G1B02: With which of the following conditions must beacon stations comply?

G1B02§ 97.203(b)G1B →

With which of the following conditions must beacon stations comply?

ANo more than one beacon station may transmit in the same band from the same station location
BThe frequency must be coordinated with the National Beacon Organization
CThe frequency must be posted on the internet or published in a national periodical
DAll these choices are correct

Why Section 97.203(b) limits beacon operation so that a single station location may not run more than one beacon on the same band, which prevents one site from cluttering a band with duplicate propagation markers. Beacons are one-way transmissions used for observing propagation and related experimental purposes, and the rules also cap beacon output at 100 watts and restrict them to specific segments. Multiple beacons from the same site are fine only if each is on a different band.

Watch out The choices about coordinating with a national beacon organization or publishing the frequency describe voluntary community practices, not FCC requirements; there is no such mandated coordinating body in Part 97.

Beacons: one per band per location, 100 watts max. If a choice names an official-sounding coordinating body, be suspicious.

HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.

47 CFR 97.203(b) Beacon station.

(a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be a beacon. A holder of a Technician, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be the control operator of a beacon, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held.

(b) A beacon must not concurrently transmit on more than 1 channel in the same amateur service frequency band, from the same station location.

(d) A beacon may be automatically controlled while it is transmitting on the 28.20-28.30 MHz, 50.06-50.08 MHz, 144.275-144.300 MHz, 222.05-222.06 MHz or 432.300-432.400 MHz segments, or on the 33 cm and shorter wavelength bands.

(e) Before establishing an automatically controlled beacon in the National Radio Quiet Zone or before changing the transmitting frequency, transmitter power, antenna height or directivity, the station licensee must give written notification thereof to the Interference Office, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944.

(1) The notification must include the geographical coordinates of the antenna, antenna ground elevation above mean sea level (AMSL), antenna center of radiation above ground level (AGL), antenna directivity, proposed frequency, type of emission, and transmitter power.

(2) If an objection to the proposed operation is received by the FCC from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, Pocahontas County, WV, for itself or on behalf of the Naval Research Laboratory at Sugar Grove, Pendleton County, WV, within 20 days from the date of notification, the FCC will consider all aspects of the problem and take whatever action is deemed appropriate.

(f) A beacon must cease transmissions upon notification by a Regional Director that the station is operating improperly or causing undue interference to other operations. The beacon may not resume transmitting without prior approval of the Regional Director.

(g) A beacon may transmit one-way communications.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov

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