• B. True: "slant" is the rule's own name for the mark, but it is only one of the acceptable forms.
• C. True: "slash" is a common word for the slant mark, but it is only one of the acceptable forms.

Pool citation: 97.119(c)

B. The foreign station must be in a country with which the U.S. has a third-party agreement

Under 47 CFR 97.115(a)(2), third-party messages may go to a station in a foreign country only if that country's government has an arrangement with the United States allowing them (a third-party agreement), or the messages are emergency or disaster relief communications. A non-licensed person speaking to a foreign station is a third party.

• A. 97.115 has no citizenship requirement for third parties; its limits concern the destination country and the third party's license history.
• C. No rule requires the control operator to speak the identification personally; the station identifies under 97.119, and 97.115(d) adds the foreign station's call sign at the end of the exchange.
• D. Only the third-party agreement requirement applies, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.115(a)(2)

A. A message from a control operator to another amateur station control operator on behalf of another person

47 CFR 97.3(a)(47) defines third-party communications as 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). Letting a non-licensed guest talk over your station is an example.

• B. Three stations talking together is a roundtable; the third party is a person on whose behalf a message is sent, not a third station.
• C. Operating equipment licensed to someone else is ordinary operation as a designated control operator, not third-party communication.
• D. Part 97 has no temporary authorization for unlicensed people to transmit for experiments; a non-licensed person may participate only as a third party under a control operator's supervision (97.115(b)).

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(47)

C. Repeater station

47 CFR 97.3(a)(40) defines a repeater as an amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels. A typical 2 m repeater receives on one frequency and retransmits on another 600 kHz away.

• A. A beacon transmits its own signals for observing propagation (97.3(a)(9)); it does not retransmit other stations.
• B. Remote control describes how a station is controlled through a control link (97.3(a)(39)), not retransmission of other stations.
• D. A message forwarding system passes messages from station to station (97.3(a)(32)), usually by storing and forwarding them rather than retransmitting simultaneously.

Pool citation: 97.3(a)(40)

A. The control operator of the originating station

47 CFR 97.205(g) states that the control operator of a repeater that inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the rules is not accountable for them. Accountability stays with the control operator of the originating station, who is responsible for that station's transmissions.

• B. 97.205(g) says the repeater's control operator is not accountable for inadvertently retransmitting violations.
• C. The repeater owner is not accountable for inadvertent retransmissions; the originating station's control operator is.
• D. The repeater side is not accountable for inadvertent retransmissions, so only the originating station is.

Pool citation: 97.205(g)

B. The club must have at least four members

Under 47 CFR 97.5(b)(2), a club must be composed of at least four persons and must have a name, a document of organization, management, and a primary purpose devoted to amateur service activities. The license trustee must hold an operator/primary station license grant of any class.

• A. The trustee must hold an operator license, but 97.5(b)(2) does not require Amateur Extra class.
• C. No affiliation with or registration with the ARRL is required for a club station license.
• D. Only the four-member requirement is in the rule, so not all the choices are correct.

Pool citation: 97.5(b)(2)