G1 · Published 31 October 2026 · By The Ham Desk

Privileges, Power Limits and Operating Under Another Administration

The General class adds HF phone privileges, and with them a set of boundaries: which segment of each band is yours, how wide a signal may be, how much power is allowed, and what happens when you travel.

Band 80 m
Study time 17
Level Core
questions 10

Waveform and antenna diagram for Rules, Privileges and Third-Party Traffic — Rules, Privileges and Third-Party Traffic — waveform overlay and radiation pattern

Pre-flight briefing

Reading the privilege table

Section 97.301 divides each band into segments and lists the classes entitled to use them. On 80 and 75 metres a General class operator has phone from 3.800 to 4.000 MHz, with 3.600 to 3.800 reserved for Amateur Extra; on 40 metres the phone segment runs from 7.175 to 7.300 MHz; on 20 metres from 14.225 to 14.350 MHz. Those lower 25 kHz in each phone band are the practical reason people upgrade, so they are worth knowing before you tune there.

The table also tells you where data and CW sit. On 40 metres, 7.025 to 7.125 MHz is the segment where a General may use CW, RTTY and data; the phone segments on the HF bands are not open to data emissions, with narrow exceptions on 10 metres. Reading section 97.305 alongside 97.301 is how the mode-versus-frequency question is answered for any band.

Power is simpler: 1500 watts PEP output is the ceiling for amateur stations in the United States, and every class from Technician upward shares it. The limit is a maximum and not a target - section 97.313(a) also requires the station to use no more power than is necessary to carry out the communication.

Bandwidth, coordination and repeaters

Emissions have bandwidth limits as well as frequency limits. Phone emissions on the 80, 75, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 metre bands are limited to 3 kHz, which is why an over-processed or over-driven SSB signal that spreads beyond that is a rule violation and not merely bad manners. Data emissions on the HF bands are subject to their own limits under section 97.307(f), and CW must fit a narrower bandwidth still.

Repeater frequencies are not assigned by the FCC. Volunteer frequency coordinators - regional bodies organised by band and by area - recommend frequency pairs and are recognised in Part 97 as the mechanism for keeping repeaters from interfering with each other. A repeater's trustee or control operator is responsible for its transmissions, and the control operator must be a licensed amateur, though not necessarily present at the repeater site.

Operating away from home

A US amateur may operate in a country with which the United States has a reciprocal operating agreement, without obtaining a licence from that country, subject to its regulations and to the privileges corresponding to the US licence class. Some countries require a permit or a fee even under an agreement, and some do not participate at all, so the operating convention of the destination is part of the planning.

Two definitions recur in the rules at this level. A space station is an amateur station located more than 50 kilometres above the earth's surface, which is why satellite contacts follow their own procedures and why the ISS repeater is authorised on specific uplink and downlink frequencies. And any amateur station may be operated by telecommand - control by a licensed operator at another location - which is how remote stations and repeaters are managed.

Finally, the obligation to identify does not change when you travel: section 97.119 requires the call sign to be transmitted every ten minutes and at the end of a communication, whether you are signing W1ABC/VE3 or a reciprocal call sign issued by the host country.

Terms you must be able to define
Term	What the examiner wants to hear
PEP	Peak envelope power, the standard measure for the 1500 watt amateur power limit.
Frequency coordinator	A volunteer body that recommends repeater frequency pairs to avoid interference.
Space station	An amateur station more than 50 kilometres above the earth's surface.
Telecommand	Control of a station by a licensed operator at another location.
Reciprocal operation	Operating in a country that has an agreement with your own, without obtaining its licence.

Question deck 10 questions

G6A01 Recall

What frequency segment may a General class operator use for phone on the 75 and 80 metre bands?

G6A02 Recall

What frequency segment may a General class operator use for phone on 20 metres?

G6A03 Recall

What is the maximum transmitter power output permitted for amateur stations in the United States?

G6A04 Core

What is the maximum authorized bandwidth for a phone emission on the 20 metre band?

G6A05 Core

Which emission types may a General class operator use in the 7.025 to 7.125 MHz segment?

G6A06 Core

Who may serve as the control operator of a repeater station?

G6A07 Core

Who coordinates repeater frequencies to prevent interference?

G6A08 Core

What does reciprocal operating allow a US amateur to do?

G6A09 Stretch

What is a space station in the amateur service?

G6A10 Stretch

What is telecommand in the amateur service, and where is it used?

Reference sheet

The explanations for all ten questions sit on this sheet. Pick an answer on the left and the matching card lights up.

G6A01 Explanation 1

Key B — 3.800 to 4.000 MHz

General class phone on 80 and 75 metres runs from 3.800 to 4.000 MHz. The 3.600 to 3.800 MHz segment is Extra class phone, and it is one of the most audible reasons operators upgrade.

Rule 47 CFR §97.301(d) - General class privileges

G6A02 Explanation 2

Key A — 14.225 to 14.350 MHz

On 20 metres the General class phone segment is 14.225 to 14.350 MHz, while 14.150 to 14.225 MHz belongs to Amateur Extra. Tuning into the Extra segment is a common and avoidable error for a newly upgraded operator.

Rule 47 CFR §97.301(d) - 20 metre privileges

G6A03 Explanation 3

Key D — 1500 watts PEP

The limit is 1500 watts peak envelope power, and the on-air requirement is additionally to use only the power necessary for the communication. A 100 watt transmitter with a good antenna routinely outperforms 1500 watts into a poor one.

Rule 47 CFR §97.313(a) - transmitter power standards

G6A04 Explanation 4

Key C — 3 kHz

Phone on 80, 75, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 metres is limited to 3 kHz. An SSB signal is normally about 2.4 to 2.7 kHz wide, so the limit is comfortable unless the audio is over-processed or the transmitter is over-driven.

Rule 47 CFR §97.305(b) - phone bandwidth

G6A05 Explanation 5

Key B — CW, RTTY and data

The 7.025 to 7.125 MHz segment is CW, RTTY and data for General class operators; the 40 metre phone segment begins at 7.175 MHz. Reading the privilege and emission tables together is the only reliable way to answer this class of question.

Rule 47 CFR §97.305(c) - emission types by segment

G6A06 Explanation 6

Key A — Any licensed amateur designated by the repeater's licensee or trustee

The control operator must be a licensed amateur who has been designated to be responsible for the repeater's transmissions, but need not be physically present - automatic control is expressly provided for. The station's privileges still follow that operator's licence class.

Rule 47 CFR §97.205 - repeater station control

G6A07 Explanation 7

Key D — Volunteer frequency coordinators organised by band and region

Part 97 recognises volunteer frequency coordination as the mechanism for assigning repeater pairs, and the FCC expects operators to follow the coordinator's recommendations. Coordination is a recommendation rather than a licence, but operating outside it invites mutual interference.

Rule 47 CFR §97.205(c) - frequency coordination

G6A08 Explanation 8

Key C — Operate in a country with which the US has an agreement, under that country's regulations and the privileges of the US licence class

Reciprocity is a matter of agreement between governments, and it comes with conditions: the visiting operator follows the host country's rules and holds the privileges corresponding to the US licence class. Some countries require a permit or fee in addition.

Rule 47 CFR §97.107 - reciprocal operating authority

G6A09 Explanation 9

Key B — An amateur station located more than 50 kilometres above the earth's surface

The definition is a matter of altitude, not of function: more than 50 kilometres above the earth's surface. Satellite stations and the ISS fall inside it, and they operate under additional provisions covering telecommand, identification and coordination.

Rule 47 CFR §97.3(a)(40) - space station definition

G6A10 Explanation 10

Key B — Control of a station's functions by a licensed operator at another location, used for remote and automatic stations

Telecommand is one-way transmission to initiate, modify or terminate functions of a station at a distance, and it is how remote receivers, repeaters and satellite systems are controlled. Because it is one-way, it is one of the specific exceptions listed in section 97.111(b).

Rule 47 CFR §97.111(b) - authorised one-way transmissions

How to use this unit

Work the ten questions in one sitting with the reference sheet covered, then uncover it and read every explanation - including the ones you got right. The wording of the real exam is different, so learn the reasoning rather than the answer letters.