Section 1 --- Licence Conditions and Station Identification

Apparatus, inspection and closedown

Syllabus

1D1  Q4  Recall the Licensee must carry out tests from time to time to ensure that the station is not causing Undue Interference to other radio users.

When using amateur radio equipment you must carry out tests, which are unspecified, to make sure the signal you are radiating does not cause UNDUE INTERFERENCE to others also using the bands.

This can be done simply by looking for harmonics of the signal you are radiating on double, treble, and quadruple that frequency and that is the reason that the amateur bands are what they are. If you can hear your transmission on another receiver then you have a problem which must be resolved.

7(1) The Licensee shall ensure that:

1. the emitted frequency of the apparatus comprised in the Radio Equipment is as stable and as free from Unwanted Emissions as the state of technical development for amateur radio apparatus reasonably permits; and


2. whatever class of emission is in use, the bandwidth occupied by the emission is such that not more than 1% of the mean power of the transmission falls outside the nominal modulated carrier bandwidth

Keeping the airwaves clean is a duty of OFCOM which includes tracing sources of interference and illegal use of radios. Although your transmitter is commercially designed equipment it could possibly go wrong causing faulty transmissions. You may not even be aware of this. OFCOM authorised staff may need to come to check your equipment. They can close your station down immediately until equipment is repaired, or they may ask for it to be modified.

Recall that a person authorised by Ofcom has the right to any or all of the following:-

• inspect,


• require the modification of,
  


• require closedown of,


• or restrict the operation of the Radio Equipment.

The Licensee shall permit any person authorised by Ofcom:

(a) to inspect the Licence; and

(b) to have access to the Radio Equipment for the purposes of inspection, examination and testing, at any and all reasonable times or, when in the opinion of that person an urgent situation exists, at any time to ensure that the Radio Equipment is being used in accordance with the terms of this Licence.

A person authorised by Ofcom may require the Radio Equipment, or any part thereof, to be modified or restricted in use, or temporarily or permanently closed down with immediate effect when in the reasonable opinion of the person authorised by Ofcom an urgent situation exists :-

(a) a breach of this Licence has occurred; and/or

(b) the use of the Radio Equipment is causing or contributing to Undue Interference to the authorised use of other radio equipment.

Ofcom may require the Radio Equipment to be modified or restricted in use, or temporarily closed down either immediately or on the expiry of such period as may be specified in the event of a national or local state of emergency being declared. Ofcom may only exercise this power after a written notice is served on the Licensee or a general notice is published. Any general notices will be posted on the Ofcom website.

1D2  Q4  Recall that to assist interference identification a person authorised by Ofcom may require the Licence holder to keep a log of all transmissions made over a specified period of time.

Log keeping as a general rules is NOT required but many radio amateurs like to keep a log of their contacts and also the periodic tests that they carry out but it is not a licence condition.

However Ofcom can require that such a log is maintained which will identify when you were operating with a date and time and with who you were calling / chatting to etc

The origin of some of the text on this page is from the RSGB with additions by the web master