SB QST @ ARL $ARLB063
ARLB063 FCC issues new Form 610

ZCZC AG63
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 63  ARLB063
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  October 24, 1997
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB063
ARLB063 FCC issues new Form 610

The FCC has announced that as of January 1, 1998, Amateur Radio
applicants may only submit FCC Forms 610, 610 A and 610B that carry
an edition date of September 1997. After the first of the new year,
previous editions of Form 610 will not be accepted for filing by the
FCC or by Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs). Amateurs may begin
using the new Form 610s now.

The major change on the new form is a certification that says the
applicant has ''read and will comply with Section 97.13(c) of the
Commission's Rules'' regarding RF radiation safety and the amateur
service section of OST/OET Bulletin No 65, Evaluating Compliance
with FCC-Specified Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radio Frequency
Electromagnetic Fields.

But, Amateur Radio Supplement B of Bulletin 65, which has additional
information on how to conduct a routine RF safety evaluation and
explains other aspects of RF safety, is still in the draft stages
and not yet available to the ham radio community. ARRL Executive
Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, said it's essential that the FCC
make Supplement B available in time for hams to complete their
evaluations to meet the deadlines in the rules.

ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, who's been involved in reviewing
the draft supplement, said he expects the FCC to release it sometime
in November. ''Above all, it is important that the required station
evaluation be as easy as possible for hams,'' he said. ''The FCC has
pretty much met that goal. Additionally, most hams, by virtue of
their power levels, will not need to do an evaluation at all.''

Section 97.13(c) says that before you transmit ''from any place where
the operation of the station could cause human exposure to RF
electromagnetic field levels in excess of those allowed,'' you have
to perform a routine RF environmental evaluation if your transmitter
PEP exceeds these limits: 160-40 meters, 500 W; 30 meters, 425 W; 20
meters, 225 W; 17 meters, 125 W; 15 meters, 100 W; 12 meters, 75 W;
10 meters, 50 W; VHF (all bands), 50 W; 70 cm, 70 W; 33 cm 150 W; 23
cm, 200 W, 13 cm 250 W, SHF/EHF (all bands) 250 W. If the routine
environmental evaluation indicates that the RF electromagnetic
fields could exceed the maximum permissible exposure limits, you
must take action to prevent human exposure.

The new Forms 610 may be obtained from the FCC' Web site via the
Internet at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html, at
ftp://ftp.fcc.gov/pub/Forms/ or by fax at 202-418-0177 (request
index, or for Form 610 use form code 000610, for Form 610A use form
code 006101, for Form 610B use form code 006102). The FCC Forms
Distribution Center will accept FCC forms orders at 800-418-3676.

ARRL VEs and VE teams will be able to obtain a supply of the new
Forms 610 in late November.

Individual amateurs may obtain a copy of the new Form 610 by sending
a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to: ARRL/VEC, 225 Main St,
Newington CT 06111. Include 32 cents postage for each Form 610
requested.
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