It doesn't matter what type of control is being used, there must always be a control operator for an amateur station if the station is transmitting.

Locally or Remotely controlled stations have a clear control point from which the control operator directly controls the transmissions, and in the case of automatic control (such as a repeater) the control operator is the licensee whose callsign the repeater or automatically controlled station uses. In all cases, the control operator is responsible for the correct and legal operation of the station.

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Tags: operating rules control operator

The rules that regulate the amateur radio service have nothing to do with the United Nations. There is a list of countries with whom Alien Reciprocal Operator is authorized that you can find on the FCC website.

Anyone holding an amateur radio license or who has a license from a country on that list can be the control operator of an amateur station in the United States of America.

It does not matter if they are a citizen -- you don't have to be a citizen to obtain a ham radio license. You also do not need to be over the age of 18; people have received their amateur radio license as young as age 5.

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The station licensee is the licensee who owns the station; since it is their station, they can designate who the control operator is. It is not uncommon for a station licensee to allow someone else with higher license privileges to be the control operator. When a ham operates a station other than their own (another ham’s, club, military), the control operator’s license class determines frequency, power, and mode privileges.

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Tags: operating rules control operator

When operating, the privileges that can be used are determined by the control operator. Keep in mind that you could have an extra class operator acting as the control operator and allowing a technician class operator to operate with their privileges, as long as they are present, but the extra class operator as the control operator would be responsible for the emissions of the station.

The station licensee shares responsibility for the operation of the station, but it is the control operator who determines the privileges that can be used. Just having someone with a higher class license on the premises is not enough to allow you to use their privileges; they must be the control operator, you must be using their callsign and license, and they must be supervising (controlling) the operation of the station when their privileges are used.

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This is an important thing to understand; the control point is the location of the control operator when the station is in use. In some cases this may be the same location as the station (local control) or it could be across some sort of auxiliary link, such as a cross-band repeater, controlling through Echolink or IRLP across the internet from a computer or cellphone, etc.

It does not matter where the station is located -- what determines the control point is the location of the control operator.

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Tags: control operator definitions

Many mistakenly answer "C. Remote control" to this question; however, it is important to understand that with remote control, the control point is wherever you are controlling from. So, even if you are using remote control, you are at the control point.

Automatic control involves a station (such as an auxiliary station, packet station, or repeater) for which you are the control operator that operates even if you are not at the control point, and is the only type of control for which this is allowed.

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The control operator is responsible for anything that occurs while they are the control operator, but the station licensee is responsible for their equipment. Therefore, they share the responsibility.

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Tags: rules and regulations operating rules control operator

Repeaters are undoubtedly the most common example of Automatic control. Automatic control is the only type of control that allows operation in the absence of a control operator -- the control is "Automatic". This should not be confused with Remote Control, in which there is a control operator (someone actively using and controlling the station) that is operating from a remote location relative to the station.

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A handheld radio is also a station; since the station (the handheld radio) is at the same location as the control operator (the person talking into the handheld) this is Local control.

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This is neither automatic nor unattended control because both imply that there is no control operator that is immediately in control of the station. Local control would be when the control operator and control point are actually at the same physical location as the station, but remote control indicates that a control operator is actively controlling the station at the time of operation but not located at the same place as the station.

Examples of Remote Control might be using a radio over the internet or controlling a repeater using DTMF tones.

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If someone other than the station licensee is operating, it would be difficult to guess that without any information in the station records to the contrary. Since the station licensee is generally the owner of the station, it makes sense that they would be assumed to be the control operator in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

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Tags: operating rules control operator