G1B

Antennas, beacons and permitted signals

Antenna height and PRB-1 limits, beacon rules, what you may transmit or relay, and who sets good practice.

11 pool questions1 on the exam

Syllabus: Antenna structure limitations; good engineering and good amateur practice; beacon operation; prohibited transmissions; retransmitting radio signals

Antennas: 200 ft is the federal line, PRB-1 limits local rules

Not near a public use airport. Near one, lower limits apply.

Above 200 ft (away from a public use airport) you must notify the FAA and register the structure with the FCC.

PRB-1: not a ban on local rules, not a blank check for them either.

Cities and states may regulate antennas, but must reasonably accommodate amateur radio and use the minimum practical regulation.

Beacons: one-way propagation probes

10 m strip to scale, MHz.

A beacon transmits to observe propagation and reception. It needs no coordination or publication. Just stay within the limits above.

Remember100 W, one per band per site. Automatic HF beacons: 28.20 to 28.30.

What a station may send and relay

One-way and relayed transmissions.

Amateur stations may broadcast one-way only in narrow cases such as code practice. Relaying government weather and propagation info is fine if occasional.

Practice, abbreviations and foreign contacts

Part 97 in three questions.

RememberThe FCC sets good practice. Abbreviations: fine if clear. Foreign hams: yes, unless the ITU was told no.

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Go deeper

Compendium articles on the ideas in this lesson, beyond what the exam asks.

Check what stuck

Practise the 11 pool questions for this group. Answers are shuffled, and every one comes with a one-line "why".

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