Mike, This may be one of those creative local interpretations embraced by some coordinators who wish to create a "gray area" after finding the black-and-white of the regs too confining. Or, in this case, too liberating - looks like they want to fight the FCC on having 2M aux frequencies used for control. SERA can refuse to coordinate such uses on 2M, but that will only leave them uncoordinated, not illegal. Perhaps there are some institutional misunderstandings here.
He's technically correct, because a "frequency" is not a "link," but a "link" obviously needs a "frequency" on which to operate. Part 97 debates are frowned upon here on the list. I'd suggest you contact SERA directly to further pursue how it justifies its unique vocabulary. 73, Paul, AE4KR ----- Original Message ----- From: Mike Besemer (WM4B) To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 2:38 PM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Control Link Help me out here guys. The following piece of information came from our coordinating body: <snip> To: Mike Besemer (WM4B) Subject: Re: Control Link/Repeater Linking There is much confusion and disagreement between hams as to what is legal in part 97. If you search the SERA band plan you will find auxiliary stations but no control links on 2 meters but 440 MHz has control links listed. Auxiliary station and a control link frequency are two different things. <End Snip> My reply to that was: <snip> Your losing me. According to Part 97: "§97.213 Telecommand of an amateur station. An amateur station on or within 50 km of the Earth's surface may be under telecommand where: (a) There is a radio or wireline control link between the control point and the station sufficient for the control operator to perform his/her duties. If radio, the control link must use an auxiliary station. A control link using a fiber optic cable or another telecommunication service is considered wireline. (b) Provisions are incorporated to limit transmission by the station to a period of no more than 3 minutes in the event of malfunction in the control link. (c) The station is protected against making, willfully or negligently, unauthorized transmissions. (d) A photocopy of the station license and a label with the name, address, and telephone number of the station licensee and at least one designated control operator is posted in a conspicuous place at the station location. aAnd "§97.201 Auxiliary station. (a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, Technician Plus, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be an auxiliary station. A holder of a Technician, Technician Plus, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be the control operator of an auxiliary station, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held. (b) An auxiliary station may transmit only on the 2 m and shorter wavelength bands, except the 144.0-144.5 MHz, 145.8-146.0 MHz, 219-220 MHz, 222.00-222.15 MHz, 431-433 MHz, and 435-438 MHz segments. (c) Where an auxiliary station causes harmful interference to another auxiliary station, the licensees are equally and fully responsible for resolving the interference unless one station's operation is recommended by a frequency coordinator and the other station's is not. In that case, the licensee of the non-coordinated auxiliary station has primary responsibility to resolve the interference. (d) An auxiliary station may be automatically controlled. (e) An auxiliary station may transmit one-way communications. According to this, a control link IS an auxiliary station and an auxiliary station is allowed on two meters. I'm pretty sure that I'm reading the FCC rules correctly. are you saying that SERA does not endorse control links on 2 meters? I'm trying to understand, but what you're telling me appears contrary to what I'm reading. <End Snip> Am I totally losing my mind here, guys? If a control link must be an Auxiliary Station (97.213.a) and an Auxiliary Station may transmit on 2 meters (97.201.b), how can a control link frequency be different than an Auxiliary Station? Mike WM4B From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Besemer (WM4B) Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 8:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Control Link Greetings all, Please pardon my ignorance, but with the group of experts who hang out on this reflector I'd prefer getting the straight-poop from those who have 'been-there/done-that', rather than trying to find the correct answer the old-fashioned way! I'm considering adding a control link to our clubs 2-meter repeater. Currently, we use the phone-line as control link, but it'd be nice to have a second means of control. The controller is a CAT-1000, so I think I can just use the port for the 2nd radio (need to do some more reading in the manual to see what functions are allowed with that setup). Am I barking up the right tree? Any downside to this? Do I need to coordinate the link frequency through our coordinating body (SERA)? Can I eventually use this link to link two repeaters? Am I too stupid to attempt this? Again, pardon me asking prior to doing the research myself, but this place is a wealth of knowledge and with WAY too little time to do everything I'd like to do I sure appreciate everybody's assistance. Mike WM4B
