FCC 80.203 Revised as of October 1, 2006
Goto Year:2005 |
2007
Sec. 80.203 Authorization of transmitters for licensing.
(a) Each transmitter authorized in a station in the maritime services after
September 30, 1986, except as indicated in paragraphs (g), (h) and (i) of
this section, must be certificated by the Commission for part 80 operations.
The procedures for certification are contained in part 2 of this chapter.
Transmitters of a model authorized before October 1, 1986 will be considered
type accepted for use in ship or coast stations as appropriate.
(b) The external controls, of maritime station transmitters capable of
operation in the 156–162 MHz band and manufactured in or imported into the
United States after August 1, 1990, or sold or installed after August 1,
1991, must provide for selection of only maritime channels for which the
maritime station is authorized. Such transmitters must not be capable of
being programmed by station operators using external controls to transmit on
channels other than those programmed by the manufacturer, service or
maintenance personnel.
(1) Any manufacturer procedures and special devices for programming must
only be made available to service companies employing licensed service and
maintenance personnel that meet the requirements of Sec. 80.169(a) and must not
be made available with information normally provided to consumers.
(2) The channels preprogrammed by manufacturers, service and maintenance
personnel for selection by the external controls of a maritime station
transmitter must be limited to those channels listed in this part and the
duplex channels listed in Appendix 18 of the international Radio
Regulations. The duplex channels listed in Appendix 18 of the international
Radio Regulations must be used only in the specified duplex mode. Simplex
operations on Appendix 18 duplex channels that are not in accordance with
this part are prohibited.
(3) Programming of authorized channels must be performed only by a person
holding a first or second class radiotelegraph operator's certificate or a
general radiotelephone operator's license using any of the following
procedures:
(i) Internal adjustment of the transmitter;
(ii) Use of controls normally inaccessible to the station operator;
(iii) Use of external devices or equipment modules made available only to
service and maintenance personnel through a service company; and
(iv) Copying of a channel selection program directly from another
transmitter (cloning) using devices and procedures made available only to
service and maintenance personnel through a service company.
(4) VHF maritime radio station transmitters capable of being programmed by
station operators by means of external controls that are installed in a
maritime station by August 1, 1991, are authorized for use indefinitely at
the same maritime station.
(c) All VHF ship station transmitters that are either manufactured in or
imported into the United States, on or after August 1, 1993, or are
initially installed on or after August 1, 1994, must be equipped with an
automatic timing device that deactivates the transmitter and reverts the
transmitter to the receive mode after an uninterrupted transmission period
of five minutes, plus or minus 10 per cent. Additionally, such transmitters
must have a device that indicates when the automatic timer has deactivated
the transmitter. VHF ship station transmitters initially installed before
August 1, 1994, are authorized for use indefinitely at the same maritime
station. VHF hand-held, portable transmitters are not required to comply
with the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section except when used as
described in Sec. 80.141.
(d) Except for radar equipment, applicants for certification of radio
equipment designed to satisfy Part II of Title III of the Communications Act
or the Safety Convention must also submit with their application a working
unit of the type for which certification is desired. Manufacturers of radar
equipment intended for installation on voluntarily equipped ships by persons
without FCC operators license must include with their equipment
authorization application a manual that provides step-by-step procedures for
the installation, calibration, and operation of the radar stations.
(e) [Reserved]
(f) Transmitters certificated for single sideband suppressed carrier
radiotelephone transmissions may be used for facsimile transmissions without
filing for a certification modification provided the transmitters retain
certification and comply with the applicable standards in this part.
(g) Manufacturers of ship earth station transmitters intended for use in the
INMARSAT space segment must comply with the verification procedures given in
part 2 of this chapter. Such equipment must be verified in accordance with
the technical requirements provided by INMARSAT and must be type approved by
INMARSAT for use in the INMARSAT space segment. The ship earth station
input/output parameters, the data obtained when the equipment is integrated
in system configuration and the pertinent method of test procedures that are
used for type approval of the station model which are essential for the
compatible operation of that station in the INMARSAT space segment must be
disclosed by the manufacturer upon request of the FCC. Witnessing of the
type approval tests and the disclosure of the ship earth station equipment
design or any other information of a proprietary nature will be at the
discretion of the ship earth station manufacturer.
(h) In addition to the certification requirements contained in part 2 of
this chapter applicants for type acceptance of 406.025 MHz radiobeacons must
also comply with the certification procedures contained in Sec. 80.1061 of this
part.
(i) Certification is not required for U.S. Government furnished transmitters
to fulfill a U.S. Government contract. However, such transmitters must
comply with all technical requirements in this part.
(j) Certification is not required for transmitters authorized for
developmental stations.
(k) Certification of individual radio transmitters requested by station
applicants or licensees must also follow the certification procedure in
paragraph (a) of this section. However, operation of such transmitters must
be limited to the specific units individually identified on the station
authorization.
(l) Ship station transmitters may be certificated for emissions not shown in
Sec. 80.205 of this part. However, such emissions are not authorized for use in
the United States or for communications with U.S. coast stations.
(m) Ship station MF, HF, and VHF transmitters may employ external or
internal devices to send synthesized voice transmissions for distress and
safety purposes on any distress and safety frequency authorized for
radiotelephony listed in Sec. 80.369 provided the following requirements are
met:
(1) The technical characteristics of the distress transmissions must comply
with this part.
(2) A transmitter and any internal device capable of transmitting a
synthesized voice message must be certificated as an integral unit.
(3) The synthesized voice distress transmission must begin with the words
“this is a recording” and should be comprised of at least:
(i) the radiotelephone distress call as described in Sec. 80.315(b) and the
ship's position as described in Sec. 80.316(c); or
(ii) the radiotelephone distress message as described in Sec. 80.316(b). If
available, the ship's position should be reported as described in
Sec. 80.316(c).
(4) Such transmission must be initiated manually by an off-switch that is
protected from inadvertent activation and must cause the transmitter to
switch to an appropriate distress and safety frequency. The radiotelephone
distress call and message described in Sec. Sec. 80.203(m)(3) (i) and (ii),
respectively, may be repeated. However, the entire transmission including
repeats must not exceed 45 seconds from beginning to end. Upon ending the
transceiver must return to the receive mode and must not be capable of
sending the synthesized distress call for at least thirty seconds. Placing
the switch to the off position must stop the distress transmission and
permit the transmitter to be used to send and receive standard voice
communications.
(5) Use of the microphone must cause the synthesized voice distress
transmission to cease and allow the immediate use of the transmitter for
sending and receiving standard voice communications.
(6) No ship station shall include any device or provision capable of
transmitting any tone or signal on a distress frequency for any purpose
unless specific provisions exist in this Part authorizing such tone or
signal.
(n) Applications for type acceptance of all marine radio transmitters
operating in the 2–27.5 MHz band or the 156–162 MHz band received on or
after June 17, 1999, must have a DSC capability in accordance with Sec. 80.225.
This requirement does not apply to transmitters used with AMTS or hand-held
portable transmitters.
(o) Existing equipment that does not comply with the rules in this subpart
but was properly authorized as compliant with the rules in effect at the
time of its authorization, and remains compliant with the rules in effect at
the time of its authorization, may continue to be installed until February
1, 2003.
[ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 53 FR 41434 , Oct. 28, 1987; 53 FR 37308 , Sept. 26, 1988; 54 FR 31839 , Aug. 2, 1989; 56 FR 3787 , Jan. 31, 1991;
56 FR 57496 , Nov. 12, 1991; 56 FR 57988 , Nov. 15, 1991; 57 FR 8727 , Mar. 12,
1992; 62 FR 40305 , July 28, 1997; 63 FR 36606 , July 7, 1998; 68 FR 46962 ,
Aug. 7, 2003; 69 FR 64672 , Nov. 8, 2004]
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