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Part 97 basics — edited Aug 29, 2026 by Unknown editor
This is the first recorded version, so every line is shown as added. Note: Imported from content/wiki
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## The basis and purpose
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Part 97 opens by stating why the service exists: emergency communication, advancement of the radio
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art, technical and operator training, expansion of the trained operator pool, and international
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goodwill. Every other rule follows from those.
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## Core obligations
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- **Operate only within your license class privileges** on frequencies allocated to the amateur
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service.
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- **Identify** with your call sign at least every ten minutes during a communication and at the end.
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- **Use the minimum power necessary** — the legal ceiling is 1,500 W PEP, but that is a maximum, not
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a target.
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- **Control operator present.** Every transmission occurs under the supervision of a control
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operator who is responsible for it.
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- **Station records and address** must be current with the FCC.
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## Prohibited
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Business communications, broadcasting to the general public, music, obscene or indecent language,
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codes intended to obscure meaning, false or deceptive signals, and unidentified transmissions. See
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[prohibited transmissions](/wiki/rules/prohibited-transmissions).
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## RF exposure
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Every station must perform an **RF exposure evaluation** for its configuration. The FCC removed the
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old categorical exemptions for amateurs in 2021, so this applies to essentially all stations. It is
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a calculation, not a measurement — free calculators do it in five minutes, and you keep the result
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on file.
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## Emergencies
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In a genuine emergency involving immediate safety of life or property, you may use **any means of
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radiocommunication at your disposal**, including frequencies and services you are not normally
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authorised to use. This is a narrow exception and it is real.