§ 15.204 External radio frequency power amplifiers and antenna modifications. ( a ) Except as otherwise described in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, no person shall use, manufacture, sell or lease, offer for sale or lease (including advertising for sale or lease), or import, ship, or distribute for the purpose of selling or leasing, any external radio frequency power amplifier or amplifier kit intended for use with a part 15 intentional radiator.
( b ) A transmission system consisting of an intentional radiator, an external radio frequency power amplifier, and an antenna, may be authorized, marketed and used under this part. Except as described otherwise in this section, when a transmission system is authorized as a system, it must always be marketed as a complete system and must always be used in the configuration in which it was authorized.
( c ) An intentional radiator may be operated only with the antenna with which it is authorized. If an antenna is marketed with the intentional radiator, it shall be of a type which is authorized with the intentional radiator. An intentional radiator may be authorized with multiple antenna types. Exceptions to the following provisions, if any, are noted in the rule section under which the transmitter operates, e.g., § 15.255(b)(1)(ii) of this part. ( 1 ) The antenna type, as used in this paragraph, refers to antennas that have similar in-band and out-of-band radiation patterns.
( 2 ) Compliance testing shall be performed using the highest gain antenna for each type of antenna to be certified with the intentional radiator. During this testing, the intentional radiator shall be operated at its maximum available output power level.
( 3 ) Manufacturers shall supply a list of acceptable antenna types with the application for equipment authorization of the intentional radiator.
( 4 ) Any antenna that is of the same type and of equal or less directional gain as an antenna that is authorized with the intentional radiator may be marketed with, and used with, that intentional radiator. No retesting of this system configuration is required. The marketing or use of a system configuration that employs an antenna of a different type, or that operates at a higher gain, than the antenna authorized with the intentional radiator is not permitted unless the procedures specified in § 2.1043 of this chapter are followed.
( d ) Except as described in this paragraph, an external radio frequency power amplifier or amplifier kit shall be marketed only with the system configuration with which it was approved and not as a separate product. ( 1 ) An external radio frequency power amplifier may be marketed for individual sale provided it is intended for use in conjunction with a transmitter that operates in the 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, and 5725-5850 MHz bands pursuant to § 15.247 of this part or a transmitter that operates in the 5.725-5.825 GHz band pursuant to § 15.407 of this part. The amplifier must be of a design such that it can only be connected as part of a system in which it has been previously authorized. (The use of a non-standard connector or a form of electronic system identification is acceptable.) The output power of such an amplifier must not exceed the maximum permitted output power of its associated transmitter.
( 2 ) The outside packaging and user manual for external radio frequency power amplifiers sold in accordance with paragraph (d)(1) of this section must include notification that the amplifier can be used only in a system which it has obtained authorization. Such a notice must identify the authorized system by FCC Identifier.
[69 FR 54034, Sept. 7, 2004, as amended at 78 FR 59850, Sept. 30, 2013]