From the general class question pool.
G1F02 (B) [97.315a]
Without a grant of FCC certification, how many external RF
amplifiers of a given design capable of operation below 144
MHz may you build or modify in one calendar year?
A. None
B. 1
C. 5
D. 10
Here is the ARRL link to the question pool.
http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/el3-release-12-1-03.txt
David Wilburn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
K4DGW
K2 #5982
Jozef Hand-Boniakowski wrote:
I have been a ham for 43 plus years (12/23/63) and up to now have not
heard of any such limitation.
Jozef WB2MIC
David Wilburn wrote:
Just working from memory here, but wasn't there also a limit that the
amateur could only build one such amp a year?
David Wilburn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
K4DGW
K2 #5982
Jim Wiley wrote:
The 15 db rule applies only to manufactured for sale amplifiers. It
does not apply to amplifiers that an individual ham builds for him or
herself, particularly when a a kit is not involved.. Section 97.317
of the rules, which is where the 15 db rule appears, applies to the
certification of external RF power amplifiers that a manufacturer
offers for sale. Home-made amplifiers do not require certification.
They must still meet some standards, such as those involving purity
of emissions (harmonics, for example) and of course must not be
operated above 1500 watts PEP, but that's pretty much it.
I am unsure of how the rule applies to kits, but I think they would
be considered a "manufactured product" if all the parts needed to
complete the amplifier are contained, in the kit. If, however, a
"kit" contained only some of the parts, and could not in itself be
assembled into a working amplifier without adding extra parts, then
the certification rule probably would not apply.
It would be perfectly legal for a ham to build a home-brew
grid-driven amplifier that could take the 10 watt signal from his
K2 and boost it to 1500 watts output. Such an amplifier would have
(roughly) 22 db of gain. A pair of 4CX800 tubes could accomplish
this, I think. Remember also that the old Johnson Thunderbolt could
be operated in grid-driven mode, and it had (still has, if you can
find one) similar performance, using a pair of 4-400 tubes.
- Jim, KL7CC
Chris Kantarjiev wrote:
The Linear Amp kits seem to need a fair amount of drive. I've been
idly thinking about a linear that would allow me to drive it with
my barefoot K2 and get 600-800 watts out for CW.
The limit is 15 dB and is still in the requirements despite the
recent loosening of Part 97. That should give something over 400
watts when driven by a K2. I don't recall whether the "easily-
modifiable" rule is still there, so it may be possible to have an
amp with an attenuator on the front-end (I heard that one of the
Tokyo High Power amps does this, but haven't verified that).
73, Bob N7XY
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