Multiple Amplifiers

[John Montague]

There was either an interpretation of Part 97 (perhaps just a proposal, 
I don't remember which) that clarified the power limit definition 
(intent) -- it read something like this:

    The aggregate RF power output of all transmitter stages 
    delivering RF power to the driven element(s) of the 
    station antenna shall not exceed 1500 Watts.
    
Like many definitions, this one led to more questions than it answered, 
i.e., if a final stage in an amplifier passes some of the power from a 
driver stage through to the antenna how much, if any, of the driver 
stage power must be included in the 1500W limit.

Putting sophmorisms aside, it seems to me that the intent, if not the 
letter, of Part 97 limits US Amateur Radio Amateurs to operating a 
Station (aggregate of all RF power generators) that delivers no more 
than 1500 Watts to the Antenna (aggregate of all radiating elements).

John
W0RUE

PS: For your amusement:
                              - - -

From: Ender at ARRLCQ.Ansible (Scott Card)
To: FEDERATION-CONTESTS at recreation.ancient-technology.radio.amateur.Ansible
Posted: Star Date 13541.16
Subject: The Ultimate Contest Station?

History:
Before the discovery of Ansible Communications which have tied
the worlds of the Universe together with zero time delay
communications, the hobby of Amateur Radio allowed individuals to
experiment with various communication forms based on
electromagnetic radiation.  A minority faction of the
participants in this hobby engaged in "contests" where, unlike
today there was no personal penalty for loosing.  These contests
involved the exchange of an insignificant amount of information
between same-world individuals with the intent of accumulating
modest numbers of such exchanges inside a fixed interval.

The Federation Research Foundation in Star Date 11093.31
sanctioned a Second Education Level research project to
investigate what motivated intelligent beings to undertake this
irrational activity.  Results demonstrated that "Amateur Radio
Contests" are an addictive form of behavior for some life forms. 
Being addictive caused Amateur Radio Contests to be added to the
list of Federation-Contest pre-cursors.

In Star Date 12002.0, the ancient form of Amateur Radio was
re-sanctioned and has spread across the Worlds of the Federation. 
All of the old controversies have been revisited across the years
-- how many years should a contest last, are stations on the
moons of a planet countable as separate worlds, in binary star
systems can a station claim association with both stars in the
same contest, if a contest participant can afford to "bend space"
should contacts across the space-time distortion be counted, ....

Issue:
The Big-Ultimate-Gun consortium on Gamma-4, the apparent winner
in the All Region Radio Lovers Contest Quest (ARRLCQ), has been
found to have used a novel "Station" during the event. 
Electromagnetic generators, radiators, and detectors were
positioned on every participating world across the Universe. 
Control links were established through Ansible links to each
site.  Power limitations were observed by ensuring that contact
invitations were transmitted in assigned time slots, precluding
simultaneous electromagnetic energy generation in excess of that
stipulated in the rules.  The second and third place teams (Fast
Radio Contesters and Pauper Version Radio Club, both on Sol-3)
have petitioned the ARRLCQ to rule the BUG entry invalid and
banish BUGs from Contests (a particularly harsh penalty since
withdrawal from Contest Addiction has been shown to be fatal 13%
of all cases).

In light of the consequences, the ARRLCQ has chosen to submit the
decision to the Delphi method on the InterGalacticNet.  Address
all discussion to Contest-BUGs at Ansible.