FCC Adopts RM10-124

[K0RGR]

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-124A1.doc

FCC has adopted new rules regarding employee participation in drills.

Employees are now allowed to participate in drills. Government-sponsored drills are unlimited. Non-government sponsored drills are limited to one hour per week and two 72 hours drills per year.

A new exemption was also granted for school teachers using ham radio in the classroom, and rules for stations like W1AW were clarified.

[WY3X]

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-124A1.doc

FCC has adopted new rules regarding employee participation in drills.

Employees are now allowed to participate in drills. Government-sponsored drills are unlimited. Non-government sponsored drills are limited to one hour per week and two 72 hours drills per year.

A new exemption was also granted for school teachers using ham radio in the classroom, and rules for stations like W1AW were clarified.

How about posting some of the details? (For those of us who are trying to be in two places at once.... gotta run!)

Are employees allowed to be paid to operate an amateur radio now? (Not that this would affect me, I'm retired.) I think that was what was causing the major rift in changing the rules.

Thanks, -WY3X

[KR2D]

How about posting some of the details? (

1. Section 97.113 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(3), adding new paragraphs (a)(3)(i) and (a)(3)(ii), redesignating paragraphs (c) and (d) as new paragraphs (a)(3)(iii) and (a)(3)(iv) respectively, and redesignating paragraphs (e) and (f) as (c) and (d) respectively, to read as follows:

§ 97.113 Prohibited transmissions.

(a) * * *

(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer, with the following exceptions:

(i) A station licensee or control station operator may participate on behalf of an employer in an emergency preparedness or disaster readiness test or drill, limited to the duration and scope of such test or drill, and operational testing immediately prior to such test or drill. Tests or drills that are not government-sponsored are limited to a total time of one hour per week; except that no more than twice in any calendar year, they may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours.

(ii) An amateur operator may notify other amateur operators of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus normally used in an amateur station, provided that such activity is not conducted on a regular basis.

(iii) A control operator may accept compensation as an incident of a teaching position during periods of time when an amateur station is used by that teacher as a part of classroom instruction at an educational institution.

(iv) The control operator of a club station may accept compensation for the periods of time when the station is transmitting telegraphy practice or information bulletins, provided that the station transmits such telegraphy practice and bulletins for at least 40 hours per week; schedules operations on at least six amateur service MF and HF bands using reasonable measures to maximize coverage; where the schedule of normal operating times and frequencies is published at least 30 days in advance of the actual transmissions; and where the control operator does not accept any direct or indirect compensation for any other service as a control operator.
* * * * *

[W5HTW]

Maybe my sig line has been wrong all along. Maybe amateur radio really IS a branch of the Dept of Homeland Security.

Ed
...

[GI7OMY]

Well over here, strictly speaking, it's called the 'Amateur Radio SERVICE'

[KX0O]

There is a service component here too.. the problem here is the rules are only "the rules" if they agree with them... if not it is all complaining.

Well over here, strictly speaking, it's called the 'Amateur Radio SERVICE'

[NA0AA]

Well, I guess they don't need us volunteers anymore, I will let my RACES card expire and go back to being a simple hobbiest. More fun anyway than their silly drills.

[KR2D]

Maybe my sig line has been wrong all along. Maybe amateur radio really IS a branch of the Dept of Homeland Security.

Ed
...

Like it or not, emergency communication is part of the Basis and Purpose for the Amateur Radio Service. It's in the very first paragraph of the regulations that govern our service. If you don't like emcomm (I don't), then don't participate in that aspect of the hobby.

§97.1 (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.

[K4YZ]

How about posting some of the details? (For those of us who are trying to be in two places at once.... gotta run!)

Are employees allowed to be paid to operate an amateur radio now? (Not that this would affect me, I'm retired.) I think that was what was causing the major rift in changing the rules.

Thanks, -WY3X

Employees are not being paid to operate an Amateur Radio station per se, rather they are employees operating an Amateur Radio station incidental to an emergency preparedness drill (or bonafide emergency, for that matter) while in a paid status at work.

eg: I happen to be an ER Nurse (really!)..I have my HT with me...We get hit by a tornado and the lights go out and the phones are dead. I am in a paid status, using my Amateur Radio license and facilities to effect emergency communications. It's no longer 'illegal' for me to do that, not that I ever expected the FCC would have tried to cite me (or anyone else, for that matter) in those circumstances anyway!!

Perhaps some delineation needed to be made by the FCC, but I think the entire NPRM / R&O was a stick-and-pony show for the nit-pickers and the Chicken Little crowd over this strawman argument about our bands being 'taken over' for 'routine' EmComm uses.

73

Steve, K4YZ

[KE4SKY]

Found at the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Web pages under Highlights and Releases:

http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/

7/14/10
Amendment of Part 97 of the Commission's Rules Regarding Amateur Radio Service Communications During Government Disaster Drills.
Report and Order: Word | Acrobat

Link to actual Report and Order:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-10-124A1.doc