ITU Amateur Radio Service defination

Indian Wireless Telegraph Act , 1885

Amendment to IWTA 1978

It is important that you learn all about amateur radio rules & regulation under which you will be getting an experimenter's license to establish a wireless station at your choice of location.

This page includes Indian Wireless Telegraph Act 1978 (Amateur Services) which is a smaller section on amateur radio of the larger Act: Indian Wireless Telegraph Act.

To pass amateur radio exam, you require to pass written paper on "Regulations" which basically question your knowledge of this act.

Those new to amateur radio may read this thoroughly and proceed to read more on syllabus, Morse code & phonetics.

G.S.R No. 1499/78- In exercise of the powers conferred by section 4 and section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules for the conduct of wireless telegraphs in the amateur service, established, maintained, and worked by persons licensed under the said Act.

1. Short title and commencement:

(1) These rules may be called the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978.
(2) They shall come into force on the 1st January, 1979.
 

2. Definitions:
In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires-
(a) ‘Act’ means the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885);
 
 
 3. Necessity for license
 No persons shall establish, maintain and work an amateur wireless telegraph station, except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of an appropriate license under these rules.

 4. Categories of license

 There shall be five categories of licenses, namely :

 (I) Advanced Amateur Wireless telegraph Station License

 (ii) Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License, Grade - I

 (iii) Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License, Grade - II

(iv) Restricted Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License

(v) Short Wave Listener's Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License.

 5. Eligibility for License
 
(i) to a person-

 (a) who is a citizen of India;
 (b) who is not less that 18 years of age;
 (c) who qualifies the Amateur Station Operator's Examination for the award of license or holds either of the     following certificate of proficiency, namely:
 
(i) Radio-communication Operators’ General Certificates;

(ii)First or Second Class Telegraph Operators’ Certificates: Provided that the holder of a Special Radio Telegraph Operator's Certificate may also be considered eligible for the award of Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License Grade II.
 

(iii) To a bonafide amateur radio society, club, a school, college, institute or university in India, which has the aim of participating in the 'amateur service':
 
Provided that the license shall be issued in the name of an authorized official of the society, club, school, college, institute or university in India, holding a category of license appropriate to the transmission to be conducted by the station, including amateur radio beacon transmissions.
 
 
Provided that the application for the grant of such licenses shall be accompanied by a certificate from the head of the educational institution, recognized by a board or university in India, attended by the applicant or from his legal guardian that the applicant is interested in and competent to conduct experiment in wireless telegraphy.
 
 
 6. Application for license   

(a) an individual, or                                                                                
 
7. Eligibility for admission to Amateur Station Operator's Examination : No person shall be eligible for admission to an examination for the grant of license unless-

(a) such a person fulfils the provisions contained in sub-clause (a) of clause (i) of sub-rule (1) and either sub-clause (b) of clause (i) of sub-rule (i) or sub-rule (2) of rule 5;

(b) such person pays the fees on the following scale, namely:

(i) Advanced Amateur Station Operator's Examination Rs. 25.00
(ii) Amateur Station Operator's Grade II Examination and
(iii) Restricted Wireless Telegraph Station Examination Rs. 10.00
 
 
8. Examinations
  
Provided that no order under this sub-rule shall be made unless the person concerned has been given a reasonable opportunity for making a representation against the action proposed to be taken.

-Provided that the central government may, pending the cancellation of the license, suspend or endorse such license:

-Provided further that no order under this sub-rule shall be made unless the person concerned has been given a reasonable opportunity for making a representation against the action proposed to be taken.

 9. Grant of License

 Every category of license shall be in the form set out in Annexure III to these rules.

 10. Observance of conditions of license, Convention and rules under the Act
 
(a) the conditions contained in Annexure I to these rules;

(b) the provisions of the convention;
 
  
11. Period of validity:
A license granted under these rules shall be issued for a period of 2 years or 5 years, as the case may be, commencing on the date of issue of the license and expiring on the last day of the month preceding the month of issue.

12. Fee for license:
(1) The license fee shall not be refundable on ground of licensee's inability to establish or make use of the licensed amateur wireless telegraph station or for adjustments towards higher category of license.

(2) No holder of a license shall be entitled to a refund of fees paid therefore on the ground of his inability to establish or make use of the licensed amateur station.

 13. Authorized frequency bands, power and emission:

A holder of license shall use, as appropriate to the license, such frequency bands, power and classes of emission as are set out in Annexure V of these rules:

 Provided that the central government may by special or general order make changes in the usage of frequency bands, power and types of emission where that Government is satisfied, that it is expedient to do so keeping in view, among others, the provisions of the convention need for enforcement of better technical standards in respect of equipment and national and international radio interference pattern.

 14. Renewal of license

  (c) Pays, a fee on the following scale, namely:

APPLICATION FROM AN INDIVIDUAL FOR A LICENSE TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN AND WORK AN AMATEUR WIRELESS TELEGRAPH STATION IN INDIA. (See rules 6 & 8)
 
 
1. Name (In Block letters): ................................................................
 
 
2. Father’s/Husband’s Name and address : .................................................................

 .

3. (a) Address (Present) ..............................................................

..............................................................
 (b)Address (Permanent) ..............................................................


 4. ( a ) Date of Birth  ( b ) Place of Birth ( c ) Nationality ( d ) Occupation

 5. (a) Category of License applied for (b) exact location of the Station (c) Do you hold any other license earlier, if so give details
 
 
 

License No._____________________Call-sign, if any____________________

(Duly filled in application form should be submitted to the concerned Wireless Monitoring Station only)

DECLARATION

I hereby solemnly declare that the foregoing facts are true and correct and nothing is false therein and nothing material has been concealed there from. I also agree that in case any information given by me herein before is found false at a later date, the license, if granted, will be cancelled.

I further solemnly give an undertaking that I will not either directly or indirectly divulge to any person, except when lawful authorized or directed to do so, the purport of any message which I may transmit or receive by means of any wireless apparatus operated by me or which may come to my knowledge in connection with the operation of said apparatus.

I have carefully read and understood the rules contained n the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978 and undertake to abide by them and observe the conditions of the license. The licensed station shall not be made accessible to any unauthorized person at any time.

Signature of witness: Signature of applicant

Name (in block letters) Name (in block letters)

Address:

Date: Date:

Place:

Note : An attested copy of birth certificate or school leaving certificate must be accompanied along-with the application. Enclose a certificate in support of nationality in the prescribed Performa, indicated in Appendix III from one of the officers listed therein. ANNEXURE III
 

APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN AND WORK AN AMATEUR WIRELESS TELEGRAPH STATION BY AN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY OR CLUB OR A SCHOOL, COLLEGE OR AN INSTITUTE OR A UNIVERSITY IN INDIA (See rules 6 & 8)
 
   
1. Name and address of the Amateur Radio Society/Club/School/Institute etc.
2. Particulars of applicant:

Date of Birth            Place of Birth              Nationality                        Occupation

3. (a) Category of license applied for (b) exact location of the station
 
 Category of License                License No.                   Date of Issue

 

5. Particulars of the Amateur Radio Society or club, school etc.

(a) If registered, given its particulars:
  
(c) Give in brief its aims and objectives:

(d) If affiliated to any radio amateur organization, give its particulars:

(e) Give the names of office bearers:

(f) Mode of operation of the station including its normal hours of working :

 6. Particulars of Apparatus to be used:

Category of Apparatus/ Manufacturer’s name /Type No/ Frequency Range /RF power output/ Transmitter

 Receiver :

Frequency Measuring Device :

DECLARATION

I hereby solemnly declare that the foregoing facts are true and correct and nothing is false therein and nothing material has been concealed there from. I also agree that in case any information given by me herein before is found false at a later date, the license, if granted, will be cancelled.

I further solemnly give an undertaking that I will not either directly or indirectly divulge to any person, except when lawful authorized or directed to do so, the purport of any message which I may transmit or receive by means of any wireless apparatus operated by me or which may come to my knowledge in connection with the operation of said apparatus.

I have carefully read and understood the rules contained n the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978 and undertake to abide by them and observe the conditions of the license. The licensed station shall not be made accessible to any unauthorized person at any time.

 Note :
  
 3. Attach a copy of the rules and regulations or constitution.

 4. Attach the minutes of the relevant meeting.

ANNEXURE IV

License No. [See rule 9]

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ,

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION

LICENSE TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN AND WORK AN AMATEUR WIRELESS TELEGRAPH STATION IN INDIA.

Having satisfied, by examination or otherwise, that Shri .................................... possesses the requisite technical qualifications as prescribed under the Indian, Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978, the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred under the authority of section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885), hereby grant to him an ................................................... to establish, maintain and work a wireless telegraph transmitting and receiving station, detailed below, during the term of period commencing on the day of the date hereof and terminating on the .......................19 ................. when this license becomes invalid unless renewed further by way of a document showing the renewal of License.

The license is governed by the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978, Particulars of the Station :

Location Call-sign

 Issued by the Government of India in the

Ministry of Communication

New Delhi :

Dated :

Deputy/Assistant Wireless

Adviser to the Govt. of India

Signature of Licensee

Signed by the Licensee

in the presence of ............................. Date ....................................

Date :

 Latest amendment to the Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978, vide Notification dated 4th October, 1985.

In pursuance of the provisions of rule 13 of the Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978 the Central Government hereby authorizes the following frequency bands, emission and power to the holder of Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License. This supercedes the frequency bands, emission and power prescribed in the Annexure-V to the above said rules in pursuance to Notification No, R-11014/14/82-L.R. dated 23rd May, 1983.

$ The authorization is on non-interference and non-protection basis.

@ On secondary basis as per the relevant provisions of Radio Regulations.

& 1260-1270 MHz for Earth to space satellite service only.

The above authorization is subject to site clearance as per the procedure prescribed by the Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA) as applicable.

Note: (i) Following sub-bands of frequencies are authorized with enhanced R.F. power to holder of Advanced Amateur Telegraph Station License

400 Watts All emissions as authorized

For A3F emission, the transmission shall be restricted to call-sign of the station, location and other particular of the amateur station. They shall be limited to point to point test transmission employing a standard interlace and scanning with a bandwidth not more than 4 kHz.

DC input power is the total direct current power input to the final stage of the transmitter.

In case of Short Wave Listener’s Amateur License, the holders are permitted to listen to all the bands authorized to Amateur Service.

 

The syllabus for the examination of the Restricted Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License shall be same as per Part I of Amateur Station Operator’s Grade II examination.

The holder of Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station License, Grade II shall be entitled for authorization of radio telephony emission on his providing proof of having made 100 contacts with other Amateurs using

Syllabus and details of Amateur Station Operator's Certificate (ASOC)

Examination for the award of Amateur Station Operator's License

Ham radio is one of the few hobbies in the world, which requires a government license. To obtain the license, one has to go through a course as per the syllabus devised by the communication authority to be equipped with an optimum amount of knowledge and proficiency which is necessary to communicate using a wireless transceiver without causing interference to the other radio communication services and as per agreements set up at the international communication meetings. The course covers basic electronic radio theories as well as the existing national and international rules related to amateur radio communication in radiotelephony (voice) and radio telegraphy (Morse Code).The person who wants to become a ham should at the same time be able to show his proficiency in Morse Code sending and receiving. The Amateur Radio Operator's Certificate is awarded by the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communication, New Delhi. The examination is conducted at the Wireless Monitoring Stations located throughout the country. The examination is held for four different categories of license. They are the :

Advanced Grade License

Grade I License

Grade II License

Restricted Grade License.

Anyone above 12 years of age can obtain Amateur Radio Station Operator’s License after passing the examination/s mentioned above. It is also possible to establish an Amateur Radio Club Station with a licensed ham in charge of it.

The application form for Amateur Radio Station Operator's Certificate Examination can be obtained from :

The Assistant Wireless Advisor to the Govt. of India,

Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing,

Ministry of Communications, Dak Bhavan,

Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001

The filled-in Application Form along with all other necessary documents should be sent to the Wireless Monitoring Station located nearest to your home town or where you wish to appear for the examination.

SECTION I :

Radio Theory and Practice (Applicants holding degree in telecommunication, or electronics and electrical communication, or a degree recognized by the central government as equivalent to the above degree shall be exempted from appearing in SECTION I of the test).

SECTION II :

National and International regulations applicable to the operation of amateur radio station and those relating to the working of station generally.

Part II - Morse Code

(i) Morse code receiving (ii) Morse code sending

Detailed syllabus

Section I : Radio Theory and Practice

Elementary electricity and magnetism :

Elementary theory of electricity, conductors and insulators, units, Ohm's law, resistance in-series and parallel, conductance, power and energy, permanent magnets and electromagnets and their use in radio work; self and mutual inductance; types of inductors used in receiving and transmitting circuits, capacitance; construction of various types of capacitors and their arrangements in series and/or parallel.

Elementary theory of alternating currents :

Sinusoidal alternating quantities-peak, instantaneous, RMS, average values, phase; reac zation and smoothing.

Elementary theory and construction of semiconductor devices:

Diodes and Transistors.

Radio receivers:

Principles and operation of TRF and super heterodyne receivers, CW reception, receiver characteristics-sensitivity, selectivity, fidelity; adjacent channel and image interference; AVC and squelch circuits; signal to noise ratio.

Transmitter:

Principles and operation of low power transmitter; crystal oscillators, stability of oscillators.

Radio propagation:

Wavelength, frequency, nature and propagation of radio waves; ground and sky waves; skip distance; fading.

Aerials:

Common types of transmitting and receiving aerials.

Frequency measurement:

Measurement of frequency and use of simple frequency meters.

SECTION II : Radio Regulations

(a) Knowledge of :

(i) the Indian Wireless Telegraph Rules, 1973; and

(ii) the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978.

(b) Knowledge of International Radio Regulations as relating to the operation of amateur stations with particular emphasis on the following:

Designation of Emission,

Nomenclature of the frequency and wavelength,

Frequency allocation to amateur radio service,

Measures against Interference,

Interference and tests, Identification of stations,

distress and urgency transmissions,

Amateur Stations,

Phonetic alphabets and figure code.

(c) Standard frequency and time signal services in the world.

(d) The following 'Q' codes and abbreviations which shall have meaning as assigned to them in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) convention :

QRA, QRG, QRH, QRI, QRK, QRL, QRM, QRN, QRQ, QRS, QRT, QRU, QRV, QRW, QRX, QRZ, QSA, QSB, QSL, QSL, QSO, QSU, QSV, QSW, QSX, QSY, QSZ, QTC, QTH, QTR and QUM.

Telegraphic (Morse code) abbreviations: AA, AB, AR, AS, BT, C, CFM, CL, CQ, DE, K, KN, NIL, OK, R, TU, VA, WA, WB.

The written examination for Grade II licence is of one hours duration. The maximum number of marks is 100. Candidates must secure at least 40 per cent in each section and 50 per cent in aggregate to pass. The syllabus for Grade I licence is the same as that for Grade II licence, but the written examination for Grade I license is of two hours duration. The maximum number of marks is 100 and candidates must secure at least 50 per cent in each section and 55 per cent in aggregate for a pass.

PART II : MORSE CODE

(a) Section I : Morse receiving (Speed: 5 words per minute)

The test piece will consist of a plain language passage of 125 letters, five letters counting as one word. Candidates are required to receive for five consecutive minutes at the speed of 5 words per minute from a double headgear headphone receiver, international Morse code signals from an audio frequency oscillator keyed either manually or automatically. A short practice piece may be sent at the prescribed speed before the start of the actual test. Candidates will not be allowed more than one attempt in each test. The test may be written in ink or pencil but must be legible. Bad handwriting and over-writing will render a candidate liable to disqualification. More than five errors will disqualify a candidate.

(b) Section 2 : Morse Sending (Speed: 5 words per minute)

The test piece will consist of a plain language passage of 125 letters, five letters counting as one word. Candidates are required to send on an ordinary key for five consecutive minutes at the minimum speed of five words per minute. A short practice piece may be allowed before the actual test. Candidates will not be allowed more than one attempt in the test. Efforts should be made to correct all errors. However, more than five uncorrected errors will disqualify a candidate. The accuracy of signaling, correct formation of characters and the correctness of spacing shall be taken into account.

A candidate is required to pass both in Part I and Part II. In the case of candidates qualifying in Part I only, the license shall be restricted to radiotelephone operations in the VHF ham band only.

Morse Code test for Grade I :

Receiving-(Speed: 12 words per minute)

The test piece will consist of a plain language passage of 300 characters which may comprise letters, figures and punctuation (punctuation are indicated below). The average words shall contain five characters and each figure and punctuation will be counted as two characters. Candidates are required to receive for five consecutive minutes at a speed of 12 words per minute. Other conditions are the same as applicable to Grade II Examination.

Punctuations:

Full stop, Comma, Semi-colon, Break sign (BT), Hyphen and Question mark.

Sending-(Speed: 12 words per minute)

The test piece will be similar to Morse receiving test. Candidates are required to send for five consecutive minutes at a speed not less than 12 words per minute. Other conditions are the same as applicable to Grade II examination.

A candidate is required to pass both in Part I and Part II simultaneously.

Advanced Amateur Station Operators' Examination

Part I-Written Test

(a) Section 1: Radio Theory and Practice

In addition to the syllabus prescribed for Grade II Examination, following items shall be included in the syllabus of Advanced Amateur Station Operators' Examinations :-

(I) Motors and generators: Elementary principles and construction of alternators, motors and generators.

(ii) Alternating current: Construction of transformers, transformer losses, transformer as a matching device.

(iii) Measuring instruments: Moving coil and moving iron meters, frequency meters.

(iv) Semiconductor devices and transistors: Elementary principles of conduction and construction, symbols, biasing methods.

(v) Power supplies: Half wave and full wave rectifiers, smoothing and regulation, bridge rectifier.

(vi) Modulation: Principles of frequency modulation.

(vii) Transmitters and receivers: Elementary principles of transmission and reception of facsimile and television signals, elementary principles of transmitters and receivers employing single side band.

(viii) Propagation: Characteristics of ionosphere and troposphere. Properties of different reflecting layers, optimum working frequency, day and night frequencies.

(ix) Aerials: Principles of radiation, aerials for different frequency bands including aerials for microwave.

(x) Space communications: Elementary principles of communication via satellite.

(b) Section 2: Radio Regulations

Syllabus is same as prescribed for Grade II Examination. The test is of 3 hours duration. The maximum number of marks is 100 and candidate must secure at least 50 per cent in each section and 60 per cent in aggregate for a pass