(a) Digital television stations, and digital and analog Class A TV, low power TV, TV translator and TV booster stations:
(1) Protected contour. TVBDs must protect digital and analog TV services within the contours shown in the following table. These contours are calculated using the methodology in Sec. 73.684 of this chapter and the R-6602 curves contained in Sec. 73.699 of this chapter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protected contour
--------------------------------------------------------------
Type of station Contour Propagation
Channel (dBu) curve----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Analog: Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster. Low VHF (2-6).................... 47 F(50,50)
High VHF (7-13).................. 56 F(50,50)
UHF (14-69)...................... 64 F(50,50)Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, Low VHF (2-6).................... 28 F(50,90)
translator and booster.
High VHF (7-13).................. 36 F(50,90)
UHF (14-51)...................... 41 F(50,90)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Required separation distance. TVBDs must be located outside the contours indicated in paragraph (a)(1) of this section of co-channel and adjacent channel stations by at least the minimum distances specified in the following table. Personal/portable TVBDs operating in Mode II must comply with the separation distances specified for an unlicensed device with an antenna height of less than 3 meters. Alternatively, Mode II personal/portable TVBDs may operate at closer separation distances from the contour of adjacent channel stations than this table permits, including inside the contour of adjacent channel stations, provided the power level is reduced to 40 mW or less as specified in Sec. 15.709(a)(2). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required separation (km) from
digital or analog TV (full
service or low power)
Antenna height above average terrain of protected contour
unlicensed device -------------------------------
Co-channel Adjacent
(km) channel (km)------------------------------------------------------------------------Less than 3 meters...................... 4.0 0.43-Less than 10 meters................... 7.3 0.710-Less than 30 meters.................. 11.1 1.230-Less than 50 meters.................. 14.3 1.850-Less than 75 meters.................. 18.0 2.075-Less than 100 meters................. 21.1 2.1100-Less than 150 meters................ 25.3 2.2150-Less than 200 meters................ 28.5 2.3200-250 meters.......................... 31.2 2.4------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) The antenna height above ground for a fixed TVBD may not exceed 30 meters.
(b) TV translator, Low Power TV (including Class A) and Multi-channel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) receive sites. MVPD, TV translator station and low power TV (including Class A) station receive sites located outside the protected contour of the TV station(s) being received may be registered in the TV bands database if they are no farther than 80 km outside the nearest edge of the relevant contour(s). Only channels received over the air and used by the MVPD, TV translator station or low power/Class A TV station may be registered. TVBDs may not operate within an arc of [/-30 degrees from a line between a registered receive site and the contour of the TV station being received in the direction of the station's transmitter at a distance of up to 80 km from the edge of the protected contour of the received TV station for co-channel operation and up to 20 km from the registered receive site for adjacent channel operation, except that the protection distance shall not exceed the distance from the receive site to the protected contour. Outside of this [/-30 degree arc, TVBDs may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel operation. For purposes of this section, a TV station being received may include a full power TV station, TV translator station or low power TV/Class A TV station.
(c) Fixed Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) Links. For permanent BAS receive sites appearing in the Commission's Universal Licensing System or temporary BAS receive sites registered in the TV bands database, TVBDs may not operate within an arc of [30 degrees from a line between the BAS receive site and its associated permanent transmitter within a distance of 80 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 20 km for adjacent channel operation. Outside this [30 degree arc, TVBDs may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel operation.
(d) PLMRS/CMRS operations: TVBDs may not operate at distances less than 134 km for co-channel operations and 131 km for adjacent channel operations from the coordinates of the metropolitan areas and on the channels listed in Sec. 90.303(a) of this chapter. For PLMRS/CMRS operations authorized by waiver outside of the metropolitan areas listed in Sec. 90.303(a) of this chapter, co-channel and adjacent channel TVBDs may not operate closer than 54 km and 51 km, respectively from a base station.
(e) Offshore Radiotelephone Service. TVBDs may not operate on channels used by the Offshore Radio Service within the geographic areas specified in Sec. 74.709(e) of this chapter.
(f) Low power auxiliary services, including wireless microphones: (1) Fixed TVBDs are not permitted to operate within 1 km, and personal/portable TVBDs will not be permitted to operate within 400 meters, of the coordinates of registered low power auxiliary station sites on the registered channels during the designated times they are used by low power auxiliary stations.
(2) TVBDs are not permitted to operate on the first channel on each side of TV channel 37 (608-614 MHz) that is not occupied by a licensed service.
(g) Border areas near Canada and Mexico: Fixed and personal/portable TVBDs shall comply with the required separation distances in Sec. 15.712(a)(2) from the protected contours of TV stations in Canada and Mexico. TVBDs are not required to comply with these separation distances from portions of the protected contours of Canadian or Mexican TV stations that fall within the United States.
(h) Radio astronomy services: Operation of fixed and personal/portable TVBDs is prohibited on all channels within 2.4 kilometers at the following locations.
(1) The Naval Radio Research Observatory in Sugar Grove, West Virginia at 38 30 58 N and 79 16 48 W.
(2) The Table Mountain Radio Receiving Zone (TMRZ) at 40 08 02 N and 105 14 40 W.
(3) The following facilities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latitude (deg/min/ Longitude (deg/min/
Observatory Sec. sec)------------------------------------------------------------------------Allen Telescope Array....... 40 49 04 N 121 28 24 WArecibo Observatory......... 18 20 37 N 066 45 11 WGreen Bank Telescope (GBT).. 38 25 59 N 079 50 23 W
-------------------------------------------
Very Large Array (VLA)...... Rectangle between latitudes 33 58 22 N and
34 14 56 N, and longitudes 107 24 40 W
and 107 48 22 W
-------------------------------------------Very Long Baseline Array
(VLBA) Stations:
Pie Town, NM............ 34 18 04 N 108 07 09 W
Kitt Peak, AZ........... 31 57 23 N 111 36 45 W
Los Alamos, NM.......... 35 46 30 N 106 14 44 W
Ft. Davis, TX........... 30 38 06 N 103 56 41 W
N. Liberty, IA.......... 41 46 17 N 091 34 27 W
Brewster, WA............ 48 07 52 N 119 41 00 W
Owens Valley, CA........ 37 13 54 N 118 16 37 W
St. Croix, VI........... 17 45 24 N 064 35 01 W
Hancock, NH............. 42 56 01 N 071 59 12 W
Mauna Kea, HI........... 19 48 05 N 155 27 20 W------------------------------------------------------------------------ [74 FR 7326, Feb. 17, 2009, as amended at 75 FR 75839, Dec. 6, 2010; 77 FR 29246, May 17, 2012]