The FCC and Automatic Control

In several recent FCC actions, the regulatory agency removed the privilege of automatic control from a licensed amateur radio operator. For example, this FCC letter to John Kimbraugh WR3S says:

"...on various dates in March 2007, your repeater stations operated without proper control and re-broadcast portions of commercial TV programming and music, contrary to the Commission's rules regarding the Amateur Radio Service. The monitoring information also shows that operators on your system failed to identify properly and used false call signs."

The FCC letter also says that WR3S will lose the privilege of operating under automatic control. Without automatic control, a control operator must be present at the control point of the repeater whenever the repeater is in use. This pretty much forces the repeater system to go off the air, unless a repeater operator or a team of control operators can manage to monitor the repeater most of the day.

I see this as the FCC saying that the use of automatic control can be a problem on a repeater. If station operation remains within reasonable limits, then go for it. If you can't get your act together as the repeater operator, then the FCC will take away this privilege.

- 73, Bob K0NR