E1A04: May an Extra class operator answer the CQ of a station on 3.601 MHz L…

E1A04§ 97.301, 97.305E1A →

May an Extra class operator answer the CQ of a station on 3.601 MHz LSB phone?

AYes, the entire signal will be inside the SSB allocation for Extra class operators
BYes, the displayed frequency is within the 75-meter phone band segment
CNo, the sideband components will extend beyond the edge of the phone band segment
DNo, US stations are not permitted to use phone emissions below 3.610 MHz

Why Under 97.301/97.305 the entire occupied bandwidth of your emission, not just the dial reading, must stay inside the authorized segment. Extra class phone privileges on 75 meters begin at 3.600 MHz, and on lower sideband the energy sits roughly 3 kHz below the suppressed carrier frequency, so a dial setting of 3.601 MHz puts sideband energy down around 3.598 MHz, outside the band segment. To operate legally with LSB you would need to be at about 3.603 MHz or higher.

Watch out The choice that says the displayed frequency is inside the phone segment is the trap: a legal transmission requires the whole signal inside the segment, and the frequency display only marks the suppressed carrier point, not the band edge of the emission. The claim that phone is barred below 3.610 MHz is simply not the actual band edge.

Band edges apply to the whole signal. On LSB stay 3 kHz above the lower edge; on USB stay 3 kHz below the upper edge.

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

47 CFR 97.301 Authorized frequency bands.

The following transmitting frequency bands are available to an amateur station located within 50 km of the Earth's surface, within the specified ITU Region, and outside any area where the amateur service is regulated by any authority other than the FCC.

(a) For a station having a control operator who has been granted a Technician, General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class operator license or who holds a CEPT radio-amateur license or IARP of any class:

(b) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an Amateur Extra Class operator license, who holds a CEPT radio amateur license, or who holds a Class 1 IARP license:

(d) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an operator license of General Class:

(e) For a station having a control operator who has been granted an operator license of Novice Class or Technician Class:

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

47 CFR 97.305 Authorized emission types.

(a) Except as specified elsewhere in this part, an amateur station may transmit a CW emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator.

(b) A station may transmit a test emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator for brief periods for experimental purposes, except that no pulse modulation emission may be transmitted on any frequency where pulse is not specifically authorized and no SS modulation emission may be transmitted on any frequency where SS is not specifically authorized.

(c) A station may transmit the following emission types on the frequencies indicated, as authorized to the control operator, subject to the standards specified in § 97.307(f):

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

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