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Understanding the FCC emissions codes HTML'd for repeater-builder by Mike Morris WA6ILQ |
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Here are some samples of ITU designators for the most commonly used emission designators:
| Description | Old | New |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency modulated (FM) voice (15 kHz wideband) | 36F3 | 36K0F3E |
| Frequency modulated (FM) voice (5 kHz wideband) | 20F3 | 20K0F3E |
| Frequency modulated (FM) voice (2.5 kHz narrowband) | 13.6F3 | 13K6F3E |
| Frequency modulated digitized voice | 20F3Y | 20K0F1E |
| Frequency modulated digitized non-voice | 20F9Y | 20K0F1D |
| Amplitude modulated single sideband voice | 3A3J | 3K00J3E |
| Amplitude modulated (AM) voice | 8A3 | 8K00A3E |
FCC EMISSION DESIGNATORS
Detailed List
Last Rev. 1998
WARC-79, the World Administrative Radio Conference that rewrote many
of the world's radio regulations, adopted a new system of emission
classification. The traditional A (Amplitude), F (Frequency), and P
(Pulse) was intuitive, but limited and clumsy when dealing with new
modes.
The world's radio bodies, including the FCC, gradually phased in the
new system until today it completely replaces the old one.
The formula for the new designations, loosely from ITU radio
regulations 264 through 273, and Appendix 6, Part A, is:
[BBBB]MNI[DM],
where
[] means optional when writing emission specs.
[BBBB] = Necessary Bandwidth (shown in FCC records, but is often
omitted elsewhere)
Uses a letter and three numbers. The letter goes where the decimal
point should be placed, and denotes a magnitude:
H Hz
K kHz
M MHz
G GHz
Some common bandwidths are:
400 Hz 400H
2.4 kHz 2K40
12.5 kHz 12K5
20.0 kHz 20K0
6 MHz 6M00
M = Modulation Type
N None
A AM (Amplitude Modulation), double sideband, full carrier
H AM, single sideband, full carrier
R AM, single sideband, reduced or controlled carrier
J AM, single sideband, suppressed carrier
B AM, independent sidebands
C AM, vestigial sideband (commonly analog TV)
F Angle-modulated, straight FM
G Angle-modulated, phase modulation (common; sounds like FM)
D Carrier is amplitude and angle modulated
P Pulse, no modulation
K Pulse, amplitude modulation (PAM, PSM)
L Pulse, width modulation (PWM)
M Pulse, phase or position modulation (PPM)
Q Pulse, carrier also angle-modulated during pulse
W Pulse, two or more modes used
X All cases not covered above
N = Nature of modulating signal
0 None
1 Digital, on-off or quantized, no modulation (including CW)
2 Digital, with modulation (including MCW)
3 Single analog channel (including voice)
7 Two or more digital channels
8 Two or more analog channels
9 Composite, one or more digital channel, one or more analog
X All cases not covered above
I = Information type
N None
A Aural telegraphy, for people (Morse code)
B Telegraphy for machine copy (RTTY, fast Morse)
C Analog fax
D Data, telemetry, telecommand
E Telephony, voice, sound broadcasting
F Video, television
W Combinations of the above
X All cases not covered above
[DM] = additional details, not used by FCC, optional elsewhere
D = Detail
RTTY/modems:
A Two condition code, differing numbers or durations (Morse)
B Two condition code, same number and duration, no error check
C Two condition code, same num and dur, error check
D Four condition code, 1 or more bits per condition
E Multi condition code, 1 or more bits per condition
F Multi condition code, conditions may combine
Audio:
G Broadcast quality (mono)
H Broadcast quality (stereo/multichannel)
J Commercial quality
K Commercial quality, analog freq inversion or band scrambling
L Commercial quality, FM pilot tone (i.e. Lincomprex)
Video:
M Monochrome
N Color
W Combination
X All cases not covered above
M = Multiplex type
N None
C Code division
F Frequency division
T Time division
W Combination of above
X All other types
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Converting Between Old and New Systems
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
USE OLD NEW
Pure carrier A0,F0 N0N
Morse telegraphy (by ear) A1 A1A
Modulated CW Morse A2 A2A
AM voice A3 A3E
SSB, suppressed carrier A3J J3E
SSB, reduced carrier A3R R3E
SSB, full carrier A3H H3E
Television A5 C3F
RTTY (F.S.K.) F1 F1B
RTTY (A.F.S.K.) F2 F2B
FM voice (Narrowband) F3 F3E, 20K0F3E
Packet Data/Teleprinters
with Audio Sub-Carrier 20F2 20K0F2B
Data with Audio Sub-carrier 3F2 3K00F2D
6F2 6K00F2D
20F2 20K0F2D
Analog Voice 20F3 20K0F3E
Digital Voice 20F3Y 20K0F1E
Digital Facsimile without
Audio Sub-Carrier 20F4 20K0F1C
Digital Facsimile with
Audio Sub-Carrier 20F4 20K0F2C
Analog Facsimile 20F4 20K0F3C
Composite of Digital &
Analog Information 3F9 3K00F9W
6F9 6K00F9W
20F9 20K0F9W
Packet Data/Teleprinters
without Audio Sub-Carrier 20F9Y 20K0F1B
Digital Data 20F9Y 20K0F1D
LAND MOBILE EMISSIONS MICROWAVE EMISSIONS
old new old new old new
A0 N0N P0 P0N F9 F8W (If bw is less than
A1 A1A P9 P0N 50 convert to F2D)
A3 A3E A2J J2B F9Y F7W (If bw is less than
A3J J3E A3H H3E 50 convert to F2D)
A7J J8W A9J J9W F3 F3E
A9 A9W P1 P1D A9Y A7W
A9Y A1D F2Y F2D A5 A3F
F0 N0N A0H H0N A9 A8W
F1 F1B A7 A8D A5C C3F
F2 F2D F7 F8D F2 F2D
F3 F3E F5 F3F
F3Y F1E
F4 F3C
F9 F9W
F9Y F1D
A2H H2D
A2 A2D
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And here is the relevant section of FCC rules:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From General Docket No. 80-739
Section 2.201 Emission, modulation, and transmission characteristics.
The following system of designating emission, modulation, and
transmission characteristics shall be employed.
(a) Emissions are designated according to their classification and
their necessary bandwidth.
(b) A minimum of three symbols are used to describe the basic
characteristics of radio waves. Emissions are classified and
symbolized according to the following characteristics:
(1) First symbol - type of modulation of the main carrier;
(2) Second Symbol - nature of signal(s) modulating the main
carrier;
(3) Third symbol - type of information to be transmitted.
NOTE: A fourth and fifth symbol are provided for additional
information and are shown in Appendix 6, Part A of the ITU Radio
Regulations. Use of the fourth and fifth symbol is optional.
Therefore, the symbols may be used as described in Appendix 6,
but are not required by the Commission.
(c) First Symbol - types of modulation of the main carrier:
(1) Emission of an unmodulated carrier N
(2) Emission in which the main carrier is amplitude-
modulated (including cases where sub-carriers are angle
modulated):
- Double-sideband A
- Single-sideband, full carrier H
- Single-sideband, reduced or variable level carrier R
- Single-sideband, suppressed carrier J
- Independent sidebands B
- Vestigial sideband C
(3) Emission in which the main carrier is angle-modulated:
- Frequency modulation F
- Phase modulation G
NOTE: Whenever frequency modulation "F" is indicated,
Phase modulation "G" is also acceptable.
(4) Emission in which the main carrier is amplitude and
angle-modulated either simultaneously or in a pre-
established sequence D
(5) Emission of pulses:*
- Sequence of unmodulated pulses P
- A sequence of pulses:
- Modulated in amplitude K
- Modulated in width/duration L
- Modulated in position/phase M
- In which the carrier is angle-modulated during the
period of the pulse Q
- Which is a combination of the foregoing or is
produced by other means V
(6) Cases not covered above, in which an emission consists
of the main carrier modulated, either simultaneously or
in a pre-established sequence, a combination of two or
more of the following modes: amplitude, angle, pulse W
(7) Cases not otherwise covered X
*Emissions where the main carrier is directly modulated by a
signal which has been coded into quantizied form (e.g.,
pulse code modulation) should be designated under (2) or
(3).
(d) Second Symbol- nature of signal(s) modulating the main
carrier:
(1) No modulating signal 0
(2) A single channel containing quantized or digital
information without the use of a modulating sub-
carrier, excluding time-division multiplex 1
(3) A single channel containing quantized or digital
information with the use of a modulating sub-carrier,
excluding time-division multiplex 2
(4) A single channel containing analogue information 3
(5) Two or more channels containing quantized or digital
information 7
(6) Two or more channels containing analogue information 8
(7) Composite system with one or more channels containing
quantized or digital information, to-gether with one or
more channels containing analogue information 9
(8) Cases not otherwise covered X
(e) Third Symbol - type of information to be transmitted:
(1) No information transmitted N
(2) Telegraphy - for aural reception A
(3) Telegraphy - for automatic reception B
(4) Facsimile C
(5) Data transmission, telemetry, telecommand D
(6) Telephony (including sound broadcasting) E
(7) Television (video) F
(8) Combination of the above W
(9) Cases not otherwise covered X
(f) Type B emission: As an exception to the above principles,
damped waves are symbolized in the Commission's rules and
regulations as type B emission. The use of type B emissions
is forbidden.
(g) Whenever the full designation of an emission is necessary,
the symbol for that emission, as given above, shall be
preceded by the necessary bandwidth of the emission as
indicated in Section 2.202 (b) (1).
Section 2.202 Bandwidths.
(b) Necessary bandwidths.
(1) The necessary bandwidth shall be expressed by three
numerals and one letter. The letter occupies the
position of the decimal point and represents the unit
of bandwidth. The first character shall be neither
zero nor K, M or G.
-
-end-
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This page originally posted on 14-Feb-2009