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Re: [TowerTalk] Legal Power measurement Discussion

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Legal Power measurement Discussion
From: jimlux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2016 07:58:54 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 9/26/16 6:50 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

And they don't mention ERP except for the new VLF.

Wrong. The criteria on 60 meters is expressed in ERP.  See 97.313(i):

(i) No station may transmit with an effective radiated power (ERP)
exceeding 100 W PEP on the 60 m band. For the purpose of computing
ERP, the transmitter PEP will be multiplied by the antenna gain
relative to a half-wave dipole antenna. A half-wave dipole antenna
will be presumed to have a gain of 1 (0 dBd). Licensees using other
antennas must maintain in their station records either the antenna
manufacturer's data on the antenna gain or calculations of the
antenna gain.

73,

And ERP (or EIRP) is probably factored into getting permission to operate high power on 70cm (where virtually all antennas where high power is used are mounted on a tower).

And, of course in the RF safety analysis as well.

I think the FCC has done a great job promulgating rules that are "easy to follow" - stick a power meter in the line after the amp is "easy". And the amateur service is unique among the radio services - it's the only one with a "don't do this" as opposed to "you shall do this" regulation set.

Safe harbor RF exposure calculations are similar.

If you want to do something else, you're going to have to justify it to the FCC, should they ask. My contention is that ultimately, the FCC is going to care about ERP, not whether the feedline is cryogenically cooled superconductor or glowing red from the loss as your power meter disk spins off the bearings. The power limits were created to manage co-channel interference when ships and shore stations started to interfere with each other.




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