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+---- Thread: Basic with honours qual and the use of amplifiers (/showthread.php?tid=732)
Basic with honours qual and the use of amplifiers - Tom VA3TS - 2022-04-18
There is little that causes more confusion than ISED's rules regarding amplifiers and the basic qualification with honours.
Actually the confusion comes from the use of different ways we use to describe the same maximum power. Referring to RBR-4 below lets look at section 10.1 (b).
10.1(b)i says 560w peak, 10.1(b)ii says 190w carrier...these are in reality the same power output. To measure PEP output one would need to look at the signal on an oscilloscope or equivalent, across a 50 ohm load. This will require an instrument that can withstand a signal of approx 475 v p-p. Luckily we can also use a simple rf wattmeter and using our radios tune function, set the transmitter(exciter) drive to produce a 190watt power level on a wattmeter installed at the output of the amplifier, again into a 50 ohm load.
BE AWARE ---those with the basic and honours qualification are not in compliance with the regulations if you set the amplifier output to 560 watts using a wattmeter into a 50 ohm load.
10.1(a) is indeed an alternative, however few are capable of performing the measurement, it can be dangerous due to the power involved and would likely require the defeating of a safety interloc.
RBR-4 — Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01226.html#p3.1
10. Restrictions on Capacity and Power Output
The transmitting power of an amplifier installed at an amateur station shall not be capable of exceeding by more than 3 dB the transmitting power limits described in this section.
10.1 Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification
The holder of an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification is limited to a maximum transmitting power of:
(a) where expressed as direct-current input power, 250 W to the anode or collector circuit of the transmitter stage that supplies radio frequency energy to the antenna; or
(b) where expressed as radio frequency output power measured across an impedance-matched load,
(i) 560 W peak envelope power for transmitters that produce any type of single sideband emission, or
(ii) 190 W carrier power for transmitters that produce any other type of emission.
The next bit of english which causes confusion is as follows.
Frequently asked questions
https://ic.gc.ca/eic/site/025.nsf/eng/h_00006.html
Technical
1.I am the holder of an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate. May I install and use a RF/Linear Power Amplifier with the operation of my station?
As per section 10.0 of the document RBR-4: Standards for the operation of radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service, the holder of an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate may install and operate transmitter equipment capable of producing an RF output of no more than twice (3dB) that authorized by their certificate . (Regardless, the operator MAY NOT exceed the maximum RF output levels authorized by their certificate).
This does NOT mean you can now set your amplifier to 380 watts rf output or 560 x 2 = 1120 watts and still be compliant. This part means you cannot USE an amplifier which can do this. You are limited to a amplifier that can output 380 watts max but you are still limited to 190 watts max actual power output according to your qualification.
You will find that few amplifiers meet this requirement. Even an Ameritron ALS-600 still can put out 600 watts which is 220 watts higher than your qualification permits. Any amplifier which was built from a kit which includes ALL heathkit devices are not allowed either as you are limited to "commercially made" equipment.
So whats the solution
Study for and obtain your advanced qualification
Want to run 200 watts....buy a 200 watt transceiver such as the Kenwood TS480HX, among others are good examles of rigs the basic with honours ham can use.
etc etc the following is included just for completeness
RIC-3 — Information on the Amateur Radio Service
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01008.html
4.5 Privileges and restrictions
Privileges and restrictions can be found in the Radiocommunication Regulations and in RBR-4. A brief summary follows.
4.5.1 Basic Qualification
The following privileges and restrictions are applicable to the Basic Qualification:
-access to all amateur bands above 30 MHz
-use a maximum of 250 watts DC transmitter input power
-build and operate all station equipment, except for “home-made” transmitters (“build” in the context of the Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification is limited to the assembly of commercially available transmitter kits of professional design)
-re-programming of radio equipment to operate in the amateur bands if this can be done by a computer program (note that no physical modifications to the circuitry of the radio are permitted)
-operation of cross-band repeaters
-operation through a repeater established by an amateur with the Advanced Qualification
-no remote control of fixed stations permitted regardless of medium used for control (“remote control” is the ability to indirectly manipulate the technical parameters (i.e. bandwidth, emission type, output power, etc.) of a radio by means of some intermediate medium; operation through a repeater is not considered to be remote control)
In addition to the above-mentioned privileges and restrictions, the Basic Qualification with Honours (i.e. a score of 80% or above) also allows access to all amateur bands below 30 MHz.
How do you know what qualification a ham has....
That's easy, go to this ISED website and type in that persons callsign, when the page returns click on their callsign, their qualification will be displayed.
https://apc-cap.ic.gc.ca/pls/apc_anon/query_amat_cs$.startup
Of Course, you can ask questions to ISED yourself, here is their email address in Sudbury
spectrumamateur-spectreamateur@ised-isde.gc.ca
RE: Basic with honours qual and the use of amplifiers - VE3WI Dave - 2022-04-18
Great review, Tom! I had forgotten about the 3 dB rule.
Few comments:
Wattmeters
PEP wattmeters are available. Professional instruments like Bird & Telewave cost more than some transceivers. There are lots of low cost meters marketed to hams e.g. MFJ, Daiwa, that say they measure PEP, but I'd want to verify it with a dummy load/oscilloscope setup before I trusted any of them. Measuring constant carrier as Tom suggests is much more straightforward.
Amplifiers
For the determined Basic+Honours ham, there are a few legal amps, like the 300 watt BLA350 from RM Italy (~$1600 CDN delivered from DX Engineering). 300W vs 100W may get your signal thru in some circumstances, but it's less than one S-unit improvement. SS amps are not very tolerant of mismatch, this one wants < 1.5 SWR so even a resonant dipole is marginal without a pricy tuner. I don't own one so don't really know anything first-hand, but you would be wise to research them well before typing in your CC#.
If I were going to spend $1600 I would seriously look at antenna improvements long before buying part of an S-unit!
73
Dave, VE3WI
wattmeters - Tom VA3TS - 2022-04-19
To be sure, manufacturers have not done us any favours in their zeal to sell wattmeters. They even include switches to apparently differentiate between PEP and AVG power. Take it with a grain of salt, in instrumentation, the devil is always in the details.
Many years ago I too had an elmer, his call was VE3EFX Bill, he often pointed out that amplifiers cause more issues than they solve and are best left to those with the qualifications and the knowledge to keep the beast in check. There was never any question, on HF, if you didn't possess the advanced ticked, you didn't have or need an amplifier.
Thousands of hams' have worked the world on a wire dipole and 100 watts, this has not changed.
He also advocated improvements in the antenna system (which includes the feedline), whatever that may be, beam antennas and some wire antennas have some gain to them and the important part to remember is that the gain antenna not only helps on transmit, but more importantly, on receive as well. No amplifier helps on the receive signal. So this is where the saying arises, "big mouth, but no ears". Others can hear your thousand watts, but you can't hear them no matter how loud they yell into the mic.
73
RE: Basic with honours qual and the use of amplifiers - VE3WI Dave - 2022-04-20
"big mouth, but no ears": AKA "alligator" on the ham forums
73
Dave, VE3WI
RE: Basic with honours qual and the use of amplifiers - Tom VA3TS - 2024-04-03
This issue persists with local hams with the basic qualification using ( and bragging about ) 1500 watt amplifiers. A ham's qual can be easily determined with the ISED online database... https://apc-cap.ic.gc.ca/pls/apc_anon/query_amat_cs$.startup
in the search result, click on the callsign, the qualification that individual has will be displayed.