Sec.  97.317   Standards for certification of external RF power amplifiers.

   (a) To receive a grant of certification, the amplifier must satisfy the
   spurious emission standards of  Sec. 97.307(d) or (e) of this part, as
   applicable, when the amplifier is:

   (1) Operated at its full output power;

   (2) Placed in the “standby” or “off” positions, but still connected to the
   transmitter; and

   (3) Driven with at least 50 W mean RF input power (unless higher drive level
   is specified.)

   (b) To receive a grant of certification, the amplifier must not be capable
   of operation on any frequency or frequencies between 24 MHz and 35 MHz. The
   amplifier will be deemed incapable of such operation if it:

   (1) Exhibits no more than 6 dB gain between 24 MHz and 26 MHz and between 28
   MHz and 35 MHz. (This gain will be determined by the ratio of the input RF
   driving signal (mean power measurement) to the mean RF output power of the
   amplifier); and

   (2) Exhibits no amplification (0 dB gain) between 26 MHz and 28 MHz.

   (c) Certification may be denied when denial would prevent the use of these
   amplifiers in services other than the amateur service. The following
   features will result in dismissal or denial of an application for
   certification:

   (1) Any accessible wiring which, when altered, would permit operation of the
   amplifier in a manner contrary to the FCC Rules;

   (2) Circuit boards or similar circuitry to facilitate the addition of
   components to change the amplifier's operating characteristics in a manner
   contrary to the FCC Rules;

   (3) Instructions for operation or modification of the amplifier in a manner
   contrary to FCC Rules;

   (4) Any internal or external controls or adjustments to facilitate operation
   of the amplifier in a manner contrary to the FCC Rules;

   (5) Any internal RF sensing circuitry or any external switch, the purpose of
   which is to place the amplifier in the transmit mode;

   (6) The incorporation of more gain in the amplifier than is necessary to
   operate in the amateur service; for purposes of this paragraph, the amplifer
   must:

   (i) Not be capable of achieving designed output power when driven with less
   than 50 W mean RF input power;

   (ii) Not be capable of amplifying the input RF driving signal by more than
   15 dB, unless the amplifier has a designed transmitter power of less than
   1.5 kW (in such a case, gain must be reduced by the same number of dB as the
   transmitter power relationship to 1.5 kW; This gain limitation is determined
   by the ratio of the input RF driving signal to the RF output power of the
   amplifier where both signals are expressed in peak envelope power or mean
   power);

   (iii) Not exhibit more gain than permitted by paragraph (c)(6)(ii) of this
   section when driven by an RF input signal of less than 50 W mean power; and

   (iv) Be capable of sustained operation at its designed power level;

   (7) Any attenuation in the input of the amplifier which, when removed or
   modified, would permit the amplifier to function at its designed transmitter
   power when driven by an RF frequency input signal of less than 50 W mean
   power; or

   (8) Any other features designed to facilitate operation in a
   telecommunication service other than the Amateur Radio Services, such as the
   Citizens Band (CB) Radio Service.

   [ 54 FR 25857 , June 20, 1989, as amended at  63 FR 36611 , July 7, 1998]

Subpart E—Providing Emergency Communications