Re: AX.25 and third-party

[k5yfw@k5yfw.ampr.org (Walter D. DuBose - K5YFW)]

Greetings Mike and All,

In message <1aeac540@bilow.bilow.uu.ids.net> you write:
        [lots deleted]
> Exactly what constitutes third-party operation is not clear in the rules.
> For example, the FCC recently acted to straighten out a lot of the
> issues governing messages relayed by the conventional store and forward
> packet BBS network.

I hope this clears up anyones questions conecrning what the FCC
considers "third-party" communications.

The following questions from the "approved" question pool should make it
perfectly clear what "third-party commenications" are.

These questions are in the current Novice and Technician pool which VEs
draw from to prepare Novice and Technician test.

Question  Correct Answer  Rule
|   |      |              |       |
N1I01     (A)             [97.3a39]
What is the definition of third-party communications?
A.  A message sent between two amateur stations for someone else
B.  Public service communications for a political party
C.  Any messages sent by amateur stations
D.  A three-minute transmission to another amateur

N1I09     (B)             [97.3a42]
What is a "third-party" in amateur communications?
A.  An amateur station that breaks in to talk
B.  A person who is sent a message by amateur communications 
other than a control operator who handles the message
C.  A shortwave listener who monitors amateur communications
D.  An unlicensed control operator

N1I11     (D)             [97.115a2]
When are you allowed to transmit a message to a station in a 
foreign country for a third party?
A.  Anytime
B.  Never
C.  Anytime, unless there is a third-party agreement between the 
US and the foreign government
D.  If there is a third-party agreement with the US government, 
or if the third party could be the control operator 

T1E08     (D)             [97.115a2]
When are third-party messages allowed to be sent to a foreign 
country?
A.  When sent by agreement of both control operators
B.  When the third party speaks to a relative
C.  They are not allowed under any circumstances
D.  When the US has a third-party agreement with the foreign 
country or the third party is qualified to be a control operator

> However, the application of those rules to IP is not clear.  If you send
> a message via SMTP, which causes the message to be cut up into pieces
> that are> sent in different frames, are these frames third-party traffic
> from the point of view of a router on the network?  These frames may not
> even be routed on the same path.

You have to consider the message as a whole.  You would not consider
each word or letter a message when passing 3rd-party traffic on CW nor
should you consider the message cut into pieces during transmission as
different messages.

73,

Walt