[AMPS] FCC Actions at Dayton

[Ian White, G3SEK]

frank ayers jr wrote:
>
>>And I believe the 
>>FCC's rules intended to prevent use of ham amplifiers by CBers were and
>are 
>>ineffectual and misguided. 
>
>Something I was thinking about was the 15 db gain stuff. Most 10 meter rigs
>can generate 100 watts or so for an amp. But, on six meters, a lot of hams
>run rigs/transverters with 10 watts or so out. Amps for over a kw (~1200w)
>are gonna need 40 watts to drive them. So, we wind up with a rig run into a
>brick designed for 120 watts out but throttled to 50 (and close to class C)
>running into your QRO amp de jour. Presto, instant diathermy machine. Too
>bad the regs wouldn't allow a nice tetrode amp with good screen regulation.
>Seems that anybody who could modify a 6 meter monobander for CB could just
>as well get a solid state amp kit.

This 6m problem had puzzled me, too, when G4GHP and I were thinking
about developing a 2 x 4CX400A amp kit for 6m as well as 2m. Obviously,
if the kits couldn't be exported legally to the USA, the whole project
wouldn't fly.

Having downloaded all the detailed rules [1] and studied them carefully,
there seemed to be no legal way to do this. The rules are very detailed
and they seem to cover all possible dodges to modify an existing amp for
CB use, but they do it by excluding many legitimate activities such as
manufacturing and buying a monoband 6m amp.

And yet... Command Technology have a nice little 6m amp on the market
that has been advertised for years, must have sold a lot, and was even
reviewed in QST - and all with no reaction from the FCC, until last
weekend.

Asking ARRL staff (unofficially) about their interpretation of the
rules, I had the clear impression that ARRL were happy to treat the 6m
rules as "dead law" - hence the totally favorable QST review of a
product that is technically illegal. 

The HF amp rules are obviously very much alive, but manufacturers and
buyers have learned to live with that.

The 6m situation is different, because commercial amps for that band are
banned outright. Now that FCC have upped the ante last weekend at
Dayton, I hope that ARRL will take the opportunity to campaign hard to
have at least the 6m rules dropped. 

[1] If you want to see the detailed rules, start from:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html

73 from Ian G3SEK          Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
                          'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
                           http://www.ifwtech.demon.co.uk/g3sek

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