[Amps] rotten splatter/ IMD vs. Vcc

[jljarvis]

97.307(a):  No amateur station transmission shall occupy more bandwidth
than necessary for the information rate and emission type being transmitted,
in accordance with good amateur practice.

97.307(b):  Emissions resulting from modulation must be confined to the 
band or segment available to the control operator.  Emissions outside the
necessary bandwidth mustnot cause splatter or keyclick inteference to
operations on adjacent frequencies.

97.307(c):  All spurious emissions....must be reduced to the greatest
extent possible....

97.307(d)  The mean power of any spurious emission from a station transmitter
or external RF power amplifier transmitting on a frequency below 30MHz must
not exceed 50mW, and must be at least 40dB below the mean power of the fundamental
transmission.  

There is no bandwidth specification for phone transmissions, other than the 
general requirement of "Good Engineering Practice", cited in 97.101(A).
Common practice assumes that a SSB signal occupies a 3KHz wide band, and 
that double sideband AM occupies 6KHz.  

Discussion of someone's 12KHz wide AM signal is irrelevant, although it does
engender debate about "reasonable and proper" bandwidth.  

CONCLUSION:  Audible splatter is prohibited, even where it remains in-band.
There are lots of bad ones out there....many caused by not using ALC, and
overdriving the amp. (I wonder if David Popkin monitors this reflector? >:))