Carl Blare

There is no requirement in the Part 15 Rules for an un-licensed station operating as a part 15 intentional radiator to identify itself on the air.

There is no requirement in the Part 15 Rules for an un-licensed station operating as a part 15 intentional radiator to identify itself on the air.

In fact, there is nothing said about programming or speech in any sense, as the Part 15 Rules deal exclusively with technical requirements.

Meanwhile, in another section of the rules, namely Part 73, which pertains to (licensed) Radio Broadcast Services, something of importance is said, with reference to “part 15”:

73.3550 (1) Users of non-licensed, low power devices operating under part 15 of this chapter may use whatever identification is currently desired, so long as propriety is observed and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license.

It is fair to quibble over the failure to post this rule in the part 15 section, and having done so I will move on to a discussion of what is being said.

“May use” is an important phrase, because it supports my opening remark: “No requirement is made for a part 15 station to identify itself…” If you “may use whatever i.d.,” that leaves the choice of using none.

But part 15ers are inclined to scale themselves along the lines of full-power stations, and this typically means having an identity.

“So long as propriety is observed…” This is a guideline well worth a visit to the dictionary:

pro-pri-ety 3: appropriateness 4 a: conformity to what is socially acceptable in conduct or speech b: fear of offending against conventional rules of behavior.

This part of the rule is not as clear as it tries to be, as we are a Nation that includes non-conformists as a protected segment, and criticism of conventional norms as fair ground for discussion (difference of opinion).

“…and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license.” This is somewhat obvious, but does leave room for interpretation. For example, we would not say “This is WABC 770 New York,” which is a well known licensed station, but many part 15ers use legacy call letters from stations that “once were,” and this is probably acceptable because those stations are no longer licensed (the rule speaks in the present tense).

I am considering operation with no on air identity. But before I do, I would appreciate feedback about what you think of the idea.

Welcome to the 27th Low Power Hour, featuring low power radio news, dedication of a part 15 carrier current station, a new traffic reporting service, Episode # 4 of Flash Frisbone, and music from the Parade Patio Promenade Orchestra.

To listen right away
http://www.kdxradio.com/demand.html

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http://www.kdxradio.com/lph.html

Today I saw someone talking on a cell phone in a car with the windows rolled up and the doors closed. It was not a public hazard, because the caller was parked and not moving.

Today I saw someone talking on a cell phone in a car with the windows rolled up and the doors closed. It was not a public hazard, because the caller was parked and not moving.

I came to the conclusion that what I was seeing was impossible. Those little microwaves from a small battery device cannot possibly escape the Faraday Cage imposed by the car’s metal body, and there is no way the signal that does escape could possibly pass through the trees and buildings standing in the way of the cell tower 2-blocks away.

People who think they are speaking to someone from inside a car are having a fever delusion caused by the micro-wave-oven frequency impressed on the side of their head.

If it did work, of course, it could be amazingly convenient.

Every technician, and of course that includes part 15 people, has proud moments when a technical puzzle is solved and everything works.

Every technician, and of course that includes part 15 people, has proud moments when a technical puzzle is solved and everything works.

Today I dusted and opened for surgery a Panasonic AM FM Tuner from the 1980s, Model RE-7680, last used in the mid-1990s. It probably puts out about 10Watts per channel to external speakers.

Back then I had carefully re-wired the audio section so it would interface with a special speaker system at the time, but now the application is different and I needed to return it to original condition, but was not sure where to find my notes showing the changes. So I began a forensic investigation.

By noting clues such as “wiring I added” vs. “original wiring I had tapped into” I was able to reverse-engineer and get back to the original state.

Now the tuner works perfectly.

What is it for? Aha, it’s for the carrier current project, and the amplifier discussion will continue in the Carrier Current Journal.

What was your latest technical achievement?

Having a part 15 radio station is only the beginning of a growth process. It is human nature to build onto the basic setup and there are many upgrade paths.

Having a part 15 radio station is only the beginning of a growth process. It is human nature to build onto the basic setup and there are many upgrade paths.

A better antenna is probably number one, followed by stepping up to a better transmitter.

I thought of several bell and whistle things to do –

It would be neat to have a central remote control point for controlling and monitoring each transmitter, wherever they are located.

Also, how about mini-meters for watching transmitter “readings.”

Finally, while listening to “This Week in Radio Tech” from the TWiT Network, there was a tour of a transmitter plant with the sound of very heavy-duty blowers keeping the transmitters cool. For part 15, how about ultra mini blowers that run just for realism.

The head of a consulting engineering firm wrote a letter to Radio World claiming an “AM Loophole” regarding the Part 15 AM rules.

http://radioworld.com/article/close-am-loophole/24329

The head of a consulting engineering firm wrote a letter to Radio World claiming an “AM Loophole” regarding the Part 15 AM rules.

http://radioworld.com/article/close-am-loophole/24329

JUST READ 15.209. LOOPHOLE CLOSED.

IN SELF DEFENSE: Perhaps my title should have been “Uninformed Engineer,” so it would sound less like name-calling. But the word “ignorant” is founded on the word “ignore” and of course he did sound-off before checking his facts, which he ignored.

Besides, as a faithful, true part 15er, I felt like we were being unjustly attacked.