LESSON 1

Basis and purpose of the Amateur Radio Service, penalties
for unlicensed operation, other penalties,

If you have not yet read the introduction please scroll down to the bottom of this lesson to the Introduction and read it. It will help you understand how these lessons will work. Your participation is very important and that is explained in the Introduction.

When defining Amateur Radio there are two elements to be considered. First the operator who is a man, woman, boy, or girl licensed to operate an Amateur Radio Station and then Amateur Radio station it self.

A radio service defines the way and reasons for radio transmissions. There is the Broadcast radio service which is just the regular AM and FM radio we use for our enjoyment and information. There is also the Cellular and the Land Mobile radio service. Among the many radio services there is one called The Amateur Radio service.

An amateur station is defined as “a station in an Amateur Radio Service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radio communications.”

The origin term Amateur Radio operator seems to be unclear but it is a very good definitive description of who we are. We are individuals who have an interest in radio communications and who are willing to pursue this interest with no remunerations (with almost no exception pay of any kind for any radio communications on the amateur radio bands is prohibited). We are licensed by and issued amateur radio call signs by the regulating agency responsible for the administration of radio communications in the nation under which we will be operating. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the agency which makes and enforces the rules for the Amateur Radio Service in the United States?

The FCC part 97 of radio rules and regulations covers the laws which relate to the Amateur Radio Service in the United States of America. Part 97 defines an amateur operator as “A person named in an amateur operator/primary license grant in the FCC ULS database.”

Part 97 also defines the purpose of the Amateur Radio Service. There are four reasons described there in and they are: a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications. b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art. c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur radio service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art. d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts. e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
There are some who feel that regulating the radio waves is not necessary and they feel it is their right to transmit when, where, and what they want. Originally there were no radio licenses or regulations but as the industry grew it was realized that there was a need to regulate the use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Without regulations there would be nothing but confusion.

Think of a room full of people each trying to talk. Some are trying to talk to everyone in the room at once. Some are speaking to the person next to them while others are speaking to someone or some group across the room. That would give you some idea of what it would be like in the radio world without regulations.

Even with regulations and operators trying not to overlap or interfere with other operations it still inadvertently happens. A transmission that disturbs other communications is called Harmful interference. If this interference is deliberate it is called malicious interference and is subject to legal action which can include fines and imprisonment.

There have been many changes to these regulations over the years. The ability to send and receive Morse code had to be demonstrated before an amateur license could be granted. Then a few years ago it was changed so those who were applying for their Technician class did not have to take a code test. It was earlier this year (2007) the FCC removed all code requirement. They, prior to this had discontinued issuing licenses for two classes of licenses, the Novice and the Advanced Classes. So there are now just three classes of amateur radio licenses which currently may be earned by examination. These three licenses are: Technician, General, Extra.

Those holding Novice and Advanced classes may renew their current license as Novice or Advanced, depending on which grade they hold, with the appropriate privileges for those classes. There are also some Technician class hams who passes a code test called Technician Plus class who can also renew their Technician Plus status and operate with the extra privileges granted by their license. But again the only new licenses which are being tested for and for those who are upgrading the only upgrades available are Technician, General, and Extra classes.

Up until 1984 the FCC had done all the testing for all radio services including the Amateur radio service. In 1984 the FCC, by an act of congress, began to certify organizations to coordinate and administer the test elements. These organizations were and still are called VOLUNTEER EXAMINER COORDINATOR (VEC). The first VEC was the Anchorage (Alaska) Amateur Radio Club and remains active to the day of this writing. There are now 14 approved VEC’s the largest of which is the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).

The Amateur Radio tests are administered by Volunteer Examiners (VE’s). A VE is an amateur accredited by one or more VEC’s who volunteers to administer amateur license exams. To administer the technician class test there must be a minimum of three VE’s holding a General class license or higher.

Upon the completion of any element of the examination which you successfully pass the VE team will issue you a Certification of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) so a passed element needs not be repeated if upgrade is completed within one year. The CSCE is good for 365 days.




Test Questions

T1A01
Who is an amateur operator as defined in Part 97?
A. A person named in an amateur operator/primary license grant in the FCC ULS database
B. A person who has passed a written license examination
C. The person named on the FCC Form 605 Application
D. A person holding a Restricted Operating Permit
~~
T1A02
What is one of the basic purposes of the Amateur Radio Service as defined in Part 97?
A. To support teaching of amateur radio classes in schools
B. To provide a voluntary noncommercial communications service to the public, particularly in times of emergency
C. To provide free message service to the public
D. To allow the public to communicate with other radio services
~~
T1A03
What classes of US amateur radio licenses may currently be earned by examination?
A. Novice, Technician, General, Advanced
B. Technician, General, Advanced
C. Technician, General, Extra
D. Technician, Tech Plus, General
~~
T1A04
Who is a Volunteer Examiner?
A. A certified instructor who volunteers to examine amateur
teaching manuals
B. An FCC employee who accredits volunteers to administer amateur license exams
C. An amateur accredited by one or more VECs who volunteers to administer amateur license exams
D. Any person who volunteers to examine amateur station equipment
~~
T1A05
How long is a CSCE valid for license upgrade purposes?
A. 365 days
B. Until the current license expires
C. Indefinitely
D. Until two years following the expiration of the current
license
~~
T1A06
How many and what class of Volunteer Examiners are required to administer an Element 2 Technician written exam?
A. Three Examiners holding any class of license
B. Two Examiners holding any class of license
C. Three Examiners holding a Technician Class license
D. Three Examiners holding a General Class license or
higher
~~
T1A07
Who makes and enforces the rules for the Amateur Radio Service in the United States?
A. The Congress of the United States
B. The Federal Communications Commission
C. The Volunteer Examiner Coordinators
D. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
~~
T1A08
What are two of the five fundamental purposes for the Amateur Radio Service?
A. To protect historical radio data, and help the public
understand radio history
B. To aid foreign countries in improving radio communications and encourage visits from foreign hams
C. To modernize radio electronic design theory and improve
schematic drawings
D. To increase the number of trained radio operators and
electronics experts, and improve international goodwill
~~
T1A09
What is the definition of an amateur radio station?
A. A station in a public radio service used for radio
communications
B. A station using radio communications for a commercial purpose
C. A station using equipment for training new broadcast
operators and technicians
D. A station in an Amateur Radio Service consisting of the
apparatus necessary for carrying on radio communications
~~
T1A10
What is a transmission called that disturbs other communications?
A. Interrupted CW
B. Harmful interference
C. Transponder signals
D. Unidentified transmissions




Answers to today’s questions:
A, B, C, C, A, B, D, B, D, B


Note 1: If you are totally new to Amateur Radio and find you are a little confused at this point don’t become discouraged because you are just starting and that would be normal. If you can it would be best if you became acquainted with a local ham radio operator or attend a local ham club. I know of no other single thing that will help more then getting to know one or more hams. Don’t worry about contacting a stranger thinking you might be rejected because it is amazing just how helpful ham radio operators are.

Note 2: Amateur Radio is the official name of the radio service but Amateur operators are also known as hams. It is believed to come from the shortening of the word Amateur to Am but British accent had the tendency to ad the H sound prior to the word which made it ham.