Question
Which of the following constitutes a spurious emission?
Answer Options
- A) An amateur station transmission made without the proper call sign identification
- B) A signal transmitted to prevent its detection by any station other than the intended recipient
- C) Any transmitted signal that unintentionally interferes with another licensed radio station and whose levels exceed 40 dB below the fundamental power level
- D) An emission outside the signal’s necessary bandwidth that can be reduced or eliminated without affecting the information transmitted
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
A spurious emission is defined in the FCC rules (Part 97.3) as any emission from a radio transmitter that falls outside the signal’s necessary bandwidth. The key characteristic of a spurious emission is that it can be substantially reduced or completely eliminated without impacting the quality or amount of information being transmitted by the fundamental signal. This type of unwanted emission often takes the form of harmonics, parasitic oscillations, or key clicks.
It is the responsibility of the amateur operator to ensure their station minimizes these unwanted signals to prevent interference with other radio services or other amateur operators. The definition distinguishes spurious emissions from adjacent channel interference, which is an intentional part of the signal that unfortunately bleeds into neighboring frequencies, or from other rule violations like improper identification.
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