FCC rules:
§ 97.109 - Station control.
(a) Each amateur station must have at least one control point.
(b) When a station is being locally controlled, the control operator must be at
the control point. Any station may be locally controlled.
(c) When a station is being remotely controlled, the control operator must be
at the control point. Any station may be remotely controlled.
(d) When a station is being automatically controlled, the control operator need
not be at the control point. Only stations specifically designated elsewhere in
this part may be automatically controlled. Automatic control must cease upon
notification by a Regional Director that the station is transmitting improperly
or causing harmful interference to other stations. Automatic control must not
be resumed without prior approval of the Regional Director.
[54 FR 39535, Sept. 27, 1989, as amended at 60 FR 26001, May 16, 1995; 69 FR
24997, May 5, 2004; 80 FR 53753, Sept. 8, 2015]
§ 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 3.585-3.600 MHz
segments.
(c) Except for channels specified in § 97.303(h), 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.
[60 FR 26001, May 16, 1995, as amended at 72 FR 3082, Jan. 24, 2007; 77 FR
5412, Feb. 3, 2012]
I'm not a lawyer, so the interpretation of the above is beyond me. It would
seem that this op is compliant with § 97.221 but only if transmitting on the
designated frequencies listed above. Others may be more informed about this
than me- I've never operated FT8.
However, in my opinion this op is causing "harmful interference to other
stations," e.g. to your friend's station, which is prohibited by § 97.109.
Lee, KI7UR
Lee K. Brown MD
Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine andEmeritus Professor of Internal
MedicineDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep MedicineUniversity of
New Mexico School of MedicineAssociate Editor and Founding Editor (“Emerging
Technology”), Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineCo-editor, Section on Sleep and
Neurobiology, Current Opinion in Pulmonary MedicineChair, New Mexico Advisory
Board for Respiratory CareChair, Polysomnography Practice Advisory Committee of
the NM Medical Board
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 09:16:23 PM MDT, Mike Ryan
<mryan001@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
Billy and the others who have responded, thank you all. Adding filters or
hanging whatever in front of a radio (my friend's in this case) to compensate
for someone else's inconsideration would (in my case) be completely out of the
question. PERIOD. No one should be allowed to operate a station..NON STOP for
more than 96 consecutive hours (so far this week) basically unattended. It
would appear that the operator intends to work DXCC on 20m without even being
in the room with the radio. Some say that FT8 is not 'real ham radio'. I
disagree but in this case, the kind of operating that is going on (did I say
OPERATING) should not be allowed, condoned, or attempted. The op in question is
a GENERAL class operator. So I suppose the question pool for licensing such
individuals should be changed to clearly and better explain the rules and what
the consequences are not only to himself but the ham community that has to
suffer his inconsideration.
I'm sorry again to air this kind of stuff on the reflector but I have
appreciated all your responses which I have passed along. '73 Mike, K4CVL
-----Original Message-----
From: Billy Cox [mailto:aa4nu@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2024 10:38 PM
To: Mike Ryan
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] All Day Everyday Unattended FT8
Hi Mike, well that's not good news is it ... bummer ...
OK, perhaps "pretend" the situation is like a multi multi contest station
and what has to be addressed now is the QRM/QRN "between stations", not a
best solution (good luck with that as to the FCC or ARRL assisting), yet
one that at least allows your friend to do something to reduce the bother
and raise his/her level of enjoyment, all things considered?
Here's a link that may help toward that goal?
http://www.vibroplex.com/techdocs/INRAD/MII_W2VJN.pdf
73 Billy, AA4NU
> On 04/09/2024 8:11 PM GMT Mike Ryan <mryan001@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
>
> Gentlemen, Please excuse the detraction from tower / antenna related affairs
> typically noted on this most valuable reflector, but a situation has emerged
> at a friend's QTH and he has asked my help in dealing with it. My friend is
> dealing with a neighboring ham who is enamored with operating FT8 to the
> degree that he is allowing his unattended station to operate all day and
> night, every day, calling CQ and letting the auto mode answer and then begin
> again. Robot mode. This has been going on for some weeks or months. As my
> friend is within WALKING distance from the other operator, depending on
> which band the auto operated station may be on, it basically puts my friend
> out of business due to the desense. Has anyone had such experience and/or
> anyone with a suggestion(s) on dealing with such please contact me of course
> OFF LIST. Thanks in advance. - Mike, K4CVL
>
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