Grades. General re Part III.-REGULATIONS GOVERNING RADIO OPERA TORS. GRADES AND REQUIREMENTS. 96. (1) Commercial extra first grade; (2) commercial first grade; (3) commercial second grade; (4) commercial cargo grade; (5) commercial temporary permit; (6) experiment and instruction grade; (7) amateur first grade; (8) amateur second grade. quirements. 97. The Service Regulations of the International Convention require that "the service of the station on shipboard shall be carried on by a telegraph operator holding a certificate issued by the Government to which the vessel is subject." Requirements for each grade. extra. 98. Such certificate shall attest the professional efficiency of the operator as regards-(a) Adjustment of the apparatus and knowledge of its functioning; (b) transmission and acoustic reception at the rate of not less than 20 words a minute (Continental Morse) for commercial first-grade operators and not less than 12 words per minute for second-grade operators; (c) knowledge of the regulations governing the exchange of wireless telegraph correspondence; (d) the certificate shall furthermore state that the Government has bound the operator to secrecy with regard to the correspondence. 99. The International Convention has been ratified by the principal maritime nations, dominions, and provinces. Radio operators holding valid certificates issued by foreign Governments which are parties to the convention will be recognized by this department as persons "skilled in the use of such apparatus" within the meaning of the act, unless in the case of a specific individual there may be special reason to doubt the operator's skill and reliability. Such certificates should be ready at hand for the inspection of radio inspectors or customs officers before the steamer departs from the United States. 100. In the case of a vessel subject to the act under the flag of any nation not a party to the International Convention, the radio operator, before the departure of the vessel from the United States, must furnish to the inspector evidence that he is "skilled in the use of the apparatus.' This evidence shall consist of an examination on board by the radio inspector. 101. Commercial extra first grade. The Department of Commercial Commerce will issue a special license, to be known as commercial extra first grade, to radio operators whose trustworthiness and efficient service entitle them to confidence and recognition. 102. These licenses will be given consideration by the Civil Service Commission in examinations for positions requiring knowledge of radio telegraphy, when experience is rated as a part of such examinations. 103. Applicants for the commercial extra first-grade license must pass a special examination. To be eligible for this examination they must hold commercial firstgrade licenses, and their certificates of skill in radio communication, issued under the act of June 24, 1910, or licenses under the act of August 13, 1912, must record 18 months' satisfactory commercial service at sea or at land stations, either or both, during the two years previous to the filing of the application for examination, as shown by indorsement on the license service records, or other satisfactory evidence, and provided that the applicants have not been penalized for a violation of the radio laws and regulations. 104. A speed of at least 30 words per minute, Continental Morse, and 25 words per minute, American Morse (five letters to the word), must be attained. The technical questions and the questions on the radio laws and regulations will be considerably wider in scope than those for commercial first grade, and a higher percentage will be required. 105. All examination papers, including the code test sheets, will be marked and forwarded to the Commissioner of Navigation, with a recommendation by the radio inspector or examining officer. Examination papers will be marked upon the basis of 100, and licenses will be recommended only if 80 or better is attained. 106. Licenses of this grade will be issued by the Commissioner of Navigation, indorsed by the Secretary of Commerce, and delivered to the successful applicant through the examining officer. 107. Commercial first grade. The applicant must pass a satisfactory examination in-(a) The adjustment, operation, and care of the apparatus, including correction of faults and change from one wave length to another; (b) transmitting and receiving by ear at a speed of not less than 20 words a minute in Continental Morse (five letters to the word); (c) use and care of storage battery or other auxiliary power apparatus; (d) knowledge of the international regulations in force applying to radio communication; (e) knowledge of the requirements of the acts of Congress to regulate radio communication (secs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the act of Aug. 13, 1912). 108. The commercial extra first grade and the commercial first grade licenses qualify holders for employment at any ship or land station of any class. Commercial first. second. 109. Commercial second grade.-The applicant must Commercial pass a satisfactory examination in all the subjects prescribed above for the first grade, with the exception that the minimum speed in transmitting and receiving shall not be less than 12 words a minute in Continental Morse, Cargo. Temporary permit. and the examination in the subjects will not be as compre- 110. Commercial cargo grade.-Section 2 of the act of 111. The examination will be conducted so as to determine the following facts: (a) That the applicant is sufficiently familiar with the Continental Morse Code to recog nize the distress signal (SOS), when included in a list of other words or signals sent slowly (approximately five words a minute); (b) That the applicant is sufficiently familiar with the Continental Morse Code to recognize radio call letters of the vessel on which he desires to operate when sent slowly and repeated several times; (c) that the applicant is sufficiently familiar with the type of the receiving apparatus of the vessel on which he desires to operate to determine by a buzzer or similar test that the detector or receiving apparatus is properly adjusted to receive signals. 112. Examining officers and radio inspectors are authorized to issue a certificate, in the form of an amateur firstgrade license, after examination, to indicate the facts above enumerated in the case of a member of the crew or other person, and experience under this form will be credited by examining officers if the holder later applies for examination for a commercial license. These licenses will be marked "Cargo" in the upper right-hand corner under the serial number. 113. Commercial temporary permit. Section 3 of the act of August 13, 1912, provides: "In case of emergency the Secretary of Commerce may authorize a collector of customs to issue a temporary permit, in lieu of a license, to the operator on a vessel subject to the radio ship act of June 24, 1910." 114. The temporary permit, in the form of a letter to the operator, is to be issued only in cases of emergency and will be valid for one voyage from to beginning 115. The permits should be issued only to persons 116. The collector of customs will forward to the Department of Commerce (Bureau of Navigation) a report covering each temporary permit issued and the reasons for its issue. P and instruction. 117. Experiment and instruction grade.-Experiment- Experiment ers and instructors of scientific attainments in the art of radio communication whose knowledge of the radio laws satisfies the radio inspector or the examining officer may obtain this grade license, provided they are able to transmit and receive in the Continental Morse Code at a speed sufficient to enable them to recognize distress calls or the "keep-out" signals. 118. The operator's license for this grade is a commercial license, indorsed by the Secretary of Commerce with a statement of the special purpose for which it is valid. 119. If the applicant qualifies, the radio inspector or examining officer will forward a blank commercial license, with the papers, to the Commissioner of Navigation, with his recommendation. If approved, the license will be properly indorsed by the Secretary of Commerce and delivered to the licensee through the recommending officer. 120. This license has no reference to the instruction of radio operators as such, but is required by those operating apparatus licensed as experimental stations but who are unable to obtain commercial grade operators' licenses. 121. Amateurs before applying for licenses should read and understand the essential parts of the International Radiotelegraphic Convention in force and sections 3, 4, 5, and 7 of the act of August 13, 1912. The Department recognizes that radio communication offers a wholesome form of instructive recreation for amateurs. At the same time its use for this purpose must observe strictly the rights of others to the uninterrupted use of apparatus for important public and commercial purposes. The Department will not knowingly issue a license to an amateur who does not recognize and will not obey this principle. To this end the intelligent reading of the international convention and the act of Congress is prescribed as the first step to be taken by amateurs. A copy of the radio laws and regulations may be procured for this purpose from the radio inspectors or from the Commissioner of Navigation, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C., but they are not for public distribution. Additional copies may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., at a nominal price. 122. Amateur first grade.-The applicant must have Amateur first. a sufficient knowledge of the adjustment and operation of the apparatus which he wishes to operate and of the regulations of the international convention and acts of Congress in so far as they relate to interference with other radio communication and impose certain duties on all grades of operators. The applicant must be able to transmit and receive in Continental Morse at a speed sufficient to enable him to recognize distress calls or the official "keep-out" signals. A speed of at least five words per minute (five letters to the word) must be attained. Passing mark. 123. Amateur second grade. The requirements for the second grade will be the same as for the first grade. The second-grade license will be issued only where an applicant can not be personally examined or until he can be examined. An examining officer or radio inspector is authorized in his discretion to waive an actual examination of an applicant for an amateur license, if the amateur for adequate reasons can not present himself for examination but in writing can satisfy the examining officer or radio inspector that he is qualified to hold a license and will conform to its obligations. EXAMINATIONS. 124. The following requirements and method of conducting examination for radio operators' licenses will be adopted at all examining offices. 125. The test shall consist of messages with call letters and regular preambles, conventional signals and abbreviations and odd phrases, and shall in no case consist of simple, connected reading matter. The test will be conducted by means of the omnigraph or other automatic instrument wherever possible. 126. The test shall continue for five minutes at a speed of 20 words, 12 words, and 5 words per minute, respectively, for the commercial first, second, and lower grades, and to qualify the applicant must receive 20, 12, or 5 words in consecutive order. 127. The code test sheets written by the applicant will be forwarded to the Commissioner of Navigation with other papers and the speed attained noted in the lower left-hand corner of the first sheet. 128. An applicant will be given credit for the maximum speed he can attain. 129. The practical and theoretical examination shall consist of seven comprehensive questions under the following headings and values: (a) Experience.... Points, maximum value. 20 Diagram of receiving and transmitting apparatus.. 10 Knowledge of operation and care of storage bat- (f) Knowledge of motors and generators.. (g) Knowledge of international regulations governing 20 20 10 10 10 100 130. Seventy-five constitutes a passing mark for the first grade commercial. Sixty-five constitutes a passing mark for the second grade commercial. 131. Applicants who fail to attain 20 words in the code test but who attain a mark of between 65 and 75 in the written examination may be issued second-grade licenses, if they can receive at least 12 words per minute. |