[Amps] illegal amps

[Roger (K8RI)]

"I think", unless the user causes problems that result in complaints, 
the FCC won't bother them.
There are many Tetrode amps with gain exceeding the legal limits by a 
substantial amount.
If a ham plans on running the legal limit on AM, or digital, high duty 
cycle modes, they will need an amp with plenty of overhead that most 
likely would be capable of exceeding the legal limit up to 5 times 
over.  Unprocessed SSB duty cycle is calculated at 20% for RF exposure 
safety limits, while digital and FM is 100%. That's with transmissions 
at 3 min on, 3 min off, and 3 min on.  I wonder how many have actually 
measured, or calculated the RF level for exposure limits.

Technically, in the US, it's 1.5KW at the output of the rig/amp.
"Used to be", the FCC would measure the signal of the suspected offender 
from a parked van. Then an official would visit said ham and ask to see 
the station.  If he, or she could show they were legal AND the measured 
signal remained unchanged everyone was happy.  Of course there were 
cases where a bit of ingenuity was applied to beat the system.  Hidden 
remote amps, meter shunts, etc.  Typically the offenders were caught, 
but that was in the days where offensive language could earn a citation.

Now days, with massive antenna systems, some stations run amazing levels 
of ERP.  Does it really matter if the ERP comes from an antenna system, 
or amplifier? I think it does as antenna gain comes by reducing signal 
in unwanted directions and putting  it in desired directions. Boosting 
the ERP at the amp with lesser antennas increases the signal in unwanted 
directions, creating interference.  With highly directive antennas, 
multiple QSOs can exist on the same frequency.

Of course, this often results in someone hearing both the State side 
station and the DX.  Typically the one station is blamed for 
intentionally interfering, when he, or she can't even hear the DX.

73

Roger (K8RI)



On 9/30/2016 Friday 11:15 AM, Jim Thomson wrote:
> Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 10:17:09 +1300
> From: Steve Wright <stevewrightnz at gmail.com>
> To: amps at contesting.com
> Subject: [Amps] illegal amps
>
> Well, they're everywhere now aren't they.
>
> No one going to prison?  No amps confiscated by customs?  Any horror
> stories with a govt agency?  An operator near me has run 6KW into a
> foursquare for 25 years, and ZL legal limit here for most of that time
> was a measly 100 watts!
>
> Another operator near me made a youtube video of his kilowatt+ amp into
> a dummy load, and got the amp confiscated and crushed.
>
> Some truly massive signals coming out of Italy, and lots of huge amp
> projects published online, but the legal limit there was 400 watts last
> time I checked.
>
> It's plainly obvious now that operators everywhere are pushing the rules.
>
> What's going to happen?  Has it already happened?  Will the govt
> agencies ignore it?  Will they adjust the rules - new power limit 10KW?
>
> Something is going to happen.  I think it'll be interesting.
>
>
> Steve
>
> ##  where have u been ?   They have been everywhere since  1969 that I know of.
> ##  BTW, I have an elderly friend of mine who is moving soon, and has a ton of amp parts FS,
> including a 4CX-10,000  + mating socket + fil xfmr, pole pig, and 9/12 kv large oil caps..and a bunch
> of other stuff.    I will compile a list when he gets it all sorted out, hopefully soon.
>
> ## stay tuned.   Jim   VE7RF
>
>
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>


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