RF CURRENT



Welcome to RF Current, a weekly electronic newsletter focusing on Broadcast technical and F.C.C. related issues. This newsletter is part of The RF Page @ www.transmitter.com, a web site devoted to TV Broadcast RF engineering. For more information see the What is... guide to the R.F. Page site.

Issues are dated each Monday, although recently I've needed an extra day or two to complete each issue. Articles may be posted earlier if time permits or if there is a major, breaking story.

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July 12, 1999 - Issue 173 Final Edition

FCC Grants Waivers for Ultra-Wide Band "Digital Pulse" Technologies (July 8)
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology granted U.S. Radar Inc. and Zircon Corporation waivers of certain Part 15 rules. This will allow these companies to market ultra-wideband (UWB) devices, subject to certain conditions. As reported in the April 12, 1999 RF Current, UWB technology can be used for precision radar systems and secure communications. Proponents of UWB technology for communication, such as Time Domain Corporation, claim it can eliminate many of the problems often associated with conventional communications systems.

The FCC Public Notice said "The specific rules waived are: Section 15.205(a), which specifies that only spurious emissions may be placed in certain designated restricted frequency bands of operation; and, Sections 15.31 and 15.35 which require the application of a pulse desensitization correction factor when performing certain measurements below 1000 MHz." Because the UWB devices operate in several bands allocated to the U.S. Government, these waiver requests were coordinated with NTIA.

The FCC stated that the waiver "in no way prejudges any action the Commission may take regarding UWB devices in ET Docket 98-153. Nor should it be deemed in any way to prejudge NTIA's consideration of the issues involving the operation of UWB devices in any inquiry or rule making proceeding undertaken by the FCC." NTIA has requested that waivers for additional marketing of UWB devices "be extremely limited until further analyses and measurements have been completed and a regulatory framework developed."

More information is available in FCC Public Notice DA 99-1340. The waiver letters and NTIA's June 15, 1999 letter may be viewed at https://www.fcc.gov/oet/waivers/.

DIGITAL TELEVISION STATION APPLICATIONS - See ap990712.txt for more information
Call (DT) Ch. Licensee Location ERP (kW) HAAT (m) Antenna
WVCY 22 VCY/America Milwaukee WI 50 285 Dielectric TUP-12


DIGITAL TELEVISION STATION APPLICATIONS - See ap990707.txt for more information
Call (DT) Ch. Licensee Location ERP (kW) HAAT (m) Antenna
WBZL [WDZL?] 19 Channel 39 Miami FL 145 252 Dielectric TFU-12DSC-R P270BNT
WMBC 18 Mountain B'cstg Newton NJ 50 333 Non-directional
KXTX 40 KXTX of Texas Dallas TX 1000 494 Non-directional


DIGITAL TELEVISION STATION APPLICATIONS - See ap990706.txt for more information
Call (DT) Ch. Licensee Location ERP (kW) HAAT (m) Antenna
WENH 57 Univ of New Hampshire Durham NH 590 216 Non-directional


DIGITAL TELEVISION STATION ACTIONS - See ac990712.txt for more information
Call (DT) Ch. Licensee Location ERP (kW) HAAT (m) Antenna
WFLD 31 Fox Television Chicago IL 200 (mod) n.c. n.c.


OTHER Items of Interest

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Last modified July 29, 1999 by Doug Lung dlung@transmitter.com
Copyright © 1999 H. Douglas Lung