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E1D11

COMMISSION RULES · Amateur Space and Earth stations; telemetry and telecommand rules; identification of balloon transmissions; one-way communications

E1D11§ 97.209E1D →

Which amateur stations are eligible to operate as Earth stations?

  1. AAny amateur licensee who has successfully completed the AMSAT space communications course
  2. BOnly those of General, Advanced or Amateur Extra class operators
  3. COnly those of Amateur Extra class operators
  4. DAny amateur station, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held by the control operator
Why Section 97.209 defines an Earth station as an amateur station located on or within 50 km of Earth's surface intended for communication with space stations or via objects in space. The rule places no extra licensing hurdle on Earth station operation: any amateur station may do it, limited only by the frequency and mode privileges that go with the control operator's license class. So a Technician with VHF/UHF privileges can work satellites on 2 m and 70 cm, while HF satellite work requires HF privileges.
Watch out The choices restricting Earth stations to General and above, or to Amateur Extra only, confuse this with the space station telecommand or special licensing ideas; no class restriction exists in 97.209. AMSAT is a private membership organization and its courses have no regulatory standing.
Earth station = any ham, just stay inside your own license privileges. No special class, no special course.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
47 CFR 97.209 Earth station.

(a) Any amateur station may be an Earth station. A holder of any class operator license may be the control operator of an Earth station, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held by the control operator.

(b) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to Earth stations:

(1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm bands; and

(2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz, 1260-1270 MHz and 2400-2450 MHz, 5.65-5.67 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz and 24.00-24.05 GHz segments.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
← E1D10 All of E1D E1D12 →

The rest of E1D

  1. E1D01 What is the definition of telemetry?
  2. E1D02 Which of the following may transmit encrypted messages?
  3. E1D03 What is a space telecommand station?
  4. E1D04 Which of the following is required in the identification transmissions from a balloon-borne telemetry station?
  5. E1D05 What must be posted at the location of a station being operated by telecommand on or within 50 kilometers of …
  6. E1D06 What is the maximum permitted transmitter output power when operating a model craft by telecommand?
  7. E1D07 Which of the following HF amateur bands include allocations for space stations?
  8. E1D08 Which VHF amateur bands have frequencies authorized for space stations?
  9. E1D09 Which UHF amateur bands have frequencies authorized for space stations?
  10. E1D10 Which amateur stations are eligible to be telecommand stations of space stations, subject to the privileges o…
  11. E1D11 Which amateur stations are eligible to operate as Earth stations?
  12. E1D12 Which of the following amateur stations may transmit one-way communications?
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