[Amps] FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule

Wed Dec 28 16:34:11 EST 2016

I don't get where the notion comes from that commercialization vs home 
brewing is something new to Ham radio.
For at least 75 years commercial & military surplus gear have been a common 
part of our hobby.
Many Hams have interests other than building - they are not lesser Hams.
The FCC needs to catch up with noise floor challenges & modern technology.
IMHO, YMMV ...

On December 28, 2016 5:35:38 AM "Leigh Turner" 
<invertech at frontierisp.net.au> wrote:

>
> I heartily agree Charly.
>
> Sadly there has been an insidious creep in the commercialization of ham
> radio markets for profit and financial gain that coincides with the rise of
> technically unskilled appliance operators incapable of building their own
> amplifiers....a tragic situation in what's ostensibly a technical based
> hobby!
>
> Thankfully savvy and adept homebrewers are free to build and operate
> whatever they please...
>
> Since the IMD specs of these QRO solid-state amps leaves much to be desired
> it is probably wise of the FCC to limit their proliferation!!
>
> 73
>
> Leigh
> VK5KLT
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Amps [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Charles H
> Sent: Wednesday, 28 December 2016 8:07 PM
> To: Morel Grunberg; amps at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Amps] FCC Denies Expert Linears Request for Waiver of 15 dB
> Rule
>
> Flex co. just lost my support.  I do not like the commercialization of ham
> radio and stories of competing companies, not just Flex, knifing each other.
>
>
> Charly
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Amps <amps-bounces at contesting.com> on behalf of Morel Grunberg
> <gmorel at netvision.net.il>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 9:05 AM
> To: amps at contesting.com
> Subject: [Amps] FCC Denies Expert Linears Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule
>
> From ARRL Bulletin:
>
> FCC Denies Expert Linears Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule, Petition
> Pending
>
> 12/27/2016
>
> The FCC has denied a request by  <http://www.expertlinears.com/> Expert
> Expert Linears America, LLC<http://www.expertlinears.com/>
> www.expertlinears.com
> Expert Linears America, LLC (ELA) is an authorized distributor and repair
> facility of SPE Linear Amps. Bob Hardie W5UQ is SPE factory trained on all
> Expert Linear ...
>
> Linears America LLC to waive §97.317(a)(2) of the Amateur Service rules
> limiting amplifier gain. Expert, of Magnolia, Texas, distributes linears
> manufactured by SPE in Italy. Its waiver request, filed in June, would have
> allowed Expert to import an amplifier capable of exceeding the current 15 dB
> gain limitation as it awaits FCC action on its April petition (
> <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001536394> RM-11767) to revise
> FCCs Electronic Comment Filing System -
> apps.fcc.gov<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001536394>
> apps.fcc.gov
> Welcome to the FCCs new Electronic Comment Filing System, ECFS 3.0,
> launched June 20, 2016. This system contains the entire history of docketed
> proceedings from ...
>
> the same Amateur Service rules. That petition remains pending. Expert has
> asserted that there should be no gain limitation on amplifiers sold or used
> in the Amateur Service. Most commenters supported Experts waiver request,
> but a couple of commenters  including FlexRadio  demurred.
>
> "In light of the conflicting comments regarding the desirability of
> eliminating the 15 dB limitation, we conclude that waiving the limitation at
> this stage of the rulemaking proceeding would prejudice the rulemaking
> proceeding and prematurely dispose of commenters concerns," the FCC said in
> denying the waiver. "Moreover, we agree with FlexRadio that granting
> Experts waiver request while the rulemaking petition remains pending would
> provide an unfair market advantage for one equipment model over other
> manufacturers RF power amplifiers that would still be limited by [the
> existing rules]."
>
> The FCC said it would rather give full consideration to "the pending issues"
> and apply the result of the rulemaking proceeding to all Amateur Radio
> Service equipment. The Commission said rule waivers "generally" are not
> warranted "merely to accommodate technical parameters that are based solely
> on harmonization with the manufacturers products available abroad."
>
> The FCC said a minority of those commenting on the waiver request expressed
> concern that eliminating the 15 dB limitation would lead to an overall
> increase in power levels, "including transmissions that intentionally or
> unintentionally exceed the maximum power limit."
>
> In its April rulemaking petition, Expert maintained that the 15 dB gain
> limitation is an unneeded holdover from the days when amplifiers were less
> efficient and the FCC was attempting to rein in the use of Amateur Service
> amplifiers by Citizens Band operators.
>
> Although the FCC had proposed in 2004 to delete the requirement that
> amplifiers be designed to use a minimum of 50 W of drive power  and
> subsequently did so  it did not further discuss the 15 dB limit in the
> subsequent  <https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1.pdf>
> Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D
> ...<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1.pdf>
> apps.fcc.gov
> Federal Communications Commission FCC 06-149 Before the Federal
> Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of Amendment
> of Part 97 of the ...
>
> Report and Order in that proceeding.
>
> Expert has pointed to its Model 1.3K FA amplifier as an example of a linear
> "inherently capable of considerably more than 15 dB of amplification," which
> would make it a suitable match for low-power transceivers now on the market.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Amps mailing list
> Amps at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
> Amps Reflector - Contesting.com Ham Radio Mailing
> Lists<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps>
> lists.contesting.com
>
> Welcome to the Amplifier mailing list! This list is intended for the
> exchange of information on HAM RADIO Amplifiers related topics ONLY. Our
> goal is to keep ...
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Amps mailing list
> Amps at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Amps mailing list
> Amps at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps