3.3 Beacons, Telemetry, and Automatically Controlled Unattended Stations

Classify the operation

Under the 2025 Interpretation Determination, a beacon station is used principally to identify propagation conditions. Listeners may compare its received signal over time to judge whether a path is open. A repeater station is established at a fixed location to receive signals from an amateur station and automatically retransmit those signals. Class Licence section 13(2)(b)–(c) excludes operating either type. Check the assigned transmitter licence and Amateur LCD for the station’s frequencies, location and conditions.

For example, an Amateur LCD beacon transmits the operator’s call sign at least once every ten minutes during transmission under section 19. The default conditions include protection of primary services in 50–52 MHz and restrictions on more than seven continuous days at a location outside the licence conditions. An assigned repeater has corresponding provisions in sections 23 and 27–28. The station-specific conditions and the precedence rules in sections 7, 18 and 22 also matter.

A personal station can have an automatic or computer-controlled mode for its own transmissions without becoming a repeater or a propagation beacon. A weather sensor that periodically reports its own temperature is telemetry. A fixed system that receives and automatically retransmits another amateur station’s signal must be assessed against the repeater definition, including if it handles packets. A receive-only internet gateway does not automatically retransmit that signal by radio. Assess any separate radio transmitting function on its facts.

Apply the unattended conditions

Class Licence section 13(4) applies when nobody is at the station location. The station must be in automatic or computer-controlled mode and be fitted with a timer that automatically shuts it down if a malfunction causes unintended transmission lasting longer than ten minutes. A remote off switch by itself cannot satisfy the timer requirement. For operation under an amateur apparatus licence, Amateur LCD section 9(6) gives its own conditions, including the timer and the ability to terminate transmissions promptly if they cause interference to another service. It covers automatic or computer-controlled modes as well as repeater and beacon stations.

Suppose a home station sends its own equipment status, with nobody at the location. Check that its purpose, frequency, mode, power and identification meet the Class Licence. If it loses its network connection and leaves the transmitter keyed, the installed timer must perform the automatic shutdown. An Internet control connection is useful for ordinary operation and leaves the timer requirement in place.

Worked licence comparison. A club wants to put a transmitter at a hilltop with nobody on site. Its choice of equipment function changes the required authority.

ACMA’s guidance for assigned beacon and repeater applications identifies recognised Standard or Advanced qualifications and an accredited person for coordination. Once assigned, check the licence for the approved site and channels. For an unattended assigned station, confirm both the timer and the means to terminate a transmission promptly if it causes interference to another service. The two checks address different failure modes.

Separate telemetry and telecommand

Telemetry reports information such as a battery voltage. Telecommand sends an instruction, such as changing a satellite’s operating mode or shutting down an unattended station. Class Licence section 13(2)(d)(iv) deals with encoding for the purpose of obscuring meaning. Section 13(3) allows the specified cases: transmission to an amateur-satellite service space station for its control, amateur-to-amateur transmission for control of an unattended amateur station, or amateur-to-amateur transmission for emergency services operations or related training. The 2025 Amateur LCD section 9(3) sets corresponding exceptions. An ordinary packet format used to carry measurements and encoding intended to obscure those measurements are different cases.

APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) can carry position or status using packets. The WIA 2026 plan recommends 145.175 MHz for national AX.25 APRS. Check the authority for the planned operation and whether the transmitter sends its own data or automatically retransmits other stations’ signals.

ACMA amateur radio licences · 2025 Interpretation Determination · Amateur Class Licence · 2025 Amateur LCD · WIA Australian band plan