Robots, Radio, and the FCC

Telecommand (radio control) Two way comms remote control of transmitter control link must be >xxx MHz Does it have to be up 100% of time? Automated HF transmission? HF APRS stations, autonomously transmit on 10.125 MHz

Definitions

• Auxiliary station - a station “connected” to others (220 and up)
  There is a distinction between “remote control” and “telecommand/telemetry” having to do with control operators, automation, etc.
• Remote Control - Control operator makes adjustments (I.e. turn on and off power, set freqs, etc.)
• TC/TM - One way transmissions Telecommand - tells device to do something
  (which might be to send telemetry)
• Telemetry - send measurements from something
  (which could be video image)

§97.201 Auxiliary station.
(7) Auxiliary station. An amateur station, other than in a message forwarding system, that is transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating amateur stations.
(38) Remote control. The use of a control operator who indirectly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station through a control link to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
(43) Telecommand. A one-way transmission to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a device at a distance.
(45) Telemetry. A one-way transmission of measurements at a distance from the measuring instrument.

Auxiliary station.

• No Novice Licenses
• 220 and higher bands (some holes in 220 and 70cm bands)
• Everyone has to work on mutual interference, but coordinated stations have precedence
• Can be automatically controlled.
• Can transmit one-way communications

§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 1.25 m and shorter wavelength bands, except the 219-220 MHz, 222.000-222.150 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

Telemetry

§97.217 Telemetry.
Telemetry transmitted by an amateur station on or within 50 km of the Earth's surface is not considered to be codes or ciphers intended to obscure the meaning of communications.

Telecommand of an amateur station.

• Radio or wireline control link
• radio control link must use an auxiliary station
• everything else is wireline
• 3 min watchdog
• The station is protected against making, willfully or negligently, unauthorized transmissions.
• Copy of license & name, addr, and telephone and control op posted.
• Most repeaters are “telecommanded amateur stations”

§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.

Telecommand - aka Remote Control

§97.215 Telecommand of model craft.
ID of Call sign not needed
1 Watt max
One way only
Presumably, any otherwise legal emission is ok

§97.215 Telecommand of model craft.
An amateur station transmitting signals to control a model craft may be operated as follows:
(a) The station identification procedure is not required for transmissions directed only to the model craft, provided that a label indicating the station call sign and the station licensee's name and address is affixed to the station transmitter.
(b) The control signals are not considered codes or ciphers intended to obscure the meaning of the communication.
(c) The transmitter power must not exceed 1 W.

 §97.221 Automatically controlled digital station.

• 6m and up
• HF Frequencies available too
  70 kHz on 10m, down to 15 kHz band on 80
• Must be responding to “query”
• Tx bandwidth <=500 Hz
  ? Presumably means 500 Hz at one time.. Could be transmitting on 1 of 1000 tones, 50 Hz apart?
• Does it mean that bandwidth is unlimited in the specified bands, but if you are out of the bands in (b), you've got to be <500 Hz..

§97.221 Automatically controlled digital station.
(a) This rule section does not apply to an auxiliary station, a beacon station, a repeater station, an earth station, a space station, or a space telecommand station.
(b) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data emission on the 6 m or shorter wavelength bands, and on the 28.120-28.189 MHz, 24.925-24.930 MHz, 21.090-21.100 MHz, 18.105-18.110 MHz, 14.0950-14.0995 MHz, 14.1005-14.112 MHz, 10.140-10.150 MHz, 7.100-7.105 MHz, or 3.620-3.635 MHz segments.
(c) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data emission on any other frequency authorized for such emission types provided that:
(1) The station is responding to interrogation by a station under local or remote control; and
(2) No transmission from the automatically controlled station occupies a bandwidth of more than 500 Hz.

robot/fcc.htm - 11 Jan 2002 - Jim Lux
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